Professional Documents
Culture Documents
5 - Annex 6 4 - SkyEdge II Technical Description v5
5 - Annex 6 4 - SkyEdge II Technical Description v5
This document contains information proprietary to Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. and may not be
reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of Gilat Satellite Networks
Ltd. The disclosure by Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. of information contained herein does not
constitute any license or authorization to use or disclose the information, ideas or concepts
presented. The contents of this document are subject to change without prior notice
[]
Table of Contents
1.
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 The SkyEdge II System ........................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Benefits for the SkyEdge II Operator .................................................................................................... 5
2.
3.
4.
5.
NetEdge ........................................................................................................................................................ 21
5.1 Using NetEdge for Multi-Star Private Networks ................................................................................ 21
5.2 NetEdge Technology ............................................................................................................................ 23
6.
7.
8.
[]
9.
Table of Figures
Figure 1: SkyEdge II Mesh and Star Topology .............................................................................................. 9
Figure 2 - NetEdge Topology ......................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 3: Traffic flow through the hub components ................................................................................. 11
Figure 4: SkyEdge II Hub - Rack Layout ....................................................................................................... 12
Figure 5: IPM rear panel .............................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 6: SkyEdge II Access and Pro Expansion Slots.............................................................................. 18
Figure 7: Outdoor Unit Components ......................................................................................................... 20
Figure 8 General topology of a multi-star corporate network ................................................................. 21
Figure 9 - Multi-star high-level topology with Mesh VSATs (MV) and NetEdge GWs ............................. 22
Figure 10: NMS Main Screen ....................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 11: SkyMon Dashboard .................................................................................................................... 26
Figure 12: Fault Management View ............................................................................................................ 27
Figure 13: Sample report - Outbound Symbol Rate per ModCod ............................................................ 28
Figure 14: SkyManage VAPS interface ........................................................................................................ 29
Figure 15: DVB-S2 Modulation schemes .................................................................................................... 30
Figure 16: Spectral efficiency of DVB-S2 .................................................................................................... 31
Figure 17: CCM example .............................................................................................................................. 31
Figure 18: ACM Example.............................................................................................................................. 32
Figure 19: SkyEdge II ACM implementation ............................................................................................... 33
Figure 20: SkyEdge II efficient packing of MPEG frames ........................................................................... 35
Figure 21: SkyEdge II Real time scheduling ................................................................................................ 35
Figure 22: SkyEdge II greater efficiency scheduling .................................................................................. 36
Figure 23: Time Frequency Plan with different bursts .............................................................................. 38
Figure 24: Frames and Superframes ........................................................................................................... 39
Figure 25: TRF Burst ..................................................................................................................................... 39
ii
[]
iii
[]
1.Introduction
1.1 The SkyEdge II System
SkyEdge II is a high performance, high efficiency two-way satellite communication solution used for a
variety of applications and services. It combines reliable support for IP communication as well as
telephony and multimedia applications utilizing advanced technologies for efficient usage of the
satellites space-segment resources. SkyEdge II is the optimized solution for every satellite
networking need, easily built, maintained and then expanded as the networks requirements change.
Offering more than mere connectivity, optional value added services are enabled by add-ons and
equipment from Gilat which is integrated with the SkyEdge II system. SkyEdge II is based on the
concept of a single hub which can efficiently work with different types of VSATs to support different
needs and applications.
A SkyEdge II System consists of the following components:
SkyEdge II Hub (Section 3) the center of the network, providing management and control of
communications between VSATs, corporate networks, the internet and the Public Switch
Telephony Network (PSTN).
SkyEdge II family of VSATs (Section 4) provide users a fast, stable and transparent
communication link for all their applications. SkyEdge II VSATs provide data connectivity as
well as embedded telephony and multimedia support.
SkyEdge II Network Management System (NMS) providing central management of the VSATs
and the Hub via a graphical user-friendly interface.
High bit rates in both forward and return link, with up to 135Mbps per outbound
carrier and 6Mbps per inbound carrier
High order modulations with Turbo coding on both the inbound and outbound:
[]
Single, all-in-one system for broadband data, VoIP and Video over IP
Low basic bandwidth requirement, with a modular expansion path for the hub
Tailored VSATs within the SkyEdge II product line support different markets and
applications, optimizing the solution for each customer
Robust access schemes with adaptive technology in both the inbound and outbound
TCP acceleration
HTTP acceleration
Traffic encryption
[]
DVB-S2 outbound
DVB-RCS inbound
Services Broadband IP, Public telephony, VoIP, Video over IP, multimedia, video
surveillance, cellular backhauling, Credit card transactions and more
[]
[]
Mesh
Me
SkyEdge II Pro
sh
Star
SkyEdge II Access
SkyEdge II
Hub
SkyEdge II IP
SkyEdge II Access
PSTN
High Speed
Internet
VSATs usually use smaller antennas (e.g. typically 1.2 meter or smaller antenna for Ku-band) than the
hub to transmit signals to the satellite. The transmission is done with an Outdoor Unit (ODU) that
includes an RF amplifier for transmission (BUC) and an RF receiver for reception (LNB).
The Network Management System (NMS) is connected to the hub and manages both the hub
components and the remote VSATs. It features XML and SNMP interfaces for integration to OSS and
BSS systems.
NetEdge Multitar topology allows building a single, highly efficient and modular satellite access network
with multiple private mesh networks within it.
Each private network is typically used by a business or a government entity, and is built around a
central node. The central node may be the regional HQ for a corporate network, or a regional cellular
BTS Controller (BSC) for a cellular network with multiple BTS sites.
[]
10
[]
3.SkyEdge II Hub
3.1 Hub Overview
The hub concentrates the satellite traffic, controls and monitors the network working modes, and
serves as the main access point to terrestrial networks. The hub forms the center of the star and
multi-star topologies. The hub interfaces with the customers host computers and the Internet,
supports multiple satellite channels of inbound and multiple outbound channels for communication
with the VSATs.
The SkyEdge II hub has a modular architecture, enabling the addition of equipment as the network
grows. It can also be configured with multiple levels of redundancy as required. NTP synchronization
is optionally supported from a customer supplied NTP server.
The following diagram shows components used in the inbound and outbound p aths.
IPM
Inbound
Segment
Outbound
Segment
11
[]
NMS servers
Tx\Rx
Tx
Rx
Tx
Rx
Tx
Rx
Parameter
N- type, 50 ohm
N- type, 50 ohm
Standard L Band (950-1700MHz)
Optional IF interface (Via Up\Down converters)
-20 to +5dBm
Noise floor range: -130 to -105dBm/Hz
Signal range: -94 to -9dBm
Table 1: HUB RF Interface
12
[]
(PLFRAMES). Pilot symbols may be optionally added for improving receiver synchronization when
working with high order modulations.
The IPM includes the system clock source and has the following specifications:
Modulation: QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK, 32APSK(upto: 30Msps)
L-band output: 950 1750 MHz, tunable in 1 KHz
10 MHz frequency reference
Symbol rate: 0.3 - 45 Msps
Configurable roll-off factor: 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%
The rear panel of the IPM including connectivity is shown below.
13
[]
14
[]
Redundancy
scheme
Single Outbound
1+1
Redundancy
scheme
Multiple Outbound
IPM
1+1 per OB
channel
HSP
1+1*
1+1* per OB
channel
MCR
N+1
N+1 per OB
channel
DPS
1+1*
1+1* per OB
channel
NMS
1+1
1+1 per OB
channel
* Shared UHP per OB provides redundancy for these components.
For increased reliability, redundancy can be added for the critical baseband elements, so that no
single point of failure exists. For maximum reliability, geographic redundancy can be created
through identical hubs in different locations, providing minimal downtime during natural disasters,
power outages or other emergencies.
3.4.3 Multiple Satellites/Outbounds
The SkyEdge II Multi-Satellite Hub supports communications through up to four different satellites or
transponders, for high capacity needs, or for wider geographical coverage or to cater for transponder
capacity limitations. An operator can start with a hub that supports only one outbound and later add
support for additional satellites by adding the required elements in the hub. The redundancy table
above indicates the additional components required for a redundant multi-channel system.
3.4.4 Geographical Redundancy
Geographical Redundancy is provided by a dedicated feature. It enables transfer of hub and VSAT
configuration between two NMSs situated in different geographical locations. Using this feature the
15
[]
operator can switch over between sites when needed, for example, during a natural disaster such as
an earth quake at the main site. In addition, this feature may be useful for importing and exporting
NMS configuration for debugging and or fast installation.
The application records the configuration, settings and logs of the operational hub at preset intervals
and stores this data in a compressed file at the redundant hub or at a safe remote location that can
be accessed by the redundant hub. If operational hub failure occurs, this stored data enables the
redundant hub to adopt the settings and logs of the operational hub and to take over in the fastest
possible manner, minimizing downtime and data loss.
Geographical redundancy can be used in two different ways:
In Export Mode at an operational hub this enables sending the data from the operational
hub to the redundant hub
In Import Mode at a redundant hub this enables the redundant hub to request the data
from the active hub
The synchronization process can be carried out using any IP link between the two sites. The
activation of the standby hub is currently a manual process initiated by the hub manager. This is due
to the complexity of the changeover including the necessity to shut down the RF equipment at the
active site and activate it at the redundant site. Future version will support automatic switchover
using a monitoring VSAT. A further enhancement of this feature will involve the use of a smaller
backup hub. The switchover will include an automatically generated configuration with a reduced
amount of traffic suitable for the smaller backup hub.
16
[]
4.SkyEdge II VSATs
The versatile SkyEdge II VSAT family is tailored for various networking and application needs. All
SkyEdge II VSATs can work with the same hub, making deployment of the network both cost effective
and simple.
4.1 SkyEdge II IP
The SkyEdge II IP is a compact design, two-way VSAT enabling interactive Broadband IP and
multicasting applications. With DVB standards and extensive IP capabilities, the platform is ideal for
businesses of any size requiring extremely fast downstream and upstream throughput for multimedia
applications, large file delivery and extremely rapid access to the Web.
SkyEdge II IP delivers advanced IP services supporting a wide range of applications including Internet,
VoIP, digital signage, video conferencing, data access and VPNs. It is the perfect answer for IP
services and customers of all types, including large enterprises, small & medium businesses, SOHO
and residential users. SkyEdge II IP provides speed, quality, and superior support for all web and
bandwidth intensive applications while enabling prioritization and fairness.
17
[]
latency VSAT to VSAT capabilities. In addition the SkyEdge II Access may be ordered in rack-mount or
desktop variants including external or internal AC or DC power supplies.
Mesh card
SkyEdge II Pro
Field-upgradeable
(4xFXS or 2xFXS + Mesh)
3 FXS cards
3
2 FXS cards
4.5.1
Each FXS extension card supports two FXS analog telephone lines. This can be used for phones or
standard fax machines for star or mesh services. The card is using standard SIP and RTP to carry voice
traffic so it can be used with standard VoIP gateways and soft switches for regular VoIP calls.
4.5.2
The mesh card supports single-hop, full-mesh connection with other mesh VSATs. The mesh
connectivity card is fully described in 9.6 below.
Typically, a mesh VSAT will need a larger antenna than a regular VSAT, due to the link budget
considerations (requiring that VSAT to receive I/B transmissions from other VSATs).
18
[]
In addition the SkyEdge VSATs provide an SNMP interface for collecting telemetry locally by SNMP
servers.
19
[]
HPC
Figure 7: Outdoor Unit Components
20
[]
5.NetEdge
NetEdge brings a true technological advance into the world of private networking over satellite. Up until
recently, for a corporate to have its own private network meant high capital investment and many times
a serious compromise on application performance and user experience. With SCPC as the typical means
of connectivity, providing reasonable inter-branch data connectivity meant limited or no internet access
and significantly higher space segment costs. High quality voice or video conferencing between branches
were simply not a practical option. Similarly, with cellular backhauling over satellite, in many cases the
space-segment costs and HW costs make the business case challenging for the network operator.
With SkyEdge II NetEdge, a service provider can now provide its business and government customers
with full connectivity, high performance packages at reasonable costs.
