5 - Annex 6 4 - SkyEdge II Technical Description v5

Annex 7.
2 - SkyEdge II Technical Description

17/04/2011
Gilat Network Systems

17/04/2011
This document contains information proprietary to Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. and may not be
reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of Gilat Satellite Networks
Ltd. The disclosure by Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. of information contained herein does not
constitute any license or authorization to use or disclose the information, ideas or concepts
presented. The contents of this document are subject to change without prior notice
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SkyEdge II Technical Description v5, April 2011
Table of Contents
1.
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 The SkyEdge II System ........................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Benefits for the SkyEdge II Operator .................................................................................................... 5
2.
SkyEdge II System Overview ......................................................................................................................... 8
3.
SkyEdge II Hub ............................................................................................................................................. 11

3.1 Hub Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Hub components .................................................................................................................................. 11
3.3 Optional Hub components .................................................................................................................. 14
3.4 Hub Configurations .............................................................................................................................. 15
4.
SkyEdge II VSATs .......................................................................................................................................... 17

4.1 SkyEdge II IP ......................................................................................................................................... 17
4.2 SkyEdge II Extend ................................................................................................................................. 17
4.3 SkyEdge II Access ................................................................................................................................. 17
4.4 SkyEdge II Pro ....................................................................................................................................... 18
4.5 Expansion Cards ................................................................................................................................... 18
4.6 Local configuration and management ............................................................................................... 19
4.7 Outdoor Equipment ............................................................................................................................. 20
5.
NetEdge ........................................................................................................................................................ 21
5.1 Using NetEdge for Multi-Star Private Networks ................................................................................ 21
5.2 NetEdge Technology ............................................................................................................................ 23
6.
Network Management System (NMS)....................................................................................................... 24

6.1 SkyMon
. ..................................................................................................................... 25
6.2 VSAT Auto Pointing System (VAPS)..................................................................................................... 28
7.
DVB-S2 ACM Outbound ............................................................................................................................... 30

7.1 DVB-S2 Background ............................................................................................................................. 30
7.2 DVB-S2 Spectral efficiency .................................................................................................................. 30
7.3 CCM and ACM ...................................................................................................................................... 31
7.4 SkyEdge II DVB-S2 Specifications ........................................................................................................ 32
7.5 SkyEdge II ACM implementation......................................................................................................... 33
7.6 SkyEdge II DVB-S2 Enhancements ...................................................................................................... 33
8.
DVB-RCS based Inbound ............................................................................................................................. 37

8.1 DVB-RCS background ........................................................................................................................... 37
8.2 SkyEdge II DVB-RCS Access Scheme .................................................................................................... 38
8.3 SkyEdge II Physical Layer implementation ......................................................................................... 42
Proprietary and Confidential
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SkyEdge II Technology ................................................................................................................................ 49

9.1 TCP Acceleration .................................................................................................................................. 49
9.2 HTTP acceleration ................................................................................................................................ 51
9.3 IP protocol Support .............................................................................................................................. 54
9.4 QoS capabilities ................................................................................................................................... 57
9.5 IP Telephony in SkyEdge II ................................................................................................................... 60
9.6 Mesh Connectivity (SkyEdge II Access and Pro) ................................................................................. 61
9.7 Network Bonding ................................................................................................................................. 64
9.
10. Specialized VSAT Applications ................................................................................................................... 66

10.1 SkyAbis Cellular backhaul .................................................................................................................... 66
10.2 Multiple applications in a shared network ........................................................................................ 67
11. Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... 68
11.1 SkyEdge II Acronyms ............................................................................................................................ 68
11.2 General Acronyms ................................................................................................................................ 68
Table of Figures
Figure 1: SkyEdge II Mesh and Star Topology .............................................................................................. 9
Figure 2 - NetEdge Topology ......................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 3: Traffic flow through the hub components ................................................................................. 11
Figure 4: SkyEdge II Hub - Rack Layout ....................................................................................................... 12
Figure 5: IPM rear panel .............................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 6: SkyEdge II Access and Pro Expansion Slots.............................................................................. 18
Figure 7: Outdoor Unit Components ......................................................................................................... 20
Figure 8 General topology of a multi-star corporate network ................................................................. 21
Figure 9 - Multi-star high-level topology with Mesh VSATs (MV) and NetEdge GWs ............................. 22
Figure 10: NMS Main Screen ....................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 11: SkyMon Dashboard .................................................................................................................... 26
Figure 12: Fault Management View ............................................................................................................ 27
Figure 13: Sample report - Outbound Symbol Rate per ModCod ............................................................ 28
Figure 14: SkyManage VAPS interface ........................................................................................................ 29
Figure 15: DVB-S2 Modulation schemes .................................................................................................... 30
Figure 16: Spectral efficiency of DVB-S2 .................................................................................................... 31
Figure 17: CCM example .............................................................................................................................. 31
Figure 18: ACM Example.............................................................................................................................. 32
Figure 19: SkyEdge II ACM implementation ............................................................................................... 33
Figure 20: SkyEdge II efficient packing of MPEG frames ........................................................................... 35
Figure 21: SkyEdge II Real time scheduling ................................................................................................ 35
Figure 22: SkyEdge II greater efficiency scheduling .................................................................................. 36
Figure 23: Time Frequency Plan with different bursts .............................................................................. 38
Figure 24: Frames and Superframes ........................................................................................................... 39
Figure 25: TRF Burst ..................................................................................................................................... 39
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Figure 26: ATM cell makeup ........................................................................................................................ 40

Figure 27: CSC Burst ..................................................................................................................................... 42
Figure 28: Logon and initial sync ................................................................................................................ 42
Figure 29: SkyEdge II Inbound ModCods .................................................................................................... 43
Figure 30: Example Time Frequency Plan ............................................................................................... 44
Figure 31: ICM-1D change to lower symbol rate ....................................................................................... 45
Figure 32: ICM-2D change to lower ModCod ............................................................................................. 46
Figure 33: ICM-3D AUPC ........................................................................................................................... 46
Figure 34: ICM-4D Dynamic Channels ..................................................................................................... 47
Figure 35: Frequency hopping options ....................................................................................................... 48
Figure 36: TCP traffic without acceleration ............................................................................................... 50
Figure 37: TCP traffic with acceleration ..................................................................................................... 51
Figure 38: HTTP traffic without pre-fetching ............................................................................................. 51
Figure 39: HTTP traffic with pre-fetching ................................................................................................... 52
Figure 40: Use of a persistent TCP link ....................................................................................................... 53
Figure 41: VRRP ............................................................................................................................................ 56
Figure 42: SkyEdge II Multi-VLAN, VRF support ......................................................................................... 57
Figure 43: Managed Private Networks ....................................................................................................... 59
Figure 44: VoIP Topology ............................................................................................................................. 60
Figure 45: Cellular backhaul ........................................................................................................................ 66
Figure 46: Shared hub .................................................................................................................................. 67
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1.Introduction
1.1 The SkyEdge II System
SkyEdge II is a high performance, high efficiency two-way satellite communication solution used for a
variety of applications and services. It combines reliable support for IP communication as well as
telephony and multimedia applications utilizing advanced technologies for efficient usage of the
satellites space-segment resources. SkyEdge II is the optimized solution for every satellite
networking need, easily built, maintained and then expanded as the networks requirements change.
Offering more than mere connectivity, optional value added services are enabled by add-ons and
equipment from Gilat which is integrated with the SkyEdge II system. SkyEdge II is based on the
concept of a single hub which can efficiently work with different types of VSATs to support different
needs and applications.
A SkyEdge II System consists of the following components:
SkyEdge II Hub (Section 3) the center of the network, providing management and control of
communications between VSATs, corporate networks, the internet and the Public Switch
Telephony Network (PSTN).
SkyEdge II family of VSATs (Section 4) provide users a fast, stable and transparent
communication link for all their applications. SkyEdge II VSATs provide data connectivity as
well as embedded telephony and multimedia support.
SkyEdge II Network Management System (NMS) providing central management of the VSATs
and the Hub via a graphical user-friendly interface.
1.2 Benefits for the SkyEdge II Operator

