1. 1Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Embedded Transport Agents for Near-Earth Communications June 8, 2004 Timothy J. Salo Architecture Technology Corporation 952-829-5864, x133 tsalo@atcorp.com

2. 2Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Contents Objective Benefits TCP Control Plane Resilient Connections Interoperability Potential Applications Current Status

3. 3Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Objective Enhance TCP behavior for near-Earth space communications –Create a general, extensible TCP control plane facility (“embedded TCP agents”) User-space, transport-layer tuning/control application Agent-to-agent, reliable transport protocol TCP in-band, secondary data channel (SDC) TCP instrumentation

4. 4Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Objectives Enhance TCP behavior for near-Earth space communications –Maintain TCP sessions across connectivity loss (“resilient TCP connections”) –Retain interoperability with Internet- standard TCP –Benefit SCPS-TP –Demonstrate feasibility of Embedded TCP Agent concept

5. 5Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Benefits Embedded TCP Agent Architecture –Embeds greater intelligence into TCP stack –Dynamically adapts or tunes TCP’s behavior to current or projected conditions –Minimizes changes to TCP protocol –Hosts TCP intelligence in user-space –Enables rapid integration of cutting-edge research results into TCP implementations

6. 6Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Benefits Resilient TCP Connections –Maintain TCP connections in face of episodic or intermittent connectivity e.g., LEO satellites Extend/clarify RFC 1122, SCPS-TP behaviors –Hide intermittent connectivity from applications obviate need to modify applications to handle temporary communications interruptions –Provide benefit of resilient TCP connections to all TCP users

7. 7Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Benefits Interoperability with unmodified TCP implementations –Enables a single, enhanced TCP implementation to interoperate with: both enhanced and unmodified partners both terrestrial and near-Earth space partners

8. 8Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Benefits Compatibility with SCPS-TP –Embedded transport agent concept and implementation could easily be ported to SCPS-TP –Resilient TCP connection extends SCPS-TP link-outage behaviors Can easily be integrated into SCPS-TP specification, implementations

9. 9Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop TCP Control Plane Provides an end-to-end control plane that will intelligently and dynamically modify the behavior of TCP –User-space “Embedded TCP Agents” –Agent-to-agent data stream TCP-like transport protocol –TCP in-band, secondary data channel Uses TCP options –TCP instrumentation

10. 10Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop TCP Control Plane Embedded TCP Agents Appl User Space Kernel TCP IP, etc. Embedded TCP Agent Appl TCP IP, etc. Agent Application Data Flow Agent-to-Agent Control Flow TCP-to-TCP Control Flow

11. 11Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Resilient Connections Resilient TCP connections will Maintain TCP connections across connectivity losses –Proactive response in anticipation of planned connectivity loss –Reactive response when (presumably temporary) connectivity loss detected

12. 12Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Resilient Connections Resilient TCP connections will maintain TCP connections across connectivity losses Researcher Ground Station A Ground Station B Ground Station C TCP Session Active through Ground Station A TCP Session Suspended TCP Session Active through Ground Station A TCP Session Active through Ground Station B TCP Session Active through Ground Station C Note: Mobile IP not shown

13. 13Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Resilient Connections Resilient TCP connections should: Manage congestion window appropriately Free resources eventually Provide configuration controls

14. 14Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Interoperability Enhanced versions of TCP will maintain strict interoperability with existing TCP implementations –Use of new capabilities will be negotiated at run time between end points (TCP options) –Agent-to-agent communication will use TCP options Minimize interaction with NATs, firewalls –An enhanced TCP will interoperate with an unmodified TCP

15. 15Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Interoperability Enhanced versions of TCP will maintain current end-to-end behaviors –No network infrastructure upgrades required –Avoid requirement of a proxy/gateway –Coexist with end-to-end encryption (IPSec) –Maintain end-to-end TCP semantics End-to-end acknowledgements

16. 16Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Potential Applications Provide robust Internet-access-to-space service for investigators –Optimized performance provided by Embedded TCP Agents –Uninterrupted, end-to-end transport-layer communications provided by Persistent TCP Connections Automate satellite operations Enhance tactical or mobile communications –Future Combat Systems (FCS)

17. 17Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Current Status Funded by NASA/GRC under a Phase I SBIR contract –Draft protocol specification completed –Developing proof-of concept implementation Using Alpine and Alpine4Linux user-space port of BSD TCP stack –Developing ns-2 model NASA COTR: Rich Slywczak – Richard.A.Slywczak@nasa.gov –(216) 433-3493

18. 18Embedded Transport AgentsFourth Space Internet Workshop Current Status Creating proof-of-concept demonstration –Demonstrate secondary data channel Appl User Space TCP/IP (alpine4linux) kernel Agent kernel TCP User Data Secondary User Data (TCP Options) Appl Agent TCP/IP (alpine4linux)