The building blocks of a NetEdge multi-star network are mesh VSATs and mesh Gateways (GW):
Remote sites are equipped with the high performance mesh VSATs, either the SkyEdge II
Access or the SkyEdge II Pro, both expandable with a mesh expansion card.
The central node of each private network is based on a high capacity NetEdge GW.
With mesh capability, any site can connect directly in single hop to any other site in the network. This
capability is relevant for any type of connectivity:
Connecting any 2 mesh sites inside the private network
21
[]
Connecting any point in the network to the internet or to other points outside the satellite
network and beyond the hub.
Figure 9 - Multi-star high-level topology with Mesh VSATs (MV) and NetEdge GWs
22
[]
GW
mesh
transmission
Symbol rate
[ksps]
ModCods
Channel Spacing
Standard
VSAT
Star/Mesh
transmission
Symbol rate
[ksps]
ModCods
Channel Spacing
23
[]
The hub-based NMS server is accessed via a user interface that runs on the networks remote clients.
The SkyEdge II NMS encompasses every component of the system. By integrating voice, data and
multimedia into a common satellite communications system, the NMS management functionality
supports both the scope and capabilities of world class satellite networks. The key management
features of the NMS are listed below.
SkyEdge II contains an advance fault management system that makes it easy to monitor the
network and its messages via the NMS. Alarms and events graphically display any change in
status of a network element in color-coded icons and text. Browser event display filtering
makes events easier to view and manage, and may be used in cases where the event rate is
high or the administrator wants to filter out irrelevant or unimportant events.
Service Offering Flexibility through Hub Sharing (Partitioning) enables a hub operator to grant
client network administrators access to only their portions of the shared network. Group
management and operation is supported through separate Software and Work Group
definitions for VSATs.
24
[]
A clear and intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) uses both object-oriented and
hierarchical techniques to help network managers quickly set up and manage the SkyEdge II
environment.
The NMS provides telemetry configuration parameters and status for network elements,
enabling rapid identification of network component status changes and configuration errors.
Traffic, satellite and port statistical information can be polled by the NMS and presented to
the operator.
The NMS uses standards compliant XML and SNMP to create generic definitions of
components, parameters, commands and statistics. It also assists in speedily deploying new
system components.
End-to-end QoS parameters are managed by the NMS on per user and per application bases.
Multiple SLAs can coexist within the same system.
Central software upgrading provides for modifying the unit(s) specified by group settings. It
also supports a short system down time with complete restore capabilities to back down to
the previous version.
6.1 SkyMon
SkyMon is a web-based monitoring tool for the SkyEdge II system. It performs real-time system
monitoring of events, alarms and statistics as well as historic/trend analysis of the system over a one
year period. SkyMon collects statistics from Hub Elements and VSATs and also synchronizes
periodically with the NMS in order to receive the network topology and events available on the NMS.
SkyMon contains pre-defined collections of SNMP-based statistics received from Hub elements and
VSATs. These statistic collections have been defined based on Gilats vast experience in satellite
network monitoring. The statistics include all information required for monitoring and debugging a
satellite communication network.
The information is collected from the devices with a 5-minute resolution (VSAT statistics are
collected with a 3-hour resolution for satellite BW efficiency). Users can generate real time and
historical reports based the collected information using a user-friendly Web-based GUI. The GUI is
accessible from Microsoft IE7 or Mozilla Firefox version 2.0 or above.
6.1.1 Dashboard
One of the main SkyMon advantages is its innovative Dashboard: The Dashboard is a user defined
screen with as many tabs as users require. In each tab users can add any information that is
available to the system:
Real-time graphs
Historic reports
25
[]
Events table
Alarms table
Network elements table
Summary display of events
Each information type is available as a web part that can be placed anywhere in the GUI. Each user
can create a unique information display which is saved for per user.
6.1.2 Monitor
The Monitor page displays the following information:
Network element status
Fault management status including network elements events & alarms.
Available Statistics collections
26
[]
6.1.3 Reports
Reports are built using the Report Builder wizard, a simple guide that enables the user to create
report on any statistic or telemetry collected, for a period of up to a year. The reports can be
displayed graphically or as text. SkyMons pre-defined reports are divided into 4 categories with
several reports under each category:
Events: AAA Receive, Event Occurrence, Event Occurrence per Resource Type, Link Connect,
Link Disconnect
VSAT Auto-Pointing: Installation Report
VSAT Counters: OB Es/N0, IB Es/N0, CSC Retries, IB & OB Bytes, IB & OB Bit-Rate, Max TCP
Connection, VSAT Availability
Collection: Outbound Available bit rate, Bit Rate per PID, Bit Rate Utilization, SPS Utilization,
Backbone Packets , Distribution Size, Burst Distribution Size, Connections , DPS/HSP CPU
Utilization, HSP Memory Usage, IB Active Slot Distribution, IB bps, IB bps IP distribution, IB
C/N Distribution, IB Load per slot type, IB Load per Transmission type, IB Load per MPN,
ModCod bps, Number of VSATs per ModCod, OB bps, OB IP Distribution Kbps, VSAT IB Es/N0
per MODCOD, VSATs Online (Access & Data), VSAT OB Es/N0 Distribution
27
[]
28
[]
29
[]
Q
00
000
I
QPSK
11
I
8PSK
01
Q
16APSK
32APSK
00000
1111
11111
DVB-S2 ensures better Forward Error Correction by linking Bose-Chaudhuri-Hoquenghem (BCH) with
Low Density Parity Check Codes (LDPC). BCH ensures against error floors at very low Block Error
Rates. LDPC is a variant of the Turbo-Code family that deals with all other possible error rates.
30
[]
Together, they provide performance very close to the Shannon limit. Figure 16 summarizes the
spectral efficiency of DVB-S2, for various required C/N values.
Additionally, DVB-S2 enables tighter carrier spacing. With roll off factors of 0.35 (as in DVB -S), 0.25
and 0.20, DVB-S2 improves space segment efficiency by as much as 12.5%.
Design to ensure
availability of
worst case VSAT
31
[]
return channel such as DVB-RCS. In a rain fade condition the ModCod used in the frames sent to a
particular VSAT or VSAT group will dynamically be made more robust to prevent outage. In clear-sky
conditions the ModCod can allow greater throughput.
Feedback to Hub about
received signal strength
QPSK
8PSK
16APSK
1/4, 1/3, 2/5, 1/2, 3/5, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 5/6, 8/9, 9/10
32APSK
High scalability, with outbound rates from 350ksps to 45Msps, with a low minimum
bandwidth requirement for a single outbound channel. The low minimum rate is particularly
suitable for networks that start on a small scale.
Capable of using a 36 MHz or 54MHz transponder in saturated mode, enabling a very high
bit/sec per Hz ratio. Employing 16APSK, up to 135Mbps can be transmitted over a single
outbound carrier. With 8PSK, an aggregate rate of about 110 Mb/sec can be transmitted in
such a transponder.
32
[]
Channel spacing as low as 1.2, meaning that for every symbol transmitted over the air, only
1.2 Hz are required.
Support of CCM and ACM
33
[]
This does not take into account spectral efficiency of the ModCod used.
34
[]
across 2 adjacent frames (Figure 20 line 3). This may even take place when the next frame is using a
more robust ModCod. The combination of these mechanisms results in almost 100% utilization of
the frame capacity.
1
Frame
765
Unicast
#134
Frame
765
Frame
765
Frame
766
Unicast Unicast
#851
#134
VoIP
Internet
Unicast
#768
Unicast
#134
Receiving VSAT
limited to QPSK 3/4
?
VoIP
Frame
765
VoIP
QPSK, 3/4
Frame
766
8PSK, 7/8
Consider the case presented in Figure 22. The HTTP packet is destined for a VSAT that can receive an
8PSK, 2/3 ModCod. This ModCod provides better spectral efficiency than QPSK 3/4 but the 8PSK
frame would carry only this packet and would therefore have an inefficient fill-factor. As described
in Section 7.6.1 above the fill factor can seriously impact the spectral efficiency of the outbound
carrier. In this case the SkyEdge II scheduling mechanism will therefore transmit the packet at the
lower ModCod and cancel the unneeded frame thus increasing the efficiency of the outbound ACM
implementation.
35
[]
HTTP
Unicast
#433
This packet is
destined for a VSAT
that can receive
8PSK 2/3
?
VoIP
Frame
967
QPSK, 3/4
Frame
968
8PSK, 2/3
36
[]
V1.4.1
V1.3.1
Forward Channel DVB-S 2
Route ID
Fast hopping
Dynamic MF-TDMA
Enhanced classifier
NCR payload
120MHz hopping
16APSK
SSR V1
1.3
OTP V6
The DVB-RCS standard does not define many issues that are required in a commercial network,
above the physical layer, without which practical service cannot be provided. Examples include
protocol enhancements such as TCP acceleration, HTTP acceleration, VoIP header optimization, endto-end QoS, central management etc. SatLabs 2.0 defines many of these to be included in future
conformance testing.
37
[]
TRF
SYN
CSC
TRF
SYN
TRF
CSC
TRF
SYN
CSC
TRF
SYN
TRF
CSC
SYN
TRF
CSC
SYN
Time
Figure 23: Time Frequency Plan with different bursts
The timeslot size is determined by the burst type. The burst in a timeslot can be either:
TRF Traffic Actual data with associated header
CSC Common Signaling Channel used by the VSAT for its initial logon to the network
SYNC used for synchronization acquisition and maintenance, as well as capacity requests.
The VSATs also use the SYNC burst to send information about the received signal strength to
the hub.
The burst allocation plan is broadcast every 40ms within the DVB-S2 outbound carrier. The position
of the allocated timeslots is described relative to the Frame and Superframe.
Frames Each Channel is a Frame
Superframe A group of Timeslots and Frames that repeats itself every 360ms. The start of
the superframe is synchronized for all the VSATs in the network.
38
[]
Freq
TRF TRF TRFFrame
TRF TRF TRF TRF TRF
CSC
SYN
CSC
Superframe
SYN
CSC
SYN
CSC
SYN
CSC
SYN
Frame
Superframe
CSC
SYN
Time
Figure 24: Frames and Superframes
Each VSAT effectively translates the timeslot into an offset from the superframe start which is
synchronized throughout the network.
8.2.2 TRF bursts
DVB-RCS allows for two TRF formats: ATM (mandatory) and MPEG (optional). The Gilat
implementation uses ATM only where the number of ATM cells per TRF can be 1 or 2 or 4. The
default number of cells is 2 but TRF bursts on carriers of 1536 ks/s or higher automatically use 4 ATM
cells. The ATM format is used only for transport ATM protocol services are not used. The TRF
burst does not include any CRC.
The structure of a TRF burst is show in Figure 25.
Guard
Preamble Used
for burst detection
and acquisition
Guard
The insertion of IP datagrams into the ATM cells is shown in Figure 26. In this example 2 separate
packets, one from a VoIP session and one from an HTTP session, are broken into 48 byte fragments
following the addition of Gilats backbone protocol information. The backbone protocol is used for
TCP acceleration described in Section 9.1.
ATM Adaptation Layer 5 (AAL5) is used to transfer IP data over an ATM virtual circuit and includes
mechanisms for segmentation and reassembly. AAL5 adds an 8 byte trailer to the last cell which
includes:
Length (16 bits) of the entire datagram
CRC (32 bits)
UU and CPI (8 bits each) are currently not used by the standard
39
[]
The remainder of the cell is made up of the last data bits and padding bits. Data from different
sources is not mixed within the ATM cell but, as shown, a timeslot can include ATM cells from
different sources. The priority and order of the cells is decided by VSAT based on the QoS
parameters.
In all cases the ATM header indicates the relationship of a packet to a session using an 8 bit Virtual
Path Identifier (VPI). The other components of the 5 byte ATM cell header are:
GFC = Generic Flow Control (4 bits) 4-zero bits
VCI = Virtual channel identifier (16 bits) includes the VSAT ID allocated by the hub at logon
PT = Payload Type (3 bits) network or user traffic e.g. NM traffic
CLP = Cell Loss Priority (1-bit)
HEC = Header Error Correction
VoIP
Web
IP
500 Bytes
600 Bytes
Backbone
518 Bytes
618 Bytes
AAL5
48
48
48
Data
ATM
48
Padding
48
48
48
48
48
Trailer
48
TRF
Timeslot
40
[]
41
[]
VSAT
Capab.
