NPVT: Network Protocol Validation Testbed for Integrated Space-Terrestrial Network

With the development of the terrestrial network and the increase in demand for providing global Internet access, using the integrated space-terrestrial network (ISTN) has attracted significant attention to provide the global Internet service. However, ISTN faces a unique set of challenges, such as time-varying link quality and dynamic link connection in its space network, and the significant differences between space network and the terrestrial network of ITSN. These unique characteristics may impose an adverse impact on network protocols of ISTN. The focus of this paper is to design a network protocol validation testbed (NPVT) for ISTN. Using the static hardware devices with real network protocols, the proposed testbed was designed to emulate the dynamic space network based on the satellite operational data, and then to provide a near-real space network environment for the validation of diverse network protocols. To further support network protocol validation when space network and terrestrial network are integrated, we integrated the testbed with the terrestrial operational next-generation Internet (i.e., CERNET2) and mobile communication network at the backbone level. The extensive experiments demonstrated that NPVT is capable of validating diverse network protocols in complicated and dynamic scenarios.