SKY X TECHNOLOGY

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION
Satellites are attractive option for Satellites are ideal for providing
carrying internet and other IP Traffic
too many locations across the globe internet and private network access over
where terrestrial options are limited or long distance and to remote locations.
prohibitive. But data networking on
satellite is faced with overcoming the However the internet protocols are not
large latency and high bit error Rate optimized for satellite conditions and
typical of satellite communications as
well as the asymmetric bandwidth consequently the throughput over the
design of most Satellite network. satellite networks is restricted to only a
Satellites are ideal for providing internet
and private network access over Long fraction of available bandwidth. These
distance and to remote locations. restrictions can be overcome by using
However the internet protocols are not
optimized for Satellite conditions. So the Sky X protocol. The Sky X
the throughput over the satellite Gateway and Sky X Client/Servers
networks is restricted to only a fraction
systems replaces TCP over satellite link
Of available bandwidth. Mentat, the
leading supplies of TCP/IP to the with a protocol Satellites are ideal for
computer industry have Overcome their providing internet and private network
limitations with the development of the
Sky X product family. The Sky X access over long distance and to remote
system replaces TCP over satellite link locations. However the internet
with a protocol optimized for the long
latency, high loss and asymmetric protocols are not optimized for satellite
bandwidth conditions of the typical conditions and consequently the
satellite communication. The Sky X
family Consists of Sky X Gateway, Sky throughput over the satellite networks is
X Client/Server and Sky X OEM restricted to only a fraction of available
products. Sky X products increase the
performance of IP over satellite by bandwidth. These restrictions can be
transparency replacing. The Sky X overcome by using the Sky X protocol.
Gateway works by intercepting the TCP
connection from client and converting The Sky X Gateway and Sky X
the data to Sky X protocol for Client/Servers systems replace
transmission over the satellite. The Sky
X Client /Server product operates in a optimized for the long latency, high loss
similar manner except that the Sky X and asymmetric bandwidth conditions
client software is installed on each end
users PC. Connection from applications of the typical satellite communication.
running on the PC is intercepted and Adding the Sky X system to a satellite
send over the satellite using the Sky X
network allows users to take full
Protocol.
advantage of the available bandwidth.
The Sky X Gateway transparently

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enhances the performance of all users Performance of Tcp over

on a satellite network without any Satellites
modifications to the end clients and
servers. The Sky X Client and the Sky Data networking over satellites is faced
X Server enhance the performance of with overcoming the latency and high
data transmissions over satellites bit error rates typical of satellite
directly to end user PC’s, thereby communications, as well as the
increasing Web performance by 3 times asymmetric bandwidth of most satellite
or more and file transfer speeds by 10 networks. Communication over
to 100 times. The Sky X solution is geosynchronous satellites, orbiting at an
entirely transparent to end users, works altitude of 22,300 miles has round trip
with all TCP applications and does not times of approximately 540 m/s, an
require any modifications to end client order of magnitude larger than
and servers. Sky X products are the terrestrial networks. The journey
leading implementation of a class of through the atmosphere can also
products known variously as protocol introduce bit errors into the data stream.
gateway TCP Performance Enhancing These factors, combined with
Proxy (TCP/PEP) , or satellite backchannel bandwidth typically much
spoofer.The Sky X gateways are smaller than that available on the
available as ready to install hardware forward channel, reduce the
solutions which can be added to any effectiveness of TCP which is
satellite network. optimized for short hops over low-loss
cables or fiber.Eventhough the TCP is
The Sky X family consists of the
very effective in the local network
Sky X Gateway, Sky x Client/Server
connected by using cables or optical
and the sky X OEM products. The Sky
fibers by using its many features such as
X Gateway is a hardware solution
LPV6, LPsec and other leading-edge
designed for easy installation into any
functionality. Also it will work with real
satellite network and provides
time operating systems.TCP is designed
performance enhancement for all
for efficiency and high performance
devices on the network. The Sky X
,and optimized for maximum
Client/Server provides performance
enhancement to individual PC’s.