VSAT
ID
Rand.
VSAT
Capab.
Rand.
VSAT
ID
VSAT
CSC
CSC
CSC
ctions, SYNC
assignment)
SYNC
Corrections
SYNC w/ CR
Correction
Allocation
42
[]
Gilat SkyEdge II
Outbound
DVB-S2
Modulation
QPSK
QPSK or 8PSK
FEC - Turbo
Symbol Rates
None defined
Scrambling
Required
The SkyEdge II inbound carriers can start as low 140kbps and increase to 4Mbps (SkyEdge II IP) or
6Mbps (SkyEdge II Access and Pro).
8.3.1 SkyEdge II Physical Layer - Inbound flexibility
8.3.1.1 Modulation and FEC schemes
The following ModCods are supported by the SkyEdge II VSATs:
QPSK: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
8PSK: 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
The spectral efficiency of the ModCod combinations is shown in the following figure.
Dynamic range: 10.8 dB
2.1
1.9
8PSK
6/7
Bits/Hz
1.7
1.5
1.3
QPSK
6/7
1.1
8PSK
2/3
0.9
0.7
0.5
QPSK
1/2
3.7
5.5
6.8
7.6
8.6
11.6
12.8
13.9
14.5
Es/No (dB)
43
[]
Symbol
Rate
(ksps)
128
Delta from
Adjacent
Symbol
Rate (dB)
160
192
256
320
384
512
640
832
1024
1280
1536
2048
2560
0.8
1.2
0.8
1.2
1.1
0.9
0.8
1.2
Each Multi Channel Receiver card in the hub (see Section 3.2.3 above) can receive 4 different symbol
rates.
8.3.1.3 Carrier Types (CT)
The combination of ModCod, symbol rate and number of channels is referred to as a Carrier Type
(CT). In SkyEdge II the CTs are defined as part of the initial system configuration based on the traffic
assumptions and network design. The following table shows an example of a CT definition.
Carrier
Type
1
2
3
4
Symbol
Number of
Rate
channels
128
1
192
1
256
2
512
1
Table 6: CT definition table
ModCod
Q 1/2
Q 3/4
Q 3/4
8 3/4
This table would result in a Time Frequency Plan as displayed in Figure 30.
Freq
4 ModCods
CT4: 1 x 512Ksps, 8PSK, 3/4
Time
Figure 30: Example Time Frequency Plan
44
[]
The time-frequency plan is transmitted as part of the outbound DVB-S2 frame every 10 seconds. The
division of the Time Frequency Plan into timeslots is described in the Section 8.2.1.
8.3.2 SkyEdge II Physical Layer ICM Inbound Adaptivity
SkyEdge II includes ICM multiple dimensions of inbound adaptivity ensuring the highest throughput
at the most appropriate ModCod and symbol rate. ICM is based on the closed loop mechanism that
continually sends the VSAT C/N reports to the hub for analysis. Based on this constant feedback the
hub allocates timeslots and can make changes to the CT definitions. The ICM dimensions available
include (not all of them with the same configuration):
ICM-1D Adaptive channel rate selection Each VSAT uses the appropriate symbol rate
ICM-2D Adaptive ModCod selection Each VSAT uses the best possible ModCod from the
plan
ICM-3D Adaptive Uplink Power Control The BUC output power is increased or decreased
based on a closed loop feedback system
ICM-4D Adaptive channel plan the Symbol Rate is dynamically modified in real time based
on network conditions
8.3.2.1 ICM-1D Adaptive channel rate selection
As shown in Figure 31 the timeslots used by a VSAT can be allocated in different channels with
different symbol rates. ICM-1D exploits the gain differential between higher and lower symbol rates
as shown in Section 8.3.1 above. The change can be faster to slower or vice versa.
Freq
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
256ks/s
128ks/s
Time
45
[]
Freq
8
6/
8
6/
8
6/
Q
4.3dB
1.3dB
256ks/s
256ks/s
256ks/s
Time
Received ES/N0
(in OB to VSAT)
46
[]
single 512ksps channel is split into 2 x 256 ksps. The overall network throughput is m aintained while
the per VSAT transmission is made more robust (by 3dB as shown in Table 5).
512
Ksps
512
Ksps
512
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
47
[]
Freq #1
1. Slow Hopping
Freq #2
Freq #1
2. Fast Hopping
Freq #2
Synthesizer
settling time
Freq #1
#1
synth
Freq #2
Freq #3
syn
th
#1
3. SkyEdge II DSFH
synth #2
Using a dual synthesizer architecture, a VSAT may switch to different frequency channels in
consecutive timeslots with guard times as low as 10usec. This high performance fast hopping allows
10-15% higher inbound efficiencies. All SkyEdge II VSATS include DSFH and provide this benefit.
48
[]
9.SkyEdge II Technology
As a successor of the successful first generation of the SkyEdge, the SkyEdge II system from Gilat
relies on an assortment of advanced technologies which maximize the return on investment for the
operator and enhance the user experience. With SkyEdge II transmission adaptivity and application
acceleration over satellite are further improved, and higher bit-rates are provided. On top of this
infrastructure, DVB-S2 is supported in the outbound with the option of Adaptive Modulation and
Coding (ACM), providing higher efficiency and higher system availability. The inbound efficiency is
improved with the enhanced DVB-RCS with higher order modulation and 4 dimensions of inbound
adaptivity (ICM-4D). Several additional technologies are used to further enhance throughput and
better utilize the available space segment.