The SkyEdge II System is a comprehensive solution for satellite networking needs. Network operators
such as service providers and enterprises with dedicated networks, are able to create and manage
efficient and cost effective solutions that quickly address end customer needs. Key benefits of
SkyEdge II are:
High performance for data and multimedia applications, with excellent user experience:
o
High bit rates in both forward and return link, with up to 135Mbps per outbound
carrier and 6Mbps per inbound carrier
Comprehensive application acceleration solutions embedded in the VSATs hardware
Advanced built in QoS mechanisms, allowing high flexibility in meeting user

requirements per the required SLAs and the applications used
Lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with efficient bandwidth handling:

o
High order modulations with Turbo coding on both the inbound and outbound:
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Outbound 32APSK, 16APSK, 8PSK, QPSK
Inbound QPSK, 8PSK
Dynamic optimization of bandwidth efficiency through the use of Adaptive Coding

and Modulation (ACM) for both the inbound and outbound
Acceleration, optimization and compression for TCP and HTTP traffic.
VoIP traffic optimization
Shared inbound bandwidth for mesh and star traffic
High scalability with low entry level capital requirements:

o
Single, all-in-one system for broadband data, VoIP and Video over IP
Low basic bandwidth requirement, with a modular expansion path for the hub
Tailored VSATs within the SkyEdge II product line support different markets and
applications, optimizing the solution for each customer
High system reliability

o
High MTBF for hub and VSAT equipment
Powerful redundancy schemes for all hub components
Robust access schemes with adaptive technology in both the inbound and outbound
Enhanced capabilities supported through multi-platform VSATs:

o
VPN client with acceleration
TCP acceleration
Payload and header Compression
Multi VRF and VLAN
HTTP acceleration
Embedded Voice (SkyEdge II Access and Pro)
Mesh add on card (SkyEdge II Access and Pro)
Traffic encryption
Based on standard technologies
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DVB-S2 outbound
DVB-RCS inbound
High capacity for large networks

o
Support up to 30,000 VSATs from one hub
Outbound carrier up to 135Mbps and up to 300Mbps for a multiple outbound hub

architecture
Broad coverage of all market segments, services and solutions:

o
Market Segments Enterprise/Corporate, Carriers, Governments, Service Providers,

Private sectors and Small Office Home Office (SOHO)
Services Broadband IP, Public telephony, VoIP, Video over IP, multimedia, video
surveillance, cellular backhauling, Credit card transactions and more
Solutions Rural (USO), SOHO/SME, GSM Backhaul, Rapid deployment, Military,

SCADA, Financial, Oil & Gas, disaster recovery & backup
MultiStar supported by existing hub

o
Cost efficient addition of a uStar to an existing network
Cost effective Gateway, managed by the hub
Efficient link budget of VSAT's connected to the uStar
Single hop to hub and Gateway
Protocol Acceleration with Gateway traffic
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2.SkyEdge II System Overview

Using experience gained from twenty one years of satellite communications development and
deployment, Gilat has combined best of breed features into a high-performance platform. The
SkyEdge II family can handle any combination of data and telephony on the same hub platform.
Operators using the system have the maximum flexibility to tailor the right mix of services for local
needs, helping maximize revenue streams per the investment.
The SkyEdge II Systems communication capabilities include:
Interactive broadband IP
Data, IP and multimedia unicast and multicast
Rich VoIP capabilities
A set of completing and supporting solutions
The SkyEdge Network
The main element in the SkyEdge II network is the Hub. The hub uses one or more Outbound
channels (over the air link transmissions from the hub to the VSATs) to communicate to all the
remote sites. The Hub uses Radio Frequency Transmission (RFT) equipment that is connected to the
hub antenna (usually 3.7 meter and above) which transmits and receives signal to and from a
geostationary satellite. This satellite reflects the signals towards the land in a geographical area that
covers the serviced VSATs. SkyEdge II Hubs can work with more than one satellite to enable multicontinent coverage working with several outbound channels.
The SkyEdge II Hub statistically and dynamically multiplexes management and user traffic into the
outbound in unicast and multicast streams. VSATs receive the outbound and intercept the
information which is transmitted to them or the hosts and other equipment (such as telephones)
connected to them. Advanced coding, error correction techniques and security features are used to
enable a reliable and secure transmission. The SkyEdge II Hub includes TCP and HTTP acceleration
technologies to increase the user experience and further reduce the required bandwidth per user.
VSATs, residing in the remote locations, log-on and authenticate in the NMS database after power-on
and then receive their configuration from the Hub database. Transmission can then start while the
hub utilizes multiple inbound channels to receive signals from different VSATS. A DVB-RCS based
access scheme is used for transmission. With this technology all VSATs have the capability to request
capacity and then transmit in their allocated time and frequency. SkyEdge II uses Multi-Frequency
Time Division Multiplexing Access (MF-TDMA) in the inbound. This technology means that each VSAT
can transmit in each time slot in a different frequency. It yields the optimal usage of satellite
resources, meaning the network operator can use a smaller bandwidth to serve more VSATs leading
to a better return on investment.
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Mesh
Me
SkyEdge II Pro
sh
Star
SkyEdge II Access
SkyEdge II
Hub
SkyEdge II IP
SkyEdge II Access
PSTN
High Speed
Internet
Figure 1: SkyEdge II Mesh and Star Topology
VSATs usually use smaller antennas (e.g. typically 1.2 meter or smaller antenna for Ku-band) than the
hub to transmit signals to the satellite. The transmission is done with an Outdoor Unit (ODU) that
includes an RF amplifier for transmission (BUC) and an RF receiver for reception (LNB).
The Network Management System (NMS) is connected to the hub and manages both the hub
components and the remote VSATs. It features XML and SNMP interfaces for integration to OSS and
BSS systems.
NetEdge Multitar topology allows building a single, highly efficient and modular satellite access network
with multiple private mesh networks within it.
Each private network is typically used by a business or a government entity, and is built around a
central node. The central node may be the regional HQ for a corporate network, or a regional cellular
BTS Controller (BSC) for a cellular network with multiple BTS sites.
Figure 2 - NetEdge Topology
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3.SkyEdge II Hub
3.1 Hub Overview
The hub concentrates the satellite traffic, controls and monitors the network working modes, and
serves as the main access point to terrestrial networks. The hub forms the center of the star and
multi-star topologies. The hub interfaces with the customers host computers and the Internet,
supports multiple satellite channels of inbound and multiple outbound channels for communication
with the VSATs.
The SkyEdge II hub has a modular architecture, enabling the addition of equipment as the network
grows. It can also be configured with multiple levels of redundancy as required. NTP synchronization
is optionally supported from a customer supplied NTP server.
The following diagram shows components used in the inbound and outbound p aths.
IPM
Inbound
Segment
Outbound
Segment
Figure 3: Traffic flow through the hub components
3.2 Hub components

Figure 4 below shows a sample a rack layout with the main hub components.
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MCR Multi-Channel Receiver

Network Switch
RF Switch
IPM IP Encapsulator and Modulator
KVM Keyboard, Video & Mouse switch
DPS Data Protocol Server
HSP Hub Satellite Processor
Based on UHP Unified Hub Processor
NMS servers
Figure 4: SkyEdge II Hub - Rack Layout
3.2.1 Radio Frequency Transceiver (RFT)

The satellite dish and Outdoor Unit (ODU) feed into the RFT (sometimes housed in a separate rack).
The SkyEdge II hub supports C-band and Ku-band, with future support for Ka-band and X-band. The
supported RF interfaces are presented in the following table.
Category
Physical
Frequency
Range
Typical Power
levels
Tx\Rx
Tx
Rx
Tx
Rx
Tx
Rx
Parameter
N- type, 50 ohm
N- type, 50 ohm
Standard L Band (950-1700MHz)
Optional IF interface (Via Up\Down converters)
-20 to +5dBm
Noise floor range: -130 to -105dBm/Hz
Signal range: -94 to -9dBm
Table 1: HUB RF Interface
3.2.2 SkyEdge II IPM

The IP encapsulator and modulator (IPM) encapsulates IP packets received from the DPS into MPEG2
transport stream with several PID tags (Program ID), according to the destination IP address of
incoming packets. The IPM also schedules traffic according to priorities and link conditions (ACM
mode). The timeslot allocation tables for inbound traffic are provided by the HSP for inclusion into
the outbound stream. The IPM supports data rates of 135 Mbps (single carrier) up to 300 Mbps
(multiple carriers).
Baseband frames (BBFRAMES) then undergo BCH and LDPC encoding to generate FECFRAMES, which
are frames which share the same transmitted Modulation and Coding (MODCOD). FECFRAMES are
then bit-mapped to QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK or 32APSK constellations, to generate Physical Layer frames
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(PLFRAMES). Pilot symbols may be optionally added for improving receiver synchronization when
working with high order modulations.
The IPM includes the system clock source and has the following specifications:
Modulation: QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK, 32APSK(upto: 30Msps)
L-band output: 950 1750 MHz, tunable in 1 KHz
10 MHz frequency reference
Symbol rate: 0.3 - 45 Msps
Configurable roll-off factor: 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%
The rear panel of the IPM including connectivity is shown below.
Figure 5: IPM rear panel
The IPM may be deployed in a 1+1 redundant configuration.