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throughput and the highest transaction to fully utilize an error-free link known
speeds in local networks. as the “bandwidth-delay product” is 100
KB for a T1 satellite link and 675 KB
But the satellite conditions adversely
for a 10 Mbps link. However many
interact with a number of elements of
implementations of TCP are limited to
the TCP architecture, including it s
maximum window size of 64 KB and
window sizing, congestion avoidance
most operating systems use a default
algorithms, and data acknowledgment
window size of only 8 KB , imposing a
mechanisms, which contribute to
maximum throughput rate over a
severely constrict the data throughput
satellite link of only 128 Kbps per
that can be achieved over satellite links.
connection , regardless of the
Thus the advantages achieved by TCP
bandwidth available. So the high
in LAN’s are no longer effective in the
bandwidth available in the network is
satellite link. So it is desirable to design
no longer effective, thus the data
a separate protocol for communication
availability in a client is restricted to a
through the satellite to eliminate the
small fraction of the available
disadvantages of using TCP over the
bandwidth. Thus the window sizing
satellite link. The adverse effects of
mechanism of the TCP limits the rate of
using TCP over satellite link in its
flow of data through satellite link. The
various features are as follows:
simple, heuristic data acknowledgment
scheme used by TCP does not adapt
Window Size
well to long latency or highly
TCP utilizes a sliding window asymmetric bandwidth conditions. To
mechanism to limit the amount of data provide reliable data transmission, the
in flight. When the window becomes TCP receiver constantly sends
full, the sender stops transmitting until acknowledgments back to the sender.
it receives new acknowledgement. Over The sender does not assume that any
satellite networks, where data is lost or corrupted until a multiple
acknowledgements are slow to return, of the round-trip time has passed
the TCP window size gradually sets a without receiving an acknowledgment.
hard limit on the maximum throughput This algorithm does not respond well
rate. The minimum window size needed over satellite networks where the round-

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trip time is long and error rates can be So the congestion avoidance
high. Further, this constant stream of mechanisms used by TCP is also not
acknowledgments wastes precious back suited for the satellite link since it
channel bandwidth and if the back reduces the data flow through the
channel is small, the return of the network and thus reduces the overall
acknowledgments to the sender can rate of data transfer.
become the system bottleneck. The
Sky X Technology Overcomes TCP
acknowledgements and error messages
Performance Limitations
will always dominate the data transfer
and the rate of flow reduces very much.
Sky X products increase the
performance of IP over satellite through
Congestion Avoidance
a combination of protocol connection-
In order to avoid the possibility of splitting, data compression, and Web
congestive network meltdown, TCP pre-fetching, while remaining entirely
usually assumes that all data loss is transparent to end users. The Sky X
caused by congestion and responds to gateway works by transparently
this by reducing the transmission rate. replacing TCP connections from the
However, over satellite links, TCP client and converting the data to Xpress
misinterprets the long round-trip time Transport protocol (XTP) for the hop
and bit errors as congestion and over the satellite link which is the
responds inappropriately. Similarly, the protocol optimized for satellite
TCP “Slow Start” algorithm, which conditions.
over the terrestrial infrastructure
prevents new connections from flooding
an already congested network, forces an
excessively long ramp-up period for
each new connection over satellite.
While these congestion avoidance
mechanisms are vital in routed
environments, they are ill-suited to
single-path satellite links.

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Sky X Gateway Operation

The Sky X gateway works by

intercepting the TCP connection
from the client and converting
the data to the Xpress Transport
Protocol (XTP) for transmission
over the satellite. The Sky X
gateway on the opposite side of The Sky X gateway splits the single
the satellite link translates the TCP connection into three separate
data back to TCP for components. A TCP connection on the
communication with the server. remote side between the client and Sky
This architecture offers vastly X gateway, an XTP connection
improved performance while involving Sky X protocol over the
remaining entirely transparent to satellite between the two Sky X
the end user and fully gateways and a TCP connection
compactable with the internet between the opposite Sky X gateway
infrastructure. No changes are and server.
required to the client or server
and all applications continue to The Sky X gateway XR10, XH45, and
function without modification. XH155 are available as ready-to-install
This architecture is also referred hardware solutions which can be added
to as TCP Performance to any satellite network. The Sky X
Enhancing Proxy (TCP-PEP) Client software installs directly on the
and is compactable with ETF PCs of end-users and works in
RFC 3135. conjunction with a Sky X Server SS10
or SS45 hardware unit located at the
network hub. Mentat also licenses the
Sky X gateway technology in software
source code form for integration with
satellite modems, VSATs, routers,
caching systems, or any other satellite
connectivity equipment. The Sky X

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gateway can also be used in multilink establishes a TCP connection with the
configurations where a single Sky X destination server.
gateway hub unit enhances the
performance of multiple separate
outbound links from a single uplink
facility.

Mentat Sky Gateway 250 - gateway

The SkyX 250 is ideal as a remote, or

hub, device to bring high network
performance to lower bandwidth
networks. Also use at both sides of the
link in a point-to-link as well as in fully
meshed networks

The Sky X Client / Server product

operates similarly to the Sky X gateway
except the Sky X Client software is
installed directly onto the client PC.
Connections from applications running
on the PC are intercepted and sent over
the satellite using Sky X protocol. At
the network hub, a Sky X Server

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internet and private network access over

Sky X Client/Server satellite links. The sky X client software
e internet and private network access
The Sky X Client / Server increases the
over satellite links. The sky X client
throughput and efficiency of network
software installed on the PC’s of the
access over satellites by transparently
end user, works in conjunction with a
replacing TCP with the Xpress
sky X server hardware unit located at
Transport Protocol (XTP) for the
the network hub. Through the use of a
satellite segment of the connection.
unique connection splitting and protocol
Combined with data compression and
–translation system, the sky X
Web-specific enhancements, the Sky X
client/server system overcomes the
system provides maximum performance
deficiencies of TCP/IP in satellite –
under the long latency, high loss, and
based networks while remaining
asymmetric bandwidth conditions
entirely transparent to end-user
typical of satellite communications.
applications. The sky X client is ideal

The sky X client/server system for use with any satellite receiver card

enhances the performance of the Sky X or set –top box

Client / Server increases the throughput

Sky X Client / Sky X Server
and efficiency of network access over
Operation
satellites by transparently replacing
TCP with the Xpress Transport Protocol The Sky X Client / Server increases the
(XTP) for the satellite segment of the throughput and efficiency of network
connection. Combined with data access over satellites by transparently
compression and Web-specific replacing TCP with the Xpress
enhancements, the Sky X system Transport Protocol (XTP) for the
provides maximum performance under satellite segment of the connection.
the long latency, high loss, and Combined with data compression and
asymmetric bandwidth conditions Web-specific enhancements, the Sky X
typical of satellite communications. system provides maximum performance
under the long latency, high loss, and
The sky X client/server system
asymmetric bandwidth conditions
enhances the performance of
typical of satellite communications.

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The Sky X Client, installed on and wastes much of the bandwidth

Microsoft Windows-based computers, resources.
transparently intercepts TCP
In contrast, multicast technology makes
connections from applications running
it possible for multiple recipients to
on the PC and transmits the data over
receive a single data stream. This can be
the satellite link using XTP. The Sky X
an especially powerful tool for satellite
Server, installed at the hub of the
networks or similar architectures where
satellite network, establishes a new TCP
the multicast transfer can take
connection for communication with any
advantage of an underlying link layer
device on the local network or over the
broadcast media. Unfortunately, the
Internet. Through this unique, patented
only multicast capability built into the
architecture, the Sky X Client / Server
Internet Protocol is a UDP-based,
system requires no proxy settings while
unreliable, best-effort service that is
providing performance enhancement for
only appropriate for real-time streaming
all TCP applications.
applications such as event broadcasting.
The Sky X Server is available in two Because UDP-based IP multicast does
models namely the SS10 and SS45. The not include any mechanisms for
SS10 provides Sky X enhancement for detection and retransmission of lost or
links of up to 10 Mbps while the SS45 corrupted data and does not resequence
provides Sky X enhancement for links any packets that arrive out of order, IP
of up to 45 Mbps multicast is not suitable for file
downloads and other data transfer
Sky X Multicast Fan-Out
applications. Sky X Multicast Fan-Out
offers a simple and convenient solution
Computer networking traditionally
for reliable multicast over wide area
relies on unicast data transfers which
networks. By taking advantage of
establish point-to-point connections
reliable multicast functionality built
between devices. In situations where the
directly into XTP, the open-standard
same data is transferred to multiple
transport-layer protocol used by the Sky
users, the server must send a copy of the
X Gateway to transfer data over the
file to each recipient independently.
WAN link, the Sky X Gateway provides
This process is both time consuming
fast, efficient, fully reliable multicast

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file transfers. Any data that is lost or using FTP or any other TCP-based
corrupted is retransmitted, providing application. In addition to the multicast
transfer reliability and rendering special benefits themselves, the Sky X gateway
FEC software unnecessary. includes on-the-fly data compression
which further increases transfer speeds
The Sky X multicast fan-out, an integral
for compressible data by up to 5 times.
component of the Sky X gateway,
Sky X multicast fan-out functionality is
transparently converts TCP unicast
ideal for file transfers, cache replication,
connections into reliable multicast
video file distribution, content delivery
transfers. Through the use of common
networks, database replication, and any
TCP based applications such as FTP,
other distribution of data or files to
the Sky X gateway can deliver a file to
multiple users over a satellite link or
every remote location across a wide
other wide area network.
area network with only a single
multicast transfer. Sky X multicast
fanout is built on the industry leading
Sky X gateway IP over satellite
performance enhancement system.
Because the Sky X multicast fanout
process is transparent to the end devices
, any machine can originate or receive
the multicast transfer regardless of
operating system and without requiring
the installation of any specialized
multicast software.

By combining this reliable multicast

transmission technology with a
transparent fan-out functionality which
allows any TCP connection to be
converted into a multicast transfer, the
Sky X gateway marries the power of
multicasting with the convenience of

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satellite. As the graph on the left

Sky X Performance illustrates, even on server operating
systems using a 32 KB window, TCP is
The performance benefits of the sky X
only able to reach a through-put of 440
gateway depend on many factors
Kbps. Sky X gateway overcomes this
including the bandwidth, delay,
limitation, taking full advantage of the
asymmetry and bit error rate of the link,
available bandwidth regardless of the
the number of simultaneous
window size of the client or server. For
connections, the compressibility of the
compressible data, Sky X can provide
data and the behavior of the application
throughput rates far greater than the link
itself. Below are data for two typical
bandwidth.
applications across a range of
conditions Round-Trip Delay vs. Throughput

File Transfers The Sky X gateway system removes the

dependency of TCP on the round-trip
The following file transfer tests
time of the link. The figure below
illustrate the benefits of Sky X
shows the measured throughput on an
performance enhancement for different
error-free, 10 Mbps link. These results
windows sizes, link band-widths,
illustrate that TCP throughput drops
round-trip times, and bit error rates.
rapidly as the round-trip time increases.
Users should expect similar results for
In contrast, Sky X is able to maintain
any large, single-connection data
full usage of the link regardless of the
transfer. Each graph shows Sky X
round-trip time. For compressible text,
enhancement for three cases: no
Sky X consistently delivers throughput
compression, highly compressible text,
rates greater than the actual bandwidth.
and Corpus benchmark compressibility

Bit Error Rate vs. Throughput

Window Size and Link Speed vs.
Throughput The Sky X system overcomes the high
sensitivity of TCP to the bit error rate of
Without performance enhancement, a
the link. The graph given below shows
default window size of 8 KB limits TCP
the throughput as a function of the bit
throughput to less than 100 Kbps over
error rate for a 10 Mbps satellite link

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using a 1 MB TCP window. Even at application, but will typically fall

low error rates, TCP is able to deliver between these two extremes. Sky X
only 1.5 Mbps, while at an error rate of gateway has been tested by many
1×10-5, TCP’s throughput drops to less organizations and various independent
than 0.03 Mbps. Sky X fully saturates third parties for a wide variety of
the link at low error rates and even at an different conditions and has been found
error rate of 1×10-5, achieves 5.1 Mbps satisfactory .Sky X gateway can also
without compression and up to 15.8 simulate link speed bit error rate and
Mbps for compressible data. delay conditions of the existing system
on the sky X gateway test
Web Performance
networkwhere they can be served
locally when requested by the
Unlike file transfers which typically
browser ,there by avoiding
consist of a single, large download,
satellite delay.
Web traffic is characterized by large
numbers of short connections. Mentat’s Fast Start Web Acceleration
innovative Fast Start feature specifically
optimizes Web performance by In addition to TCP performance

reducing time required to establish new enhancement, Sky X products include

connection. The Web stone HTTP HTTP specific optimizations to further

benchmark shows that for an 8 Mbps accelerate web downloads. Fast Start

error-free link, the average response saves one full round trip time for each

time for a mixture of 50 simultaneous new web connection by reducing the

web connections using the sky X handshaking required to establish each

gateway is between 0.7 and 1.1 seconds new HTTP connection.

depending on the compressibility of the

Data Compression
data, compared to 3.0 seconds with
TCP. Integrated on-the-fly data compression
functionality, offering lossless
Other Applications
compression ratios of

Performance benefits from applications

5:1 increases the amount of data that
other than Web and file transfers
can be sent over the link.
depend on the characteristics of the

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• Minimize retransmission and

Acceleraion recover more quickly from
errors
Sky X Accelerator

When TCP protocol design limitations,

high latency and lost packets threaten
TCP Acceleration
application connection speed, SkyX
Accelerator ramps flow, fully utilize Enjoy faster database connectivity, Web
links and keeps data moving along. and remote-access applications while
maintaining full TCP reliability and
end-to-end flow control. Specifically
optimized for long delay, high bit error
and asymmetric bandwidth conditions.
Accelerate all TCP based applications
including Web access, FTP file
transfers, ERP and e-mail.

Data Center Replication Acceleration

SkyX Accelerator technology

• Accelerate file transfers, large
overcomes latency effect on TCP over
and small
high-bandwidth links by using
• Speed XML and HTTP sessions,
bandwidth much more efficiently and
disaster recovery, database sync
improving replication performance over
and backups
high capacity data center-to-data center
• Optimize application
links. Replication sessions complete up
performance over high-latency
to 100 times faster and are not subject
and satellite links
to the stalls and session drops
• Increase link utilization on fat
associated with packet loss.
WAN links
• Maximize bandwidth utilization
and ROI

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Conclusion

The sky X gateway is the leading

solution for overcoming the limitations
of TCP/IP over satellite. ISP’s,
corporations, governments, and military
organizations around the world rely on
sky X gateway to enhance the
performance of their satellite networks.

Testing by independent third parties

including INTELSAT and NASA
confirms that the sky X Gateway
dramatically improves performance for
the internet and private access over
satellite networks. The world is
reducing to a global village by the use
of satellite communication and so the
improvement in the rate of information
interchange through satellite is a must
and thus sky X technology becomes
unavoidable.

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References

Books

• A Top Down Approach

Featuring The Internet,
• Addison Wesley by JF&Ross
KW.
• TCP/IP Protocol Suite, by
Forouzan B.
• Computer 5Networks
A.Tanenbaum

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