49
[]
SYNC
ACK (Socket)
ACK
ACK
TCP1
TCP2
ACK1
ACK2
ACK3
TCP3
TCP4
FIN
ACK4
ACK
SkyEdge II includes a special mechanism to overcome the limitations described above and boost TCP
performance while maintaining the reliability of the transmission. This mechanism is referred to as
TCP spoofing, Performance Enhancement Protocol (PeP) or the Backbone protocol. This
protocol is used between the DPS and the VSATs to carry the traffic. The protocol provides reli ability
and congestion control both in a Star topology and in direct mesh transactions (2008). The
mechanism employed is transparent to the end user and application there is no need to change any
configuration or install any client on the TCP end device. The mechanism works as follows:
Selective retransmits and larger windows are used to improve the performance of the TCP
sessions
TCP data segments received by the VSAT are locally acknowledged by the VSAT (acting as the
remote side of the PEP) on one side and the DPS on the other side (as recommended in RFC
3135). This speeds up TCP slow start and allows the sending TCP host to quickly open up its
congestion window.
NAKs - Local Negative Acknowledgments are employed to trigger local (and faster) error
recovery when significant error rates occur (spike noises).
Retransmission The VSAT and DPS locally retransmit data segments lost on the satellite link,
thus aiming at faster recovery from lost data. In order to achieve this, the VSAT and DPS use
acknowledgments arriving from the end system that receives the TCP data segments, along
with appropriate timeouts, to determine when to locally retransmit lost data.
Inbound and outbound TCP-IP headers are compressed.
50
[]
SYNC
SYNC
ACK (Socket)
ACK
ACK
TCP1
ACK2
ACK3
TCP2
ACK2
TCP3
ACK3
ACK4
TCP4
ACK5
ACK4
FIN
ACK5
ACK 5 (B.B.) + FIN ACK
ACK
Server
GET HTML Ob
jec
t
HTML Objec
GET Embedd
ed
Object #1
Object #1
Embedded
GET Embedd
ed Ob
ject #2
Object #2
Embedded
GET Embedd
ed Ob
ject #3
Object #3
Embedded
GET Embedd
ed Ob
ject #4
Object #4
Embedded
51
[]
The IPA solution is based on a Hub Page Accelerator (HPA) collocated with the hub and a Remote
Page Accelerator (RPA) residing in the VSATs. The mechanisms employed are as follows:
9.2.1 Pre-fetching
Fetching an HTML page requires a number of TCP connections, one for each embe dded object
(images, applets, frames, etc.). Sometimes one object has to be completely loaded before embedded
objects are fetched, for example an HTML frame set has to be completely loaded before the enclosed
frames are fetch which in turn have to be completely loaded before the embedded images are
fetched.
With the IPA the entire page is provided as a single element to the user browser. As a result, the
complete web page is available faster. The IPA pre-fetches the entire web page from the Internet at
the first GET request, and then automatically pushes it to the remote site without the need to send
additional GET requests for each object. This saves space segment (bandwidth) by eliminating the
GET requests on the inbound, and reduces the satellite delay. Consequently, the user does not wait
for each component object to be downloaded and displayed.
Browser RPA
HPA Server
GET HT ML Ob
ject
t
HT ML Objec
Object #1
Object #2
Object #3
Object #4
4-1
Embedded Object
Object #1
Object #2
Object #3
Object #4
52
[]
53
[]
54
[]
9.3.4 DHCP
The SkyEdge II VSAT acts as a DHCP server or a DHCP relay agent. As a DHCP server the SkyEdge II
VSAT will provide configuration information to up to 32 hosts that request it (the number of hosts to
be supported can be limited from the NMS). Any legal DHCP request will be honored as long as there
are available IP addresses, there is no filtering based on MAC address.
The addresses pool can be based on an arbitrary IP address or on the VSATs own address. Primary
and secondary DNS servers can be configured for the VSAT. In addition address for a primary and
secondary WINS Serves can be configured (WINS stands for Windows Internet Name Service. It is a
service analogous to DNS for the Windows environment that maps NetBIOS computer names to IP
addresses).
As a DHCP relay agent the SkyEdge II will forward DHCP request messages to the customers network
attached to the DPS. It should be noted that, when functioning as a DHCP relay agent, the VSAT will
forward DHCP requests from every host. All the management of the pool of IP address has to be
configured at the customer provided DHCP server. The range of assigned IP addresses must be from
the same subnet as the VSAT IP address.
9.3.5 IGMP
IGMP is a protocol used for managing IP multicast groups. It is necessary for a multicast router to be
aware of the groups to which local hosts belong since if at least one host i n a sub-network belongs to
a multicast group the multicast router should forward to that sub-network packets addressed to that
multicast group. Hosts use IGMP to join or leave such groups.
SkyEdge II supports IGMPv2. Every SkyEdge II VSAT acts as a multicast router, periodically sending
IGMPv2 queries to the hosts attached to it. The DPS acts like a host responding to IGMP queries from
routers in the customers IP network or the Internet.
The DPS maintains a list of which IP multicast groups are being supported. To keep this list up to date
the DPS periodically broadcasts a message (internally between the DPS and VSATs) with information
of all the currently supported groups, this message is similar in purpose, to a regular IGMP
membership query. If a VSAT has received an IGMP membership report (external IGMP) from a host
reporting membership to a group that was not included in the DPS message, the VSAT will send an
internal IGMP request message (after a random time). Since the rest of the VSATs do not list en to
inbound messages the DPS broadcast a new internal IGMP message with updated information so that
other VSATs that might request membership in this group will not send a superfluous internal IGMP
request.
9.3.6 NAT
Operators have the option to operate SkyEdge II VSAT with the Network Address Translation (NAT)
protocol. It then uses private addresses to communicate with the users hosts and public address
to communicate with the DPS and the customers IP network or Internet. SkyEdge II further supports
PAT (Port Address Translation) where multiple private IP addresses are translated to one public IP
address using the TCP/UDP ports as the multiplexing aid.
55
[]
56
[]
9.3.9 VLAN
The implementation of VLANs in SkyEdge II enables the definition of multiple VLANs per VSAT. Each
VSAT LAN port can either be in Tag mode or Trunk mode. This eliminates the need for an external
VLAN switch. This all embedded solution is less expensive than other VSAT solutions, as it requires
fewer components in the solution and is simpler to manage.
Some of the benefits of this implementation are:
Complete solution both tag mode and trunk mode are supported enabling the use of both
external switches or port-based tagging
Flexibility in service - IP Transparency different customers on different VLANS can have
overlapping IP addresses
Scalability up to 8 VLANs per SkyEdge II Pro/Access and 2 per IP/Extend
Security The VLAN/VR implementation provides end-to-end traffic separation between
different users sharing the same VSAT
Backbone integration The feature enables operators to seamlessly connect to MPLS
backbones and map LSP to VLANs and Diffserv DSCP codes, thereby extending services over
the satellite link
QoS different VLANS can be mapped to separate queues which are controlled with
maximum rate and relative priority
DHCP relay/proxy per VLAN each VLAN/VR has its own set of DHCP parameters so two
customers using the same VSAT can be served by two different DHCP servers.
SkyEdge II
192.168.0.0/24
VLAN A
192.168.8.0/24
VLAN A
Virtual Router
192.170.0.0/24
VLAN C
Virtual Router
192.168.8.0/24
VLAN B
Hub
VLAN
Switch
57
[]
applications running concurrently, where each application has a different nature and different users
are under different service level agreements. The Diffserv architecture uses the term Service Level
Agreement (SLA3) to describe the service contract that specifies the forwarding service a
customer should receive. The SLA may include traffic conditioning rules which constitute a set of
profiles such as metering, marking, discarding and shaping to be applied.
SkyEdge II is following the Diffserv architecture and was designed from day one to server as a multi purpose hub for multiple applications and multiple user groups. It provides mechanisms to enforce
traffic rules on a single VSAT level as well as on a group level. The QoS mechanisms can be classified
according to the traffic direction of inbound and outbound.
9.4.1 Inbound
Traffic management capabilities have been implemented both in the VSATs and in the HSP. This
mechanisms control traffic per application, per VSAT or per group of VSATs (MPN).
9.4.1.1 Application traffic control (inside a VSAT) according to DiffServ
When application traffic control is configured in SkyEdge II, the IP classifier analyzes the inbound
traffic per VSAT and classifies it to three flow priority levels: Low, Medium, and High. The IP Classifier
uses the information in the IP Addresses and TCP/UDP ports and performs rate control or weighted
priorities per flow (implementing Per Hop Behavior (PHB) as defined by DiffServ RFCs 2474, 2475,
2597 (3260) and 2598 (3246)). The IP Classifier can also recognize packets according to their DSCP 4
code for packets that are already marked, and assign them automatically to the appropriate queue
and handling.
SkyEdge II can recognize and handle applications according to one of thirteen types of PHBs each
one is recognized by a different code point (in DSCP). The different classifiers are categorized under
the following 4 categories: Expedited Forwarding (EF), Class Selector (CS), Assured Forwarding (AF)
and Default Forwarding (DF).
Each SkyEdge II VSAT uses thirteen queues to support the capabilities described above.
9.4.1.2 VSAT priority, CIR and MIR
In addition to the above, another level of prioritization is provided on SkyEdge II, using four VSATbased priority levels called metals. In this mode each VSAT belongs to one of the four service levels:
Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. The distribution of metal priority defines how resources are
distributed among different VSATs when the network is congested (using ratios).
Furthermore, it is possible to define for each VSAT a Committed Information Rate (CIR) and
Maximum Information Rate (MIR). This can prohibit network abusing and improve resource sharing.
3
4
The term SLA was updated in some RFCs to SLS Service Level Specification
Differentiated Services Code Points
58
[]
Resources assigned
to customer A
Resources assigned
to customer B
Oversubscription in
MIR values
59
[]
SkyEdge II
HUB
Softswitch
IP
E1
SkyEdge II IP
ATA
PSTN
PSTN
SkyEdge II
Access
Phone
IP-phone
The main characteristics of the SkyEdge II VoIP solution are the following:
Voice quality In order to achieve high quality voice call a dedicated virtual circuit per call is
created. The hub manages this circuit in such a way that it eliminates jitter and thus
maintains the quality of the session.
Codecs supported - The system supports G.729 (8Kbps) and G.723.1 (5.3Kbps and 6.3Kbps)
codecs.
Protocols supported (for compatibility with external ATAs or IP phones):
SIP SIP voice call are identified as they start. The SkyEdge II implementation includes call
admission control (CAC) ((RBGC described in Section 8.2.3.1 above), and requests BW
allocation from the system when a SIP INVITE is detected. If there are enough system
resources then they are guaranteed for the whole duration of the call and a virtual circuit
between the remote and the hub is created. At the end of the session the resources are
60
[]
returned to the system. If there are not enough system resources to start the call, then the
call is dropped.
H.323, MEGACO and MGCP supported through RTP detection the allocation of the
resources and creation of the virtual connection is done when the RTP packets start to flow.
The system identifies the RTP frames and based on the information inside it does the
bandwidth allocation.
Fax over IP T.38 protocol for fax over IP is supported in SIP. Fax over IP over H.323 is
supported using manual configuration of the FXS port.
Strict Priority - Since VoIP runs simultaneously with other applications, the VoIP traffic will
get absolute priority over any other traffic running over the VSAT.
Efficient space segment utilization In order to best utilize the space segment the system
uses several techniques:
Inbound - compresses the RTP frame header by 95% from 40 Bytes to 2 Bytes.
Outbound 40% Compression of packet header (from 67 to 40 Bytes)
Topologies supported Star and Mesh, - calls may be established between a SkyEdge II VSAT
terminal and the hub, or single hop between mesh-enabled VSATs - improving voice quality
and significantly cutting down on delay and bandwidth usage.
Concurrent calls Each VSAT support up to 30 voice calls in parallel.
Local calls Calls made between 2 phones connected to the same VSAT are connected locally
and do not use satellite capacity. Up to 256 concurrent local calls are supported.
Management The embedded ATA cards are fully managed from the NMS. Both
configuration and monitoring are supported.
Any VoIP equipment that supports SIP protocol may be used, however, the implementation of
different vendors may include variations. Gilat should be consulted prior to network
implementation.
61
[]
traffic is accelerated over the mesh connection in a similar manner to VSAT-hub traffic, thus reducing
space segment utilization and providing better response times.