3.2.3 Multi-Channel Receiver (MCR)
The MCR supports the SkyEdge II DVB-RCS inbound access scheme. Each 1u unit can function in
single or multi-channel modes:
Multi-channel mode each MCR supports up to a total of 1536ksps, which can be utilized by up to 12
channels of 128ksps. Up to 4 carrier types can be supported. Carrier types are described below
(Section 8.3.1.3).
Single channel mode the MCR supports a single channel of up to 2560ksps, with 1 Carrier Type.
MCR specifications:
Modulation: QPSK and 8PSK
FEC schemes QPSK 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
FEC schemes 8PSK 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
L-band input: 950 1700 MHz
Clock is extracted from the outbound
Up to 32 MCRs in a network segment
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Up to 12 MCRs in a single chain (single HSP)

The MCRs may be configured in an N+1 redundancy scheme (monitored and controlled by the HSP).
3.2.4 Hub Satellite Processor (HSP)
Demodulated traffic from the MCRs in the form of TRF bursts with ATM cells is reconstructed (de encapsulated and reordered if required) by the HSP and then passed on to the DPS.
The HSP is also responsible for space segment resource allocation based on requests from the VSATs
and on information about the signal strength per VSAT (received from the MCRs). The allocation
information is provided to the IPM for inclusion in the MPEG stream. The HSP also provides the DPS
with the modulation and coding tables.
The HSP is based on the Unified Hub Processor (UHP) and may be provided in a redundant
configuration with the DPS and a spare UHP.
3.2.5 Data Protocol Server (DPS)
The DPS acts as a border router between the satellite and terrestrial networks for both inbound and
outbound traffic by providing acceleration and spoofing for TCP traffic as well as separating traffic
according to protocol/type: VoIP, Data, Multicast, and Abis. In addition it tracks the bitrate
allocation per VSAT based on the Modcod information provided by the HSP.
The DPS is based on the Unified Hub Processor (UHP) and may be provided in a redundant
configuration with the HSP and a spare UHP.
3.2.6 Network Management Server (NMS)
The NMS is fully described in a separation section.
The NMS is based on a Server System and may be provided in a redundant configuration.
3.2.7 Unified Hub Processor (UHP)
The UHP is a single board, diskless, general purpose server. The same hardware may be used for the
HSP and DPS each running different software. An additional UHP may be provided to provide
redundancy for any or all of the UHPs in the hub.
3.3 Optional Hub components

The optional Internet Page Accelerator (IPA) and Allot QoS solution are described below. Additional
components may be added to support specific features.
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3.4 Hub Configurations

3.4.1 Scalability
The SkyEdge II Hub has been designed to be modular, allowing the expansion from a small, network
to a large scale network with minimum addition of HW components. For example, a single outbound
carrier supports up to 135Mbps. MCRs, as well as DPS and HSP servers can be added seamlessly to
the system to increase system capacity as required.
3.4.2 Redundancy
The SkyEdge II Hub supports the following redundancy schemes per component as described in the
component descriptions above and in the following table:
Component
Redundancy
scheme
Single Outbound
1+1
Redundancy
scheme
Multiple Outbound
IPM
1+1 per OB
channel
HSP
1+1*
1+1* per OB
channel
MCR
N+1
N+1 per OB
channel
DPS
1+1*
1+1* per OB
channel
NMS
1+1
1+1 per OB
channel
* Shared UHP per OB provides redundancy for these components.
For increased reliability, redundancy can be added for the critical baseband elements, so that no
single point of failure exists. For maximum reliability, geographic redundancy can be created
through identical hubs in different locations, providing minimal downtime during natural disasters,
power outages or other emergencies.
3.4.3 Multiple Satellites/Outbounds
The SkyEdge II Multi-Satellite Hub supports communications through up to four different satellites or
transponders, for high capacity needs, or for wider geographical coverage or to cater for transponder
capacity limitations. An operator can start with a hub that supports only one outbound and later add
support for additional satellites by adding the required elements in the hub. The redundancy table
above indicates the additional components required for a redundant multi-channel system.
3.4.4 Geographical Redundancy
Geographical Redundancy is provided by a dedicated feature. It enables transfer of hub and VSAT
configuration between two NMSs situated in different geographical locations. Using this feature the
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operator can switch over between sites when needed, for example, during a natural disaster such as
an earth quake at the main site. In addition, this feature may be useful for importing and exporting
NMS configuration for debugging and or fast installation.
The application records the configuration, settings and logs of the operational hub at preset intervals
and stores this data in a compressed file at the redundant hub or at a safe remote location that can
be accessed by the redundant hub. If operational hub failure occurs, this stored data enables the
redundant hub to adopt the settings and logs of the operational hub and to take over in the fastest
possible manner, minimizing downtime and data loss.
Geographical redundancy can be used in two different ways:
In Export Mode at an operational hub this enables sending the data from the operational
hub to the redundant hub
In Import Mode at a redundant hub this enables the redundant hub to request the data
from the active hub
The synchronization process can be carried out using any IP link between the two sites. The
activation of the standby hub is currently a manual process initiated by the hub manager. This is due
to the complexity of the changeover including the necessity to shut down the RF equipment at the
active site and activate it at the redundant site. Future version will support automatic switchover
using a monitoring VSAT. A further enhancement of this feature will involve the use of a smaller
backup hub. The switchover will include an automatically generated configuration with a reduced
amount of traffic suitable for the smaller backup hub.
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4.SkyEdge II VSATs
The versatile SkyEdge II VSAT family is tailored for various networking and application needs. All
SkyEdge II VSATs can work with the same hub, making deployment of the network both cost effective
and simple.
4.1 SkyEdge II IP
The SkyEdge II IP is a compact design, two-way VSAT enabling interactive Broadband IP and
multicasting applications. With DVB standards and extensive IP capabilities, the platform is ideal for
businesses of any size requiring extremely fast downstream and upstream throughput for multimedia
applications, large file delivery and extremely rapid access to the Web.
SkyEdge II IP delivers advanced IP services supporting a wide range of applications including Internet,
VoIP, digital signage, video conferencing, data access and VPNs. It is the perfect answer for IP
services and customers of all types, including large enterprises, small & medium businesses, SOHO
and residential users. SkyEdge II IP provides speed, quality, and superior support for all web and
bandwidth intensive applications while enabling prioritization and fairness.
4.2 SkyEdge II Extend

The SkyEdge II Extend is a compact design, two-way, two-port VSAT enabling interactive Broadband
IP and multicasting applications. With DVB standards and extensive IP capabilities, the platform is
ideal for businesses of any size requiring extremely fast downstream and upstream throughput for
multimedia applications, large file delivery and extremely rapid access to the Web.
4.3 SkyEdge II Access

The SkyEdge II Access is a truly multi-service VSAT that includes IP router functionalities and
embedded IP and HTTP acceleration software, VPN, VoIP and plug-in card architecture. QoS support
for all traffic, enabling prioritization and fairness based on DiffServ for data and bandwidth
reservation for voice, guarantees appropriate service levels for all applications . The SkyEdge II Access
presents a versatile VSAT that can empower virtually any market. Optional pre-integrated extension
cards with 2xRJ-11 FXS ports support voice communication while the mesh card provides built low
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latency VSAT to VSAT capabilities. In addition the SkyEdge II Access may be ordered in rack-mount or
desktop variants including external or internal AC or DC power supplies.
4.4 SkyEdge II Pro

