Analysis and comparisons of acceleration protocols for TCP over satellite

Networks utilizing transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP)-based communications over geostationary satellite links are impaired by TCP's inability to handle the large propagation delay and link losses that are inherent in satellite communications. TCP's control mechanisms cause such links to be underutilized, and in general perform below acceptable levels. Several methods have been researched and developed to overcome these problems. One of the most popular solutions has been the encapsulation of TCP in another protocol via an acceleration gateway. Such gateways optimize TCP traffic to use the full capacity of the available satellite link. In this paper, an evaluation of the following encapsulation mechanisms are presented: space communications protocol standards (SCPS), Xpress transport protocol (XTP and, transport morphing protocol (TMP), the evaluation involved performing comprehensive tests in a controlled laboratory environment. Results presented in this work compare and contrast the encapsulation methods over a variety of scenarios.