9.6.1 The Mesh Receiver
9.6.1.1 Mesh Receiver Physical Characteristics
The SkyEdge II mesh receiver is a double-width add-on for the SkyEdge II Access or Pro, which fits
into expansion slots 1 and 2. When a mesh receiver is installed, the RF receive cable connecting the
indoor unit and the LNB is connected to the mesh receiver's input and a short cable then extends the
signal from the mesh receiver to the VSATs main RF input.
9.6.1.2 Mesh Receiver Specifications
Receiver type
Frequency Range
TCP spoofing is enabled between the remotes with the purpose of improving user
experience as well as reducing the amount of traffic to be actually transmitted on th e
network.
As with star traffic, predefined QoS policies apply for the transmission between the remotes.
The following QoS policies may be applied:
62
VSAT traffic shaping, based on standard Diffserv with 13 queues. Applications are
classified into one of the 13 queues with weighted queuing.
VSAT CIR and MIR. These levels take into account both Star and Mesh traffic.
[]
VSAT group QoS VSATs may be grouped into an MPN (Managed Private Network)
with CIR and MIR set for the group.
For voice sessions, admission control is applied to guarantee secured bandwidth for the
session duration. A voice or a video session with a minimum bandwidth requirement will
only be established if bandwidth is available. Voice and Video traffic is inherently prioritized
over all other applications in the network. Jitter is controlled to no more than 20ms.
9.6.3 Bandwidth allocation in Mesh
Connections are allocated bandwidth according to traffic requirements in the applicable direction
and according to the applicable QoS policies. As with star traffic, mesh VSATs request rate-based or
volume-based bandwidth according to the application being used. Real time traffic, such as voice or
video is assigned rate-based traffic to ensure low latency and jitter. Non real-time traffic typically
uses a volume based allocation, allowing higher utilization of the inbound medium.
In SkyEdge II networks star and mesh traffic share the same bandwidth. In enterprise mesh networks
however, it is possible to save MCR modules and therefore CapEx at the hub by using the Bandwidth
Separation feature with separated dedicated mesh channels. This is suitable for cases where certain
sites will only use mesh traffic and will therefore not require channels allocated by the hub MCR.
9.6.4 Access mechanism
The same time-frequency burst plan is shared by star and mesh VSATs, to allow maximum borrowing
of bandwidth, optimizing bandwidth utilization according to the dynamic changes in the network.
Mesh VSATs receive the allocation map and may simultaneously run mesh traffic and star traffic in
consecutive time slots within the same inbound carrier or on different carriers without constraints.
9.6.5 Connection Management
Each connection is marked with a network-unique identifier. Each VSAT is notified of both
connections during session setup, as it needs to transmit in the allocated timeslots of one connection
and receive the bursts transmitted in the timeslots of the other connection.
The VSAT then notifies its mesh receiver of the establishment of the connection. From this point
onwards and until the connection is terminated (e.g. due to closing of the TCP connections that
triggered its establishment), the receiver tracks the allocated timeslots and provides the VSAT with
any bursts received.
9.6.6 Mesh/Star failover (Future)
The link budget for mesh connectivity is typically limited by the VSAT hardware and sometimes also
due to pointing accuracy issues. Mesh connectivity with peer mesh VSATs may therefore not always
63
[]
be possible, and connectivity between peers will have to be done via the hub as in a star topology.
An example scenario is when the network is using multiple carrier rates where all lower rate carriers
are congested. SkyEdge IIs flexible design allows mesh VSATs to operate in a star topology in such
cases. The mesh/star failover mechanism operates as follows:
The inbound allocation map is shared by star and mesh traffic, as mentioned above. VSATs are
allocated send and receive timeslots, either from the hub or from peer VSATs.
The hub assigns inbound allocations for transmission and reception every 40ms according to the
instantaneous link conditions, overall network demand, and QoS policies.
The hub will attempt to assign mesh allocations for the peer VSATs upon mesh session initiations. If
no allocation is available, the session will flow through the hub as in a star topology.
In a case where a mesh session already exists, and link conditions deteriorate, the hub may reassign
the bandwidth and so that traffic flows in a star topology.
64
[]
transmitted. The VSAT continues sending periodic AAA messages at preset intervals. In the NMS, the
VSAT indicates the Bonding Failure state.
Unbinding a Bonded VSAT Upon receiving an Unbind command, the VSAT erases the network key
information from its flash memory and continues its normal operation. In addition, as a result of
receiving an Unbind command, the VSAT will not bond again until it is reset.
When Network Bonding is disabled (i.e. its status is changed from enabled to disabled), all VSATs
automatically unbind through normal operation of the AAA mechanism. In response to a VSAT AAA
request, the NMS replies with a blank network key, causing the VSAT to unbind . However, unlike in
the case of the explicit command, the VSAT does not need to be reset in order to bond again once
the feature is reactivated.
65
[]
Sky-Abis adapter
BSC
MSC
SkyEdge II
E1
SkyEdge II
E1
SkyEdge II
Hub
IP
IP
E1
E1
BTS 1
Sky-Abis
Adapter
BTS n
SkyEdge II also supports the current usage of BTSs with integrated IP adapters. For IP-Abis SkyEdge II
further optimizes the traffic by using compression techniques that can reduce the traffic by up to
20%. Compression techniques include:
IP Abis header compression
UDP header compression for voice or UDP Abis signaling
TCP spoofing for signaling and other TCP Abis traffic
Creating an internal tunnel excluding Gilat's propriety backbone protocol
Packet aggregation
66
[]
Internet,
Intranet
SkyE
dge
Pro
SkyE
dge
Pro
IDL teacher
67
[]
11.Acronyms
11.1 SkyEdge II Acronyms
Abbreviation
BB
DPS
GW
HPA
HSP
IPA
VSAT
Explanation
Back-Bone (proprietary protocol)
Data Protocol Server
Gateway
Hub Page Accelerator
Hub Satellite Processor
Internet Page Accelerator
Very Small Aperture Terminal
68
Explanation
Adaptive Coding and Modulation
Constant Modulation and Coding
Modulation and Coding combination
Voice over IP
Session Initiation Protocol
A messaging VoIP protocol
Compressed RTP
Real Time protocol
Bandwidth
Quality Of Service
Quadrature Phase Shift Keying
Gaussian Phase Shift Keying
Multi Frequency Time Division Multiple Access