SkyEdge II Pro is a high-end rack mountable VSAT, with mesh VoIP aimed at high performance
networks for governmental projects, the Oil & Gas industry, telecom operators and enterprises
requiring mesh. By integrating full mesh functionality, the SkyEdge II Pro achieves seamless, single
hop voice and data call capability. Users receive optimal performance with minimal delay, increased
quality and subsequently, improved and efficient space segment utilization. The field-upgradeable
extension cards include the mesh card as well as 2xRJ-11 FXS ports to support voice communication.
4.5 Expansion Cards

The SkyEdge II Pro and SkyEdge II Access include expansion slots bus for optional additional features.
The slot configuration of these VSATs is shown in the following figure. The SkyEdge II Pro is field
upgradeable with expansion cards as shown. The SkyEdge II Access requires factory fitting of
expansion cards.
SkyEdge II Access
(3xFXS or 1xFXS + Mesh)
2
Mesh card
SkyEdge II Pro
Field-upgradeable
(4xFXS or 2xFXS + Mesh)
4 x LAN ports + serial port
3 FXS cards
3
2 FXS cards
2 FXS cards or 1 doublewidth Mesh card
4 x LAN ports + serial port
Figure 6: SkyEdge II Access and Pro Expansion Slots
4.5.1
2 FXS extension card
Each FXS extension card supports two FXS analog telephone lines. This can be used for phones or
standard fax machines for star or mesh services. The card is using standard SIP and RTP to carry voice
traffic so it can be used with standard VoIP gateways and soft switches for regular VoIP calls.
4.5.2
Mesh Receiver Card
The mesh card supports single-hop, full-mesh connection with other mesh VSATs. The mesh
connectivity card is fully described in 9.6 below.
Typically, a mesh VSAT will need a larger antenna than a regular VSAT, due to the link budget
considerations (requiring that VSAT to receive I/B transmissions from other VSATs).
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4.6 Local configuration and management

SkyEdge II VSATs require local configuration of a minimal set of parameters (such as the outbound
channel parameters) which enable the VSAT to log-on to the network and start transmitting.
After the VSAT logs-on, enhanced over the air (OTA) programming is used by the NMS to further
configure the VSATS. VSATs are programmed via the satellite link to support software updates and
configuration changes. SkyEdge II VSATs are equipped with non-volatile Flash memory to store this
information. The use of non-volatile memory enables the VSATs to recover automatically from
power outages, without the need for OTA reprogramming. This significantly improves the network
availability and space segment utilization in applications where frequent power loss is anticipated.
The SkyEdge II Pro is equipped with an LCD screen and a six button keypad navigator. This allows for
instrument-free configuration and can be used as an aid in VSAT maintenance.
Another mechanism to support local configuration is a VSAT embedded web GUI - SkyManage. The
GUI also presents the VSAT state (e.g., searching for Outbound ID, searching for Outbound
Frequency). While the VSAT is in operational mode it can provide information through the different
menu items including software versions, IP and MAC addresses, available expansion cards etc.
Additional information is the VSAT status e.g. CPU utilization, E b/N0, number of inbound and
outbound transmitted and received packets, etc.
In addition the SkyEdge VSATs provide an SNMP interface for collecting telemetry locally by SNMP
servers.
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4.7 Outdoor Equipment

4.7.1 VSAT Antennas
The VSAT antenna comprises a reflector; an offset feed horn, and mounting hardware. The standard
reflector is a parabolic dish made of a glass fiber composite, or of aluminum. The antenna size for a
particular location depends on the inbound channel bit-rate, weather conditions, model, and the
satellite footprint for that region. The range of antenna sizes is generally:
Ku-band: 0.55 to 1.20m
C-band or Ex-C-band: 1.8 to 3.7m .
Ka Band: 0.55 to 1.2m
4.7.2 Outdoor Unit (ODU)
The ODU is mounted at the focal point of the antenna. It transmits and receives modulated RF signals
to/from the hub via the satellite. The ODU contains a High-Power up-Converter (HPC also known as
BUC = Block Up Convertor), a Low-Noise Block down-converter (LNB) and an Orthomode Transducer
(OMT). The HPC and LNB are connected to separate ports on the OMT. This configuration allows
reception of a signal on one polarization and transmission on the other (orthogonal) polarization.
The ODU is sealed to withstand harsh environmental conditions. It is capable of functioning reliably
in ambient temperatures ranging from -40 to +60C
(-40 to +140F), at up to 100% relative humidity. Figure 7 shows the components of the ODU.
HPC
Figure 7: Outdoor Unit Components
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5.NetEdge
NetEdge brings a true technological advance into the world of private networking over satellite. Up until
recently, for a corporate to have its own private network meant high capital investment and many times
a serious compromise on application performance and user experience. With SCPC as the typical means
of connectivity, providing reasonable inter-branch data connectivity meant limited or no internet access
and significantly higher space segment costs. High quality voice or video conferencing between branches
were simply not a practical option. Similarly, with cellular backhauling over satellite, in many cases the
space-segment costs and HW costs make the business case challenging for the network operator.
With SkyEdge II NetEdge, a service provider can now provide its business and government customers
with full connectivity, high performance packages at reasonable costs.
5.1 Using NetEdge for Multi-Star Private Networks

NetEdge allows building a single, highly efficient and modular satellite access network with multiple
private mesh networks within it.
Each private network is typically used by a business or a government entity, and is built around a central
node. The central node may be the regional HQ for a corporate network, or a regional cellular BTS
Controller (BSC) for a cellular network with multiple BTS sites. Each private network is in the form of a
small star-topology network, or micro-star (Star) network. The general topology is depicted in Figure 8
below.
Figure 8 General topology of a multi-star corporate network
The building blocks of a NetEdge multi-star network are mesh VSATs and mesh Gateways (GW):
Remote sites are equipped with the high performance mesh VSATs, either the SkyEdge II
Access or the SkyEdge II Pro, both expandable with a mesh expansion card.
The central node of each private network is based on a high capacity NetEdge GW.
With mesh capability, any site can connect directly in single hop to any other site in the network. This
capability is relevant for any type of connectivity:
Connecting any 2 mesh sites inside the private network
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Connecting any point in the network to the internet or to other points outside the satellite
network and beyond the hub.
Figure 9 - Multi-star high-level topology with Mesh VSATs (MV) and NetEdge GWs
22
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5.2 NetEdge Technology

NetEdge technology is based on the Star Inbound spec, using full ICM adaptivity, simultaneous
QSPK/8PSK, 1.2 channel spacing and a large dynamic range from 128ksps to 2.56Msps in 1dB steps. The
spec is detailed in Table 2 below, and includes several enhancements for the high capacity NetEdge GW
sites.
Standard
SE-II DVB-RCS
GW
mesh
transmission
Symbol rate
[ksps]
ModCods
Channel Spacing
Standard
VSAT
Star/Mesh
transmission
Symbol rate
[ksps]
ModCods
Channel Spacing
128, 160, 192, 256, 320, 384, 512,

640, 768, 1024, 1280, 1536, 2048
,25601
QPSK: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
8PSK: 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
1.2 or 1.35
SE-II DVB-RCS based
128, 160, 192, 256, 320, 384, 512,

640, 768, 1024, 1280, 1536, 2048
and 2560 ksps.
QPSK: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
8PSK: 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
1.2 or 1.35
Table 2 SkyEdge II NetEdge Star/Mesh Inbound Spec
Will support up to 4 Msps in a planned future software release
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6.Network Management System (NMS)

