The satellite transmission protocol of the universe project

ABSTRACT

The Universe network uses a broadcast satellite channel to connect local area networks into a high speed wide area network. The satellite channel is scheduled using a packet TDMA scheme. Time allocation is controlled by one site acting as master, but is based on indications received from each participating site about its own requirements. The TDMA scheduling is thus based not on circuits or the requirements of individual packets, but on a picture of the distributed requirements of the network as a whole. The paper describes the protocol currently implemented on the Universe network and looks forward to a more general way of applying this technique.

REFERENCES

• 1: P Kirstein, J Burren, R Daniel, R Griffiths, D King, C McDowell, R Needham: "The UNIVERSE project", ICCC'82 pp 443-447 (1982)
• 2: I M Jacobs, R Binder, E V Hoversten: "General Purpose Packet Satellite Networks" Proceedings of IEEE special issue on packet communications November 1978
• 3: S Hanell and M G N Hine (eds.) "The STELLA Experiment" technical report. June 1978
• 4: Ian M Leslie , Roger M Needham , John W Burren , Graham C Adams, The architecture of the universe network, Proceedings of the ACM SIGCOMM symposium on Communications architectures and protocols: tutorials & symposium, p.2-9, June 06-08, 1984, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, United States
• 5: A. Gillian Waters , Christopher J. Adams , Ian M. Leslie , Roger M. Needham, The use of broadcast techniques on the universe network, Proceedings of the ACM SIGCOMM symposium on Communications architectures and protocols: tutorials & symposium, p.52-57, June 06-08, 1984, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, United States
• 6: C S Cooper: "Managed File Distribution", ibid.
• 7: A G Waters: "Project Universe - Implementation and Experience of the Satellite Bridge" Conference on "Networks and Electronics Office Systems organised by IERE, Reading, UK September 1983.
• 8: C J Adams, J W Burren "A New satellite Bridge" Project Universe paper UP/304
• 9: I Jacobs, L Lee: "A priority-oriented demand assignment (PODA) protocol and an error recovery algorithm for distributively controlled packet satellite communication network" in EASCON 77 Con. Rec., pp 14-1A to 14-1F, 1977.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.2 Network Protocols

          Nouns: TDMA

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Wireless communication

General Terms:
Design