A DTN-oriented protocol design for satellite based architectures

Several communication environments, supporting important operational scenarios such as deep space communications, Earth observation and mobile terrestrial communications, are extremely challenging for traditional TCP/IP protocols because of their intrinsic characteristic to not guarantee continuously an end-to-end path. An attractive application scenario is concerned the presence of terminals moving on a large area requiring handovers among different networks. This paper addresses mobility management through a DTN-based architecture, focusing on both routing and application level issues. In addition, a preliminary analysis of performance of a TCP-based convergence layer is carried out within satellite segment, highlighting implications on the overall architecture. Finally, TCP Noordwijk is proposed as a DTN convergence layer over satellite links and validated through NS-2 simulations.