The SkyEdge II Network Management System (NMS) gives operators multi-tasking, central monitoring
and control of the entire communications network. The operator can view, modify and download
individual configuration items for the hub and remote terminals.
Figure 10: NMS Main Screen
The hub-based NMS server is accessed via a user interface that runs on the networks remote clients.
The SkyEdge II NMS encompasses every component of the system. By integrating voice, data and
multimedia into a common satellite communications system, the NMS management functionality
supports both the scope and capabilities of world class satellite networks. The key management
features of the NMS are listed below.
SkyEdge II contains an advance fault management system that makes it easy to monitor the
network and its messages via the NMS. Alarms and events graphically display any change in
status of a network element in color-coded icons and text. Browser event display filtering
makes events easier to view and manage, and may be used in cases where the event rate is
high or the administrator wants to filter out irrelevant or unimportant events.
Service Offering Flexibility through Hub Sharing (Partitioning) enables a hub operator to grant
client network administrators access to only their portions of the shared network. Group
management and operation is supported through separate Software and Work Group
definitions for VSATs.
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A clear and intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) uses both object-oriented and
hierarchical techniques to help network managers quickly set up and manage the SkyEdge II
environment.
The NMS provides telemetry configuration parameters and status for network elements,
enabling rapid identification of network component status changes and configuration errors.
Traffic, satellite and port statistical information can be polled by the NMS and presented to
the operator.
The NMS uses standards compliant XML and SNMP to create generic definitions of
components, parameters, commands and statistics. It also assists in speedily deploying new
system components.
End-to-end QoS parameters are managed by the NMS on per user and per application bases.
Multiple SLAs can coexist within the same system.
Central software upgrading provides for modifying the unit(s) specified by group settings. It
also supports a short system down time with complete restore capabilities to back down to
the previous version.
6.1 SkyMon
SkyMon is a web-based monitoring tool for the SkyEdge II system. It performs real-time system
monitoring of events, alarms and statistics as well as historic/trend analysis of the system over a one
year period. SkyMon collects statistics from Hub Elements and VSATs and also synchronizes
periodically with the NMS in order to receive the network topology and events available on the NMS.
SkyMon contains pre-defined collections of SNMP-based statistics received from Hub elements and
VSATs. These statistic collections have been defined based on Gilats vast experience in satellite
network monitoring. The statistics include all information required for monitoring and debugging a
satellite communication network.
The information is collected from the devices with a 5-minute resolution (VSAT statistics are
collected with a 3-hour resolution for satellite BW efficiency). Users can generate real time and
historical reports based the collected information using a user-friendly Web-based GUI. The GUI is
accessible from Microsoft IE7 or Mozilla Firefox version 2.0 or above.
6.1.1 Dashboard
One of the main SkyMon advantages is its innovative Dashboard: The Dashboard is a user defined
screen with as many tabs as users require. In each tab users can add any information that is
available to the system:
Real-time graphs
Historic reports
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Events table
Alarms table
Network elements table
Summary display of events
Each information type is available as a web part that can be placed anywhere in the GUI. Each user
can create a unique information display which is saved for per user.
Figure 11: SkyMon Dashboard
6.1.2 Monitor
The Monitor page displays the following information:
Network element status
Fault management status including network elements events & alarms.
Available Statistics collections
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Figure 12: Fault Management View
6.1.3 Reports
Reports are built using the Report Builder wizard, a simple guide that enables the user to create
report on any statistic or telemetry collected, for a period of up to a year. The reports can be
displayed graphically or as text. SkyMons pre-defined reports are divided into 4 categories with
several reports under each category:
Events: AAA Receive, Event Occurrence, Event Occurrence per Resource Type, Link Connect,
Link Disconnect
VSAT Auto-Pointing: Installation Report
VSAT Counters: OB Es/N0, IB Es/N0, CSC Retries, IB & OB Bytes, IB & OB Bit-Rate, Max TCP
Connection, VSAT Availability
Collection: Outbound Available bit rate, Bit Rate per PID, Bit Rate Utilization, SPS Utilization,
Backbone Packets , Distribution Size, Burst Distribution Size, Connections , DPS/HSP CPU
Utilization, HSP Memory Usage, IB Active Slot Distribution, IB bps, IB bps IP distribution, IB
C/N Distribution, IB Load per slot type, IB Load per Transmission type, IB Load per MPN,
ModCod bps, Number of VSATs per ModCod, OB bps, OB IP Distribution Kbps, VSAT IB Es/N0
per MODCOD, VSATs Online (Access & Data), VSAT OB Es/N0 Distribution
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Figure 13: Sample report - Outbound Symbol Rate per ModCod
6.2 VSAT Auto Pointing System (VAPS)

In most VSAT networks, commissioning a new remote site is a time-consuming operation requiring
space segment usage and highly trained personnel with special equipment. A misaligned antenna
can result in a loss of communication, making the operator liable to fines from both the space
segment supplier and customers, in addition to the loss of income.
Gilats SkyEdge II VSAT Automated Pointing System (VAPS) addresses antenna pointing issues to
significantly improve the stability and efficiency of the network while reducing costs and speeding up
the deployment process. VAPS is a product that enables a service provider and a VSAT Network
operator to perform rapid VSAT installation and commissioning. VAPS also enables large -scale VSAT
Installation deployment with limited hub personnel.
VAPS supports self-pointing installations which allows more deployments with significantly reduced
human error, using less skilled installers with no additional instrumentation.
6.2.1 Benefits of VAPS
The use of this system improves the efficiency of the VSAT terminal commissioning process, resulting in
cost savings in establishing VSAT networks. Further benefits include:
Provides a tool for maximizing the signal strength and minimizing the cross-polarity
interference
Reduces antenna alignment time allowing more installations per day
Cost savings in contractor delay time
Cost savings in cell phone charges
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Automatic confirmation of proper VSAT installations

24x7 system availability for installers
6.2.2 Solution Architecture and operation
The VSAT Automated Pointing System consists of both hardware and software to automate the VSAT
antenna alignment process. The Auto Pointing process consists of the following phases:
Initial Antenna Alignment Initial pointing of the antenna based on Outbound Es/N0
readings as measured by the VSAT
Fine Antenna Alignment the installer adjusts the antenna polarization based on Co
pole/Cross pole readings from the hub. The VSAT transmits CW throughout the process.
Normal logging into the system VSAT moves to operational mode.
The installer/user can choose to have only Initial Alignment (outbound based alignment) or to
proceed to Fine Alignment (polarization alignment based on CW transmission).
The VAPS client is accessed via SkyManage. The installer interacts with the VSAT client throughout
the process of antenna alignment in order to get the necessary information (Outbound Es/N0
readings & Co/Cross Pole readings from the Hub) and to report back to the hub about the alignment
status. The SkyManage VAPS interface is shown below.
Figure 14: SkyManage VAPS interface
6.2.3 System architecture components

The VAPS operation is based on a client embedded on the VSAT that interacts with a dedicated
server in the HUB. The dedicated server in the hub (SACIN) works with integrated spectrum analyzers
that are used in the fine alignment phases. Each spectrum analyzer (up to 8) supports up to 8
concurrent installations. The VSAT application resides within the VSATs internal web server and is
accessible from standard browsers using a PC or a handheld portable device.
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7.DVB-S2 ACM Outbound

The SkyEdge II DVB-S2 outbound channel carries unicast and multicast data, voice traffic,
synchronization information for the return (inbound) channel and network control traffic. All the
VSATs in the network are tuned to receive the outbound channel. The VSATs recognize and extract
the traffic which is intended for them based on a dedicated field which is added to each packet.
7.1 DVB-S2 Background

The SkyEdge II outbound is based on the DVB-S2 EN 302 307 standard. DVB-S2 is the second
generation DVB system for broadband satellite services. Its main applications are broadcast TV,
interactive applications, and professional systems such as DSNG (digital satellite news gathering),
Internet trunking and cable head end feeds. DVB-S2 offer better spectral efficiency than DVBS and
the standard includes methods for encapsulation of new protocols such as MPEG4/H.264. The
spectral efficiency is improved by higher modulation schemes, stronger FECs, tighter roll -off factors
and the use of ACM.
7.2 DVB-S2 Spectral efficiency

DVB-S2 has more modulation options than DVB-S and can support 2, 3, 4 or 5 bits per symbol (QPSK,
8PSK, 16APSK, and 32APSK). Figure 15 illustrates the improved modulations possible with DVB-DVBS2.
Q
10
Q
00
000
I
QPSK
11
I
8PSK
01
2 bits per symbol
3 bits per symbol

111
Q
16APSK
32APSK
5 bits per symbol
4 bits per symbol

0000
00000
1111
11111
Figure 15: DVB-S2 Modulation schemes
DVB-S2 ensures better Forward Error Correction by linking Bose-Chaudhuri-Hoquenghem (BCH) with
Low Density Parity Check Codes (LDPC). BCH ensures against error floors at very low Block Error
Rates. LDPC is a variant of the Turbo-Code family that deals with all other possible error rates.
30
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Together, they provide performance very close to the Shannon limit. Figure 16 summarizes the
spectral efficiency of DVB-S2, for various required C/N values.
Figure 16: Spectral efficiency of DVB-S2
Additionally, DVB-S2 enables tighter carrier spacing. With roll off factors of 0.35 (as in DVB -S), 0.25
and 0.20, DVB-S2 improves space segment efficiency by as much as 12.5%.
7.3 CCM and ACM

7.3.1 Constant Coding and Modulation (CCM)
With CCM the FEC coding and modulation are set for the carrier and remain unchanged. The Coding
and modulation chosen as part of the network design take into account availability requirements,
rain fade margins and all other link budget factors. In the example below all frames are transmitted
with the same ModCod to meet a specific availability for the worst case VSAT.
Design to ensure
availability of
worst case VSAT
All frames have same ModCod
Figure 17: CCM example
7.3.2 Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM)

ACM enables adaptation of the coding and modulation on a frame-by frame basis based on the
current propagation conditions. As shown in the example below the VSATs provide feedback to the
hub about the received signal strength. This feedback should ideally be piggybacked on a standard
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return channel such as DVB-RCS. In a rain fade condition the ModCod used in the frames sent to a
particular VSAT or VSAT group will dynamically be made more robust to prevent outage. In clear-sky
conditions the ModCod can allow greater throughput.
Feedback to Hub about
received signal strength
Frame ModCod changed for

specific VSAT or group
Switch to lower ModCod

in rain fade conditions
Figure 18: ACM Example
7.4 SkyEdge II DVB-S2 Specifications

The following are the main highlights of the DVB-S2 based outbound channel in SkyEdge II:
Support of QPSK, 8PSK as well as the high order 16APSK and 32APSK modulations
Supports the DVB-S2 standard LDPC and BCH coding with the following rates:
o
QPSK
8PSK
3/5, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6, 8/9, 9/10
16APSK
1/4, 1/3, 2/5, 1/2, 3/5, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 5/6, 8/9, 9/10
2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 5/6, 8/9, 9/10
32APSK
3/4, 4/5, 5/6, 8/9, 9/10
High scalability, with outbound rates from 350ksps to 45Msps, with a low minimum
bandwidth requirement for a single outbound channel. The low minimum rate is particularly
suitable for networks that start on a small scale.
Capable of using a 36 MHz or 54MHz transponder in saturated mode, enabling a very high
bit/sec per Hz ratio. Employing 16APSK, up to 135Mbps can be transmitted over a single
outbound carrier. With 8PSK, an aggregate rate of about 110 Mb/sec can be transmitted in
such a transponder.
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Channel spacing as low as 1.2, meaning that for every symbol transmitted over the air, only
1.2 Hz are required.
Support of CCM and ACM
7.5 SkyEdge II ACM implementation

When working in ACM mode, the outbound stream consists of DVB-S2 frames of different ModCods.
Each frame may contain data destined for either a single VSAT, or for multiple VSATs sharing the
same ModCod. The high level adaptivity mechanism is the following:
Outbound reception quality reports (C/N values) are received from the VSATs in the net work.
These are sent within the SYNC bursts that are part of the DVB-RCS based inbound. This
piggybacking of information onto the SYNC bursts saves inbound bandwidth.
The HSP continuously processes this information and then advertises the best ModCod
required for the transmission to each VSAT. The inbound scheduling tables are provided
from the HSP to the IPM, to be transmitted with a pre-defined multicast ModCod. This
ModCod is typically selected to be the most robust in the system
For each outbound packet, the DPS uses the ModCod information to indicate the
recommended ModCod to the IPM.
Network management data is provided from the NMS to the IPM. By default, the data from
the NMS will be transmitted with the most robust ModCod used in the network.
ACM implies a variable actual bitrate depending on the spectral efficiency of the ModCod
used. The DPS provides the external QoS server with the actual throughput bitrate so that
the QoS server can make correct decisions about packet scheduling. The spec ially developed
protocol is used between the DPS and the Allot QoS server.
Figure 19: SkyEdge II ACM implementation
7.6 SkyEdge II DVB-S2 Enhancements

The SkyEdge II DVB-S2 ACM implementation features several efficiency enhancements:
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Support for short and normal MPEG transport frames

Efficient packing and Concatenation
Advanced scheduling
Integration with QoS server as described in Section 7.5 above and as shown in Figure 19.
Minimize inbound traffic using piggybacked feedback mechanisms see Section 7.5 above.
A wide range of telemetries for analyzing actual network behavior SkyEdge II provides all
the information needed by operators to know what is going on with the adaptive outbound
channels.
7.6.1 MPEG Transport Short and Normal Frames
MPEG transport frames can be either 2000 bytes (Short) or 8000 bytes (normal) long. The use of
normal size frames implies less overhead relative to the data transmitted however the larger size
may give rise to:
Serialization delay: Each component that processes the frame must complete processing
before passing the frame onwards eg: the receiver in the VSAT. This processing time is
directly related to the size of the frame. Larger frames therefore introduce a proportional
delay.
Inefficient packing: There may not always be sufficient data to fill the larger frames resulting
in under-use. This under usage (lowered fill factor) affects the spectral efficiency (bits/Hz) of
the outbound carrier. For example 4 MHz of satellite bandwidth carrying frames that are on
average 50% full implies a 50% spectral efficiency and 2MHz of wasted bandwidth 2.
With ACM frames the current frame ModCod might not be appropriate for the receiving VSAT
i.e.: the ModCod is not robust enough. This packet will be forced to wait until a suitable
frame is generated.
Jitter: The serialization delay and the frame wait described above result in jitter
SkyEdge II therefore uses short frames which minimize these effects.
7.6.2 Efficient packing of MPEG frames
Dedicating a frame to each destination VSAT results in inefficient usage when small packets do not
fill the frame this is true even when short frames are used. SkyEdge II therefore allows for
transmission of multiple unicast packets within an MPEG frame as shown in Figure 20 line 2.
It is unlikely that this group of packets will exactly fill the frame and this may result in an unutilized
tail. The SkyEdge II implementation therefore allows for concatenation where the packet is split
2
This does not take into account spectral efficiency of the ModCod used.
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across 2 adjacent frames (Figure 20 line 3). This may even take place when the next frame is using a
more robust ModCod. The combination of these mechanisms results in almost 100% utilization of
the frame capacity.
1
Frame
765
Unicast
#134
Inefficient use of frame for single VSAT traffic
Frame
765
Unicast Unicast Unicast Unicast

#134
#265
#490
#134
Multiple unicast packets more efficiently fill frame
Frame
765
Frame
766
Unicast Unicast Unicast Unicast Unica

#134
#265
#134
#490
#134
Unicast Unicast
#851
#134
Concatenated packet across frames almost 100% fill
Figure 20: SkyEdge II efficient packing of MPEG frames
7.6.3 Advanced scheduling

The adaptive nature of the frames in DVB-S2 may result in scheduling conflicts. Consider the case
presented in Figure 21. The VoIP packet is destined for a VSAT that can receive an 8PSK, 7/8
modcod. The VoIP packet could therefore be sent in the next frame but should ideally be sent
immediately to reduce jitter. The Internet packet is destined for a VSAT that requires a more robust
(QPSK, 3/4) ModCod.
In such a case the SkyEdge II scheduling mechanism favors real time applications such as VoIP. The
VoIP packet would be sent immediately and the internet packet would suffer a minor delay waiting
for a frame with a suitable ModCod.
Receiving VSAT can

tolerate 8PSK 7/8
VoIP
Internet
Unicast
#768
Unicast
#134
Receiving VSAT
limited to QPSK 3/4
?
VoIP
Frame
765
VoIP
Unicast Unicast Unicast

#134
#490
#134
QPSK, 3/4
Frame
766
8PSK, 7/8
Figure 21: SkyEdge II Real time scheduling
Consider the case presented in Figure 22. The HTTP packet is destined for a VSAT that can receive an
8PSK, 2/3 ModCod. This ModCod provides better spectral efficiency than QPSK 3/4 but the 8PSK
frame would carry only this packet and would therefore have an inefficient fill-factor. As described
in Section 7.6.1 above the fill factor can seriously impact the spectral efficiency of the outbound
carrier. In this case the SkyEdge II scheduling mechanism will therefore transmit the packet at the
lower ModCod and cancel the unneeded frame thus increasing the efficiency of the outbound ACM
implementation.
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Send this packet in the lower

ModCod frame to increase the
fill factor OR in an unfilled
frame with a more efficient
ModCod?
HTTP
Unicast
#433
This packet is
destined for a VSAT
that can receive
8PSK 2/3
?
VoIP
Frame
967
Unicast Unicast Unicast

#627
#490
#390
QPSK, 3/4
Frame
968
8PSK, 2/3
Figure 22: SkyEdge II greater efficiency scheduling
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8.DVB-RCS based Inbound

The SkyEdge II system modulation and coding scheme is designed to optimize the use of satellite
transponders by minimizing the required bandwidth and power resources. DVB-RCS was chosen
since it is a multi-vendor standard with a theoretically superior access scheme. SkyEdge II includes
ICM with 4 dimensions of inbound adaptivity providing higher throughput in clear sky conditions and
better availability in rain fade situations.
8.1 DVB-RCS background

The DVB-RCS standard (EN 301 790) was created by the DVB-RCS AHG of the DVB forum. The DVBRCS standard concentrates on and details the PHY and MAC levels of the satellite segment the air
interface: initial logon, access scheme, capacity request and allocation, bursts formats, timing,
synchronization, etc. It provides a full suite of solutions for the physical layer of the satellite
communications.
The SatLabs Group was founded by several organizations and vendors in the VSAT industry
committed to bringing the deployment of the DVB-RCS standard to large-scale adoption. Each
SatLab's version defines mandatory and optional features. Although the entire system has to
support DVB-RCS the certification given is for the VSAT only after testing in the Cetecom labs,
Germany. SatLabs test plan 1.0 defined basic conformance testing to verify that VSATs conformed to
the DVB-RCS specifications. Test plan 1.3 adds DVB S2 as the forward channel as well as QOS and
other features supported by SkyEdge II.
Gilats SkyEdge was certified compliant in October 2005. SkyEdge II is the first system to be certified
according to test plan version 1.3. The details of the SkyEdge II certification are shown in the table
below.
ETSI EN 301790 Standard version
ETSI TR 101 790 (Guidelines document)
Optional Features:
SatLab Version (profile)

SatLab System Recommendation (SSR test plan version)
SatLabs Terminal certification Test Plan
V1.4.1
V1.3.1
Forward Channel DVB-S 2
Route ID
Fast hopping
Dynamic MF-TDMA
Enhanced classifier
NCR payload
120MHz hopping
16APSK
SSR V1
1.3
OTP V6
Table 3: SkyEdge II SatLabs 1.3 certification
The DVB-RCS standard does not define many issues that are required in a commercial network,
above the physical layer, without which practical service cannot be provided. Examples include
protocol enhancements such as TCP acceleration, HTTP acceleration, VoIP header optimization, endto-end QoS, central management etc. SatLabs 2.0 defines many of these to be included in future
conformance testing.
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8.2 SkyEdge II DVB-RCS Access Scheme

The SkyEdge II inbound was designed with the aim of future interoperability with any DVB-RCS
compliant modems. SkyEdge II is based on the standard: the DVB-RCS frame format, the air protocol,
burst types and reservation types, the mandatory ATM transport stream etc. On top of these building
blocks, the SkyEdge II inbound includes several important enhancements primarily the ICM
mechanisms, which take advantage of recent developments in adaptive technologies. In addition,
specific algorithms are implemented addressing some of the shortcoming of the DVB -RCS standard,
for example by a VoIP optimization algorithm. Details on the enhancements are provided below.
8.2.1 DVB-RCS Burst Plan
DVB-RCS uses an MF-TDMA reservation based access scheme. VSATs are assigned timeslots (within
the time-frequency plan described above) in which they can transmit bursts. An example of such a
burst plan is shown in Figure 23.
Freq
TRF
CSC
TRF
SYN
CSC
TRF
SYN
TRF
CSC
TRF
SYN
CSC
TRF
SYN
TRF
CSC
SYN
TRF
CSC
SYN
Time
Figure 23: Time Frequency Plan with different bursts
The timeslot size is determined by the burst type. The burst in a timeslot can be either:
TRF Traffic Actual data with associated header
CSC Common Signaling Channel used by the VSAT for its initial logon to the network
SYNC used for synchronization acquisition and maintenance, as well as capacity requests.
The VSATs also use the SYNC burst to send information about the received signal strength to
the hub.
The burst allocation plan is broadcast every 40ms within the DVB-S2 outbound carrier. The position
of the allocated timeslots is described relative to the Frame and Superframe.
Frames Each Channel is a Frame
Superframe A group of Timeslots and Frames that repeats itself every 360ms. The start of
the superframe is synchronized for all the VSATs in the network.
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Freq
TRF TRF TRFFrame
TRF TRF TRF TRF TRF
CSC
SYN
CSC
Superframe
SYN
CSC
SYN
CSC
SYN
CSC
SYN
Frame
Superframe
CSC
SYN
Time
Figure 24: Frames and Superframes
Each VSAT effectively translates the timeslot into an offset from the superframe start which is
synchronized throughout the network.
8.2.2 TRF bursts
DVB-RCS allows for two TRF formats: ATM (mandatory) and MPEG (optional). The Gilat
implementation uses ATM only where the number of ATM cells per TRF can be 1 or 2 or 4. The
default number of cells is 2 but TRF bursts on carriers of 1536 ks/s or higher automatically use 4 ATM
cells. The ATM format is used only for transport ATM protocol services are not used. The TRF
burst does not include any CRC.
The structure of a TRF burst is show in Figure 25.
Guard
Preamble Used
for burst detection
and acquisition
SAC (Satellite Access Control) = 4 Bytes

Used for piggy-backed capacity requests
ATM cell = 53 bytes
incl. 5 byte header
Guard
FEC applied and FEC bits added after scrambling
Figure 25: TRF Burst
The insertion of IP datagrams into the ATM cells is shown in Figure 26. In this example 2 separate
packets, one from a VoIP session and one from an HTTP session, are broken into 48 byte fragments
following the addition of Gilats backbone protocol information. The backbone protocol is used for
TCP acceleration described in Section 9.1.
ATM Adaptation Layer 5 (AAL5) is used to transfer IP data over an ATM virtual circuit and includes
mechanisms for segmentation and reassembly. AAL5 adds an 8 byte trailer to the last cell which
includes:
Length (16 bits) of the entire datagram
CRC (32 bits)
UU and CPI (8 bits each) are currently not used by the standard
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The remainder of the cell is made up of the last data bits and padding bits. Data from different
sources is not mixed within the ATM cell but, as shown, a timeslot can include ATM cells from
different sources. The priority and order of the cells is decided by VSAT based on the QoS
parameters.
In all cases the ATM header indicates the relationship of a packet to a session using an 8 bit Virtual
Path Identifier (VPI). The other components of the 5 byte ATM cell header are:
GFC = Generic Flow Control (4 bits) 4-zero bits
VCI = Virtual channel identifier (16 bits) includes the VSAT ID allocated by the hub at logon
PT = Payload Type (3 bits) network or user traffic e.g. NM traffic
CLP = Cell Loss Priority (1-bit)
HEC = Header Error Correction
VoIP
Web
IP
500 Bytes
600 Bytes
Backbone
518 Bytes
618 Bytes
AAL5
48
48
48
Data
ATM
48
Padding
48
48
48
48
48
Trailer
48
TRF
Timeslot
Figure 26: ATM cell makeup
8.2.3 SYNC Burst

