Satellite network simulator - design and verifcation using AODV and AntHocNet
| dc.contributor.advisor | Barnard, Arno | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Merts, Andre-Jan | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-02-22T08:09:37Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-03-29T12:24:32Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-02-22T08:09:37Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-03-29T12:24:32Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2017-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2017. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As access to space increases, the viability of creating satellite networks and dedicated services for satellite clients also increases. However, satellites are expensive to launch and cannot be easily maintained once in orbit, making it beneficial to simulate network performance before launch. Furthermore there is an extensive wealth of research regarding routing protocols available for terrestrial networks that have not been fully researched for satellite networks thus creating a need for a satellite network simulator. Any network has various ways in which its properties can be interpreted, which means any network metric must be unambiguously defined. Routing protocols can be classified in various ways, showing their inherent advantages, disadvantages, requirements and limitations. Combining these properties with information on the components of routing protocols, an analysis of routing protocols can be made and candidate routing protocols can be chosen. For this research AODV was chosen to allow functional verification and AntHocNet was chosen to show that the simulator is flexible enough to simulate various routing protocol functionality. Satellite networks were manually analysed with attention given to the key differences between terrestrial and satellite networks. Using this information in conjunction with previous research findings and recommendations, a vast distributed network similar to the Iridium network was chosen as a verification scenario for the simulator. A previously proposed network, called the OuterNet, was chosen to further research the transferability of AODV and AntHocNet to other satellite constellations. The expansion of SatSim from a basic point-to-point simulator to a network simulator capable of handling complex routing protocols was documented in detail, with clear information given as to which design choices were made and why. The key design drivers were user-friendliness, modularity and re-usability, and the code was structured to allow users to easily adjust and expand the simulator as needed. Due to the limited replicatable results, further testing for the MAC layer channel access for AODV and AntHocNet implementations was performed. SatSim was successfully expanded to allow for satellite network simulations. Preliminary findings regarding the suitability of AODV compared to AntHocNet for two different satellite constellations are presented. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Namate die ruimte meer toeganklik word, verhoog die lewensvatbaarheid van die gebruik van satellietnetwerke en toegewyde dienste wat op daardie netwerk gerig is. Satelliete is steeds relatief duur om te lanseer en kan nie maklik onderhou of herstel word na dit in 'n wentelbaan geplaas is nie, gevolgelik kan die simulasies van die netwerk voor lansering baie nuttig wees. Daar is verder ook heelwat navorsing oor netwerkprotokolle vir aardnetwerke gedoen wat nog nie volledig bestudeer is vir satellietnetwerke nie en wat dus 'n behoefte skep vir 'n satellietnetwerk simulator. Enige netwerk se eienskappe kan op 'n verskeidenheid maniere geïnterpreteer word, wat daartoe lei dat alle netwerkmaatstawwe op so 'n wyse gedefinieer moet word dat daar geen dubbelsinnigheid is nie. Roeteringsprotokolle kan op verkeie manier geklassifiseer word wat hul inherente voordele, nadele, vereistes en beperkings teen toon stel. Deur die roeteringsprotokolle se eiensakppe saam met inligting oor die komponente van roeteringsprotokole te gebruik , kan 'n analise van roeteringsprotokolle uitgevoer word en twee kandidaat roeteringsprotokolle is gekies vir toetsing. Vir hierdie navorsing is AODV gekies om die stelsel te help verifeer en AntHocNet is gekies om aan te toon dat die simulator buigsaam genoeg is om verkeie roeteringsprotokolle se funksionaliteit te simuleer. Satellietnetwerke is handmatig ontleed en die kernverskille tussen aards-en satellietenetwerke wat spesiale aandag geniet het. Deur hierdie informasie saam met vorige navorsing en aanbevelings te gebruik is 'n verspreide netwerk soortgelyk aan die Iriduim netwerk gekies om as verifikasie van die simulator te dien. 'n Voorheen voorgestelde netwerk, bekend as die OuterNet, is gekies om verdere navorsing oor die toepasbaarheid van AODV en AntHocNet op ander satellietkonstellasies uit te voer. Die uitbreiding van SatSim vanaf 'n basiese punt-tot-punt simulator tot 'n netwerksimulator wat in staat is om komplekse roeteringsprotkolle te simuleer, is volledig gedokumenteer, met alle ontwerpskeuses verduidelik en geregverdig. Die hoof ontwerpsmaatstawwe van gebruikersgerief, modulariteit en herbruikbaarheid is gebruik, met die kode wat gestruktueer is om uitbreiding van die simulator te vergemaklik. Weens beperkte herhaalbare resultate is verdere toetsing vir die MAC laag kanaaltoegang en vir AODV en AntHocNet uitgevoer. SatSim is suksesvol uitgebrei om satellietnetwerke te simuleer. Voorlopige resultate vir die toepaasbaarheid van AODV teenoor die van AntHocNet vir twee satellietkonstellasies word gegee. | en_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | 106 pages : illustrations, maps | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/101241 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Astronautics in navigation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Space simulators | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Routing protocols (Computer network protocols) | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Satellite network simulator - design and verifcation using AODV and AntHocNet | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |