CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

Satellites are ideal for providing internet and private network access over long
distance and to remote locations. However the internet protocols are not optimized for
satellite conditions and consequently the throughput over the satellite networks is
restricted to only a fraction of available bandwidth. We can over come these
restrictions by using the Sky X protocol.

The Sky X Gateway and Sky X Client/Servers systems replaces TCP over
satellite link with a protocol optimized for the long latency, high loss and asymmetric
bandwidth conditions of the typical satellite communication. Adding the Sky X
system to a satellite network allows users to take full advantage of the available
bandwidth. The Sky X Gateway transparently enhances the performance of all users
on a satellite network without any modifications to the end clients and servers. The
Sky X Client and the Sky X Server enhance the performance of data transmissions
over satellites directly to end user PC’s, thereby increasing Web performance by 3
times or more and file transfer speeds by 10 to 100 times. The Sky X solution is
entirely transparent to end users, works with all TCP applications and does not
require any modifications to end client and servers

Sky X products are the leading implementation of a class of products known

variously as protocol gateway TCP Performance Enhancing Proxy (TCP/PEP) , or
satellite spoofer.The Sky X gateways are available as ready to install hardware
solutions which can be added to any satellite network.

The Sky X family consists of the Sky X Gateway, Sky x Client/Server and the
sky X OEM products. The Sky X Gateway is a hardware solution designed for easy
installation into any satellite network and provides performance enhancement for all
devices on the network. The Sky X Client/Server provides performance enhancement
to individual PC’s.

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 CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE SURVEY

Satellites are an attractive option for carrying Internet and other IP traffic to
many locations across the globe where terrestrial options are limited or price
prohibitive. However data networking over satellites is faced with overcoming the
latency and high bit error rates typical of satellite communications, as well as the
asymmetric bandwidth of most satellite networks

Communication over geosynchronous satellites, orbiting at an altitude of

22,300 miles has round trip times of approximately 540 m/s, an order of magnitude
larger than terrestrial networks. The journey through the atmosphere can also
introduce bit errors into the data stream. These factors, combined with backchannel
bandwidth typically much smaller than that available on the forward channel, reduce
the effectiveness of TCP which is optimized for short hops over low-loss cables or
fiber.Eventhough the TCP is very effective in the local network connected by using
cables or optical fibers by using its many features such as LPV6, LPsec and other
leading-edge functionality. Also it will work with real time operating systems.TCP is
designed for efficiency and high performance ,and optimized for maximum
throughput and the highest transaction speeds in local networks.

But the satellite conditions adversely interact with a number of elements of the
TCP architecture, including it s window sizing, congestion avoidance algorithms, and
data acknowledgment mechanisms, which contribute to severely constrict the data
throughput that can be achieved over satellite links. Thus the advantages achieved by
TCP in LAN’s are no longer effective in the satellite link. So it is desirable to design
a separate protocol for communication through the satellite to eliminate the
disadvantages of using TCP over the satellite link. The adverse effects of using TCP
over satellite link in its various features are as follows:

2
Window size

TCP utilizes a sliding window mechanism to limit the amount of data in flight.
When the window becomes full, the sender stops transmitting until it receives new
acknowledgement. Over satellite networks, where acknowledgements are slow to
return, the TCP window size gradually sets a hard limit on the maximum throughput
rate. The minimum window size needed to fully utilize an error-free link known as the
“bandwidth-delay product” is 100 KB for a T1 satellite link and 675 KB for a 10
Mbps link. However many implementations of TCP are limited to maximum window
size of 64 KB and most operating systems use a default window size of only 8 KB ,
imposing a maximum throughput rate over a satellite link of only 128 Kbps per
connection , regardless of the bandwidth available. So the high bandwidth available in
the network is no longer effective, thus the data availability in a client is restricted to a
small fraction of the available bandwidth. Thus the window sizing mechanism of the
TCP limits the rate of flow of data through satellite link.

The simple, heuristic data acknowledgment scheme used by TCP does not
adapt well to long latency or highly asymmetric bandwidth conditions. To provide
reliable data transmission, the TCP receiver constantly sends acknowledgments back
to the sender. The sender does not assume that any data is lost or corrupted until a
multiple of the round-trip time has passed without receiving an acknowledgment. This
algorithm does not respond well over satellite networks where the round-trip time is
long and error rates can be high. Further, this constant stream of acknowledgments
wastes precious back channel bandwidth and if the back channel is small, the return of
the acknowledgments to the sender can become the system bottleneck. The
acknowledgements and error messages will always dominate the data transfer and the
rate of flow reduces very much.

3
Congestion Avoidance

In order to avoid the possibility of congestive network meltdown, TCP usually

assumes that all data loss is caused by congestion and responds to this by reducing the
transmission rate. However, over satellite links, TCP misinterprets the long round-trip
time and bit errors as congestion and responds inappropriately. Similarly, the TCP
“Slow Start” algorithm, which 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.

So the congestion avoidance mechanisms used by TCP is also not suited for
the satellite link since it reduces the data flow through the network and thus reduces
the overall rate of data transfer.

Sky X Technology Overcomes TCP Performance Limitations

Sky X products increase the performance of IP over satellite through a

combination of protocol connection-splitting, data compression, and Web pre-
fetching, while remaining entirely transparent to end users. The Sky X gateway works
by transparently replacing TCP connections from the client and converting the data to
Xpress Transport protocol (XTP) for the hop over the satellite link which is the
protocol optimized for satellite conditions.

4
 CHAPTER-3
IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS

3.1 SKY X PROTOCOL DESIGN

At the heart of the Sky X system is the Sky X protocol, optimized to provide
maximum throughput for satellite networks. The Sky X protocol is designed to
respond efficiently to typical satellite latency, bit errors and asymmetric bandwidth
conditions and to take advantage of optimizations possible on a single-path link with
known bandwidth. The Sky X gateway combines protocol, application and system
level enhancements to provide maximum throughput for satellite networks.

3.2 EFFICIENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT ALGORITHM

The large Sky X Protocol window removes the dependency of the network on
the bandwidth-delay product, allowing high throughput independent of the TCP
window size of the end nodes. The Sky X Protocol dynamically adjusts the window
size based on the link bandwidth, delay, and number of simultaneous connections to
optimize utilization of the bandwidth.

3.3 RATE CONTROL

TCP uses Slow Start and Congestion Avoidance algorithms to determine a safe
transmission rate based on how quickly acknowledgments return. This wastes
available bandwidth when it transmits at too low a rate, and causes unnecessary
retransmissions when it transmits at a rate higher than the bandwidth of the link.
Instead, the Sky X gateway uses a rate control mechanism to explicitly set the
transmission rate to exactly the bandwidth of the link, thereby providing the
maximum throughput possible at all times.

3.4 SKY X MULTICAST FAN-OUT

The Sky X FTP multicast facility is designed to provide multicast fan-out

functionality tailored specifically for use with FTP, combining the power of

5
multicasting with the convenience of the well-known and ubiquitous FTP utility. The
unique Sky X multicast Fan-Out facility can transparently convert a TCP unicast
connection into a reliable multicast.

Transfer .Using standard file transfer applications such a FTP the Sky X gateway can
deliver a copy of a file to every remote site with only a single transfer.

3.5 SKY X OEM (ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER)

Mentat ( U.S company) licenses its Sky X gateway technology in software

source code form for OEM integration into satellite modems, VSAT’s, routers, cache
or any other satellite networking equipment. The Sky X OEM software is available
for various computer and real time operating systems.

3.6 PACKETEER SKYX

Packeteer Introduces New SkyX Accelerators for Improved TCP-Based
Application Performance; New SkyX Accelerators Support Expanded Range of Link
Speeds; Comply with European Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Packeteer(R) (NASDAQ:PKTR), the global leader in

WAN Application Optimization, today announced the introduction of two new SkyX
Accelerator models based on new hardware platforms that provide substantially
improved scalability to support future features and functional enhancements.
Packeteer's SkyX Accelerators improve TCP-based application performance
including SAP, FTP file transfers, e-mail and Web access. The appliances also
provide acceleration capabilities for disaster recovery, database synchronizations and
backups in high-latency, high-bandwidth environments such as satellite or datacenter-
to-datacenter links.

The new SkyX 250 and high-end SkyX 750 Accelerators support a greater
range of link speeds and concurrent sessions than their predecessors and utilize the
new release 7.0 operating software that supports an Ethernet failover bypass
capability while maintaining complete backward compatibility with existing SkyX
appliances.

6
 The SkyX 250 Accelerator also complies with the European Union (EU)
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive that is a requirement for all
companies selling within or into the EU. The RoHS directive, designed to provide
environmental safeguards eliminating the use of toxic materials, applies to electrical
and electronic products and their components offered for sale in the EU after July 1,
2006. The RoHS-compliant version of the SkyX 750 is scheduled for availability later
this year.

"Enterprises are quickly realizing that the ability to accelerate TCP-based

applications provides a distinct competitive advantage through improved
productivity, and that adding expensive bandwidth to compensate for poor WAN
application performance is a failed strategy," said David Puglia, Packeteer's vice
president of marketing. "The introduction of our new SkyX products will help
customers accelerate host or client traffic, as well as improve the performance of
strategic data center replication without having to implement link speed upgrades."

3.7 SAFE HARBOR CLAUSE

The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities and
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding Packeteer's
expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. Forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied statements regarding
future revenues, revenue growth and profitability, spending levels by existing and
prospective customers, the markets for our products, new product development,
liquidity and macro economic conditions. All forward-looking statements included in
this press release are based upon information available to Packeteer as of the date
hereof. Packeteer assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could
cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Actual results may
differ materially due to a number of factors including the perceived need for our
products, our ability to convince potential customers of our value proposition, the
costs of competitive solutions, continued capital spending by prospective customers
and macro economic conditions.

7
 These and other risks relating to Packeteer's business are set forth in Packeteer's
Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2006,
and Packeteer's Form 10-Qs and other reports filed from time to time with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

8
 CHAPTER 4

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 satellite link translates the
data back to TCP for communication with the server. This architecture offers vastly
improved performance while remaining entirely transparent to the end user and fully
compactable with the internet infrastructure. No changes are required to the client or
server and all applications continue to function without modification. This
architecture is also referred to as TCP Performance Enhancing Proxy (TCP-PEP) and
is compactable with IETF RFC 3135.

The Sky X gateway splits the single TCP connection into three separate
components. A TCP connection on the remote side between the client and Sky X
gateway, an XTP connection involving Sky X protocol over the satellite between the
two Sky X gateways and a TCP connection between the opposite Sky X gateway and
server. XTP is a reliable, transport-layer protocol specifically designed to operate
efficiently over high-speed networks and offers a level of performance not possible
with TCP on long latency, high loss satellite links. XTP is an open standard developed
by the XTP Forum, a non-profit organization composed of networking protocol
researchers, implementers, and user organizations.

By splitting the end-to-end TCP connection, the segment over the satellite can
take advantage of the performance of XTP. TCP congestion avoidance mechanisms
remain in place over the terrestrial connections to protect the stability of the routed
network. The two Sky X gateways pass control data between each other, allowing the
Sky X gateway on the opposite side of the satellite to appear to be the original source
or destination device. This architecture maintains full TCP reliability and end-to-end
flow control.

Web Pre-Fetch functionality further enhances the performance of HTTP

transfers over the satellite link by pro-actively retrieving the many embedded objects
on a Web page along with the requested HTML page.

9
 The Sky X system delivers the Web objects to the Sky X gateway on the client
side of the satellite link where they can be served locally when requested by the
browser, avoiding the satellite delay.

The Sky X gateway XR10, XH45, and XH155 are available as ready-to-install
hardware solutions which can be added to any satellite network. The Sky X Client
software installs directly on the PCs of end-users and works in 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 gateway can also be used in multilink
configurations where a single Sky X gateway hub unit enhances the performance of
multiple separate outbound links from a single uplink facility.

4.1 SKY X PERFORMANCE

The performance benefits of the sky X gateway depend on many factors

including the bandwidth, delay, asymmetry and bit error rate of the link, the number
of simultaneous connections, the compressibility of the data and the behavior of the
application itself. Below are data for two typical applications across a range of
conditions

File Transfers

The following file transfer tests illustrate the benefits of Sky X performance
enhancement for different windows sizes, link band-widths, round-trip times, and bit
error rates. Users should expect similar results for any large, single-connection data
transfer. Each graph shows Sky X enhancement for three cases: no compression,
highly compressible text, and Corpus benchmark compressibility

Window Size and Link Speed vs. Throughput

Without performance enhancement, a default window size of 8 KB limits TCP

throughput to less than 100 Kbps over satellite. As the graph on the left illustrates,
even on server operating systems using a 32 KB window, TCP is only able to reach a
through-put of 440 Kbps.

10
 Sky X gateway overcomes this limitation, taking full advantage of the
available bandwidth regardless of the window size of the client or server. For
compressible data, Sky X can provide throughput rates far greater than the link
bandwidth.

Round-Trip Delay vs. Throughput

The Sky X gateway system removes the dependency of TCP on the round-trip
time of the link. The figure below shows the measured throughput on an error-free, 10
Mbps link. These results illustrate that TCP throughput drops rapidly as the round-trip
time increases. In contrast, Sky X is able to maintain full usage of the link regardless
of the round-trip time. For compressible text, Sky X consistently delivers throughput
rates greater than the actual bandwidth.

Bit Error Rate vs. Throughput

The Sky X system overcomes the high sensitivity of TCP to the bit error rate
of the link. The graph given below shows the throughput as a function of the bit error
rate for a 10 Mbps satellite link using a 1 MB TCP window. Even at low error rates,
TCP is able to deliver only 1.5 Mbps, while at an error rate of 1×10-5, TCP’s
throughput drops to less than 0.03 Mbps. Sky X fully saturates the link at low error
rates and even at an error rate of 1×10-5, achieves 5.1 Mbps without compression and
up to 15.8 Mbps for compressible data.

Web Performance

Unlike file transfers which typically consist of a single, large download, Web
traffic is characterized by large numbers of short connections. Men tat’s innovative
Fast Start feature specifically optimizes Web performance by reducing time required
to establish new connection. The Web stone HTTP benchmark shows that for an 8
Mbps error-free link, the average response time for a mixture of 50 simultaneous web
connections using the sky X gateway is between 0.7 and 1.1 seconds depending on
the compressibility of the data, compared to 3.0 seconds with TCP.

11
 CHAPTER-5

APPLICATIONS

Sky X Technology Overcomes TCP Performance Limitations

Sky X products increase the performance of IP over satellite through a

combination of protocol connection-splitting, data compression, and Web pre-
fetching, while remaining entirely transparent to end users. The Sky X gateway works
by transparently replacing TCP connections from the client and converting the data to
Xpress Transport protocol (XTP) for the hop over the satellite link which is the
protocol optimized for satellite conditions.

5.1 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 satellite link translates the
data back to TCP for communication with the server. This architecture offers vastly
improved performance while remaining entirely transparent to the end user and fully
compactable with the internet infrastructure. No changes are required to the client or
server and all applications continue to function without modification. This
architecture is also referred to as TCP Performance Enhancing Proxy (TCP-PEP) and
is compactable with IETF RFC 3135.

Fig.5.1 Sky X Gateway Operation

12
 The Sky X gateway splits the single TCP connection into three separate
components. A TCP connection on the remote side between the client and Sky X
gateway, an XTP connection involving Sky X protocol over the satellite between the
two Sky X gateways and a TCP connection between the opposite Sky X gateway and
server.

Fig.5.2 sky x integration

The Sky X gateway XR10, XH45, and XH155 are available as ready-to-install
hardware solutions which can be added to any satellite network. The Sky X Client
software installs directly on the PCs of end-users and works in 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 gateway can also be used in multilink
configurations where a single Sky X gateway hub unit enhances the performance of
multiple separate outbound links from a single uplink facility.

5.2 WEB PERFOMANCE

Unlike file transfers which typically consist of a single, large download, Web
traffic is characterized by large numbers of short connections. Mentat’s innovative
Fast Start feature specifically optimizes Web performance by reducing time required
to establish new connection.

13
 The Web stone HTTP benchmark shows that for an 8 Mbps error-free link,
the average response time for a mixture of 50 simultaneous web connections using
the sky X gateway is between 0.7 and 1.1 seconds depending on the compressibility
of the data, compared to 3.0 seconds with TCP.

Performance benefits from applications other than Web and file transfers
depend on the characteristics of the application, but will typically fall between these
two extremes. Sky X gateway has been tested by many organizations and various
independent third parties for a wide variety of different conditions and has been found
satisfactory .Sky X gateway can also simulate link speed bit error rate and delay
conditions of the existing system on the sky X gateway test network

.Fig.5.3 Sky x Acceleration

5.3 SKY X ACCELERATION

When TCP protocol design limitations, high latency and lost packets threaten
application connection speed, SkyX Accelerator ramps flow, fully utilizes links and
Keeps data moving along.

Accelerate file transfers, large and small

 Speed XML and HTTP sessions, disaster recovery, database sync and backups
 Optimize application performance over high-latency and satellite links
 Increase link utilization on fat WAN links
 Maximize bandwidth utilization and ROI
 Minimize retransmission and recover more quickly from errors

14
TCP Acceleration

Enjoy faster database connectivity, Web 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 overcomes latency effect on TCP over high-

bandwidth links by using bandwidth much more efficiently and improving replication
performance over high capacity data center-to-data center links. Replication sessions
complete up to 100 times faster and are not subject to the stalls and session drops
associated with packet loss.

XML and Web Acceleration

Response times improve dramatically with enhanced HTTP performance. SkyX

XpressWeb and XpressXML technology speeds delivery of embedded objects in
Web-based applications. Further accelerate Web downloads by reducing time needed
to establish each new HTTP connection.

PacketShaper is an application traffic and bandwidth management system that

delivers predictable, efficient performance for applications running over the WAN
and Internet. The combination of its layer 7 classification, analysis, control, and
reporting capabilities enables network administrators to keep critical traffic moving at
an appropriate pace through bandwidth bottlenecks and prevents any single type of
traffic from monopolizing the link

15
 CHAPTER-6
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

16
 CHAPTER-7
FUTURE SCOPE

Automatic Traffic Discovery: PacketShaper systems utilize their layer 7

classification capabilities to automatically identify all applications running across the
network. Please see the PacketShaper Data Sheet for a list of applications.

Extensible traffic class definitions: Create custom criteria for measuring and
controlling traffic. Classify traffic by application, protocol, address, subnet, port
number, URL or wildcard, host name, LDAP host lists, Diffserv setting, 802.1p/q,
MPLS, ISL, IP precedence bits, IP or Mac address, direction (inbound/outbound),
source, destination, host speed range, Mime type, web browser, Oracle database,
Citrix Published Application, VLAN. Combinations of the criteria are supported,
enabling more targeted monitoring and control.

Real-time traffic monitoring: Traffic network utilization (peak and current

rates) for the link and by application.

Monitor response time for each application. Differentiate network delay from
server delay.

Monitor network efficiency: Determine how much bandwidth is wasted from

retransmissions.

Threshold all performance metrics and automatically notify an administrator

via email or SNMP trap when threshold is crossed.

Policy-based enforcement of application priorities and bandwidth allocation

for capacities of up to 200 MB: Directly control bandwidth allocation by application,
server, or user to proactively prevent congestion related application performance
problems.

Traffic marking for DiffServ-, ISL-, 802.1p/q-, or MPLS-enabled networks

On-board historical reporting

17
 PacketShaper systems provide typical monitoring features that provide network
administrators with valuable intelligence to control their application performance and
maximize existing network resources.

By relying on monitoring as a baselining and strategic function rather than for

passive observation, PacketShaper products enable organizations to discover and
classify applications, analyze their performance, and then enforce policy-based
bandwidth allocation based on their business importance. PacketShaper systems
generate an array of reports to validate performance results, ensuring that applications
are indeed aligned with business priorities.

18
 REFERENCES

1.A Top Down Approach Featuring The Internet

2.Addison Wesley by JF&Ross KW

3.TCP/IP Protocol Suite, by Forouzan B

4.Computer Networks A.Tanenbaum

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