The SYNC burst is used for synchronization acquisition and maintenance, capacity requests, and to
transfer information about the received C/N as part of the AUPC (See section 8.3.2.3). Each VSAT is
assigned a SYNC timeslot which is received every 1s. The SYNC bursts are composed of:
Preamble for burst detection
Satellite Access Control (SAC) different to the TRF SAC
After randomization an optional CRC is added
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8.2.3.1 SYNC Capacity request types

The three categories of request types supported are supported are:
RBGC (Rate Based Guaranteed Capacity) applicable mainly for admission control types of
applications such as VoIP, where a fixed rate of traffic must first be guaranteed. The hub first
notifies the VSAT that capacity will be available (an accept or reject response) so that the VSAT can
report back to the requesting application. VoIP calls will, for example, be rejected if no capacity
exists for the call to be initiated. Once the capacity is approved the guaranteed rate will be provided
until the requesting VSAT indicates that it is no longer required.
RBDC (Rate Based Dynamic Capacity) a bandwidth on demand type of scheme, where the VSAT
dynamically increases or reduces its bandwidth requirement request based on the rate of traffic
flowing through it. Almost all traffic will be rate based with the exception of some VSAT
management traffic. The rate reservation has a granularity of 2kbps.
VBDC (Volume Based Dynamic Capacity) - capacity requests are generated by the VSAT based on the
volume of traffic it needs to transmit. This category resembles Gilats proprietary GA access scheme.
In the SkyEdge II implementation this is used mainly for management traffic.
FCD Free Capacity Distribution (based on the Free Capacity Allocation of the standard) A hub
initiated distribution of the remaining free capacity in the network. This can provide a VSAT with a
instant transmission mechanism but will only be available when there is free capacity. The
distribution algorithm takes into account the current capcity usage and VSAT priority.
Any single SkyEdge II VSAT may use a combination of capacity allocations based on the types of
traffic it needs to transmit. On top of the different categories, the SkyEdge II extensive inbound QoS
mechanism allows enforcing different types of policies to prioritize specific individual VSATs, group
of VSATs (MPNs) or specific applications running in the system. This mechanism is further detailed
below.
8.2.3.2 SYNC Synchronizations
The synchronization of VSATs in a DVB-RCS network is based on a very accurate clock of 27 MHz
(used in digital video), generated in the Hub. Count values of the clock are broadcast to the
terminals and the reconstructed clock is used for deriving an accurate transmit frequency and for
burst timing this allows for minimized guard intervals. Accurate reconstruction of the clock
requires geographical location information accurate to 6km2 (as defined in SkyEdge II EN 301 790
does not specify a radius). The logon and initial sync are shown in Figure 28.
8.2.4 Common Signaling Channel (CSC) Burst
The 16 byte CSC Burst is used for the initial VSAT network logon (link connect). The CSC burst
includes a preamble for burst detection and CRC
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VSAT
Capab.
VSAT
ID
Rand.
VSAT
Capab.
Rand.
VSAT
ID
Figure 27: CSC Burst
8.2.4.1 Logon using the CSC Burst

In order to logon the terminal needs the start-up transport stream frequency and symbol rate as well
as the Inbound-ID. After acquiring the relevant outbound, the VSAT extracts all the Table
information required for the inbound. Network logon is performed in contention mode over CSC
slots using the VSAT ID that was configured during installation. The VSAT MPN, VSAT priority, and
VSAT capability information (to signal the options supported) are passed between the VSAT and hub.
The logged on VSAT is then assigned a fixed SYNC slot. The logon process and initial sync is shown in
Figure 28.
Hub
VSAT
CSC
CSC
CSC
CSC reply (co

rre
ctions, SYNC
assignment)
SYNC
Corrections
SYNC w/ CR
Correction
Allocation
Figure 28: Logon and initial sync
8.3 SkyEdge II Physical Layer implementation

The physical layer (PHY) implementation of SkyEdge II includes several enhancements to the DVB -RCS
standard, making the system more efficient, more flexible and the network operation more reliable.
Table 4 below compares some of the basic PHY characteristics of SkyEdge II with the DVB-RCS
standard definitions. In the following sections, some of SkyEdge IIs major PHY enhancements are
covered. Among those are:
-The state of the art 4-dimensional ICM mechanism
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-The highly efficient 8PSK modulation

-The unique Dual Synthesizer Frequency Hopping (DSFH) mechanism (SkyEdge II Access and
Pro)
Standard EN 301 790
Gilat SkyEdge II
Outbound
DVB-S. DVB-S2 is Optional
DVB-S2
Modulation
QPSK
QPSK or 8PSK
FEC - Turbo
QPSK 1/2, 1/3, 2/3, 2/5,

3/4, 4/5, 6/7
QPSK 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7

8PSK 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
Symbol Rates
None defined
Scrambling
Required
128,160, 192, 256, 320, 384, 512,

640, 832, 1024, 1280, 1536, 2048,
2560
Implemented
Table 4: Inbound Physical Scheme Comparison
The SkyEdge II inbound carriers can start as low 140kbps and increase to 4Mbps (SkyEdge II IP) or
6Mbps (SkyEdge II Access and Pro).
8.3.1 SkyEdge II Physical Layer - Inbound flexibility
8.3.1.1 Modulation and FEC schemes
The following ModCods are supported by the SkyEdge II VSATs:
QPSK: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
8PSK: 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 6/7
The spectral efficiency of the ModCod combinations is shown in the following figure.
Dynamic range: 10.8 dB
2.1
1.9
8PSK
6/7
Bits/Hz
1.7
1.5
1.3
QPSK
6/7
1.1
8PSK
2/3
0.9
0.7
0.5
QPSK
1/2
3.7
5.5
6.8
7.6
8.6
11.6
12.8
13.9
14.5
Es/No (dB)
Figure 29: SkyEdge II Inbound ModCods
8.3.1.2 Multiple Symbol rates

SkyEdge II supports a range of symbol rates as shown in the table below. The table also shows the
dynamic range across all of the possible rates.
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Symbol
Rate
(ksps)
128
Delta from
Adjacent
Symbol
Rate (dB)
160
192
256
320
384
512
640
832
1024
1280
1536
2048
2560
0.8
1.2
0.8
1.2
1.1
0.9
0.8
1.2
Dynamic Range: 13dB
Table 5: SkyEdge II Inbound Symbol Rates
Each Multi Channel Receiver card in the hub (see Section 3.2.3 above) can receive 4 different symbol
rates.
8.3.1.3 Carrier Types (CT)
The combination of ModCod, symbol rate and number of channels is referred to as a Carrier Type
(CT). In SkyEdge II the CTs are defined as part of the initial system configuration based on the traffic
assumptions and network design. The following table shows an example of a CT definition.
Carrier
Type
1
2
3
4
Symbol
Number of
Rate
channels
128
1
192
1
256
2
512
1
Table 6: CT definition table
ModCod
Q 1/2
Q 3/4
Q 3/4
8 3/4
This table would result in a Time Frequency Plan as displayed in Figure 30.
Freq
4 ModCods
CT4: 1 x 512Ksps, 8PSK, 3/4
CT3: 2 x 256Ksps, QPSK, 3/4

CT2: 1 x 192ksps, QPSK, 3/4
CT1: 1 x 128ksps, QPSK, 1/2
Time
Figure 30: Example Time Frequency Plan
In the above example each CT includes only 1 ModCod for a total of 4.
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The time-frequency plan is transmitted as part of the outbound DVB-S2 frame every 10 seconds. The
division of the Time Frequency Plan into timeslots is described in the Section 8.2.1.
8.3.2 SkyEdge II Physical Layer ICM Inbound Adaptivity
SkyEdge II includes ICM multiple dimensions of inbound adaptivity ensuring the highest throughput
at the most appropriate ModCod and symbol rate. ICM is based on the closed loop mechanism that
continually sends the VSAT C/N reports to the hub for analysis. Based on this constant feedback the
hub allocates timeslots and can make changes to the CT definitions. The ICM dimensions available
include (not all of them with the same configuration):
ICM-1D Adaptive channel rate selection Each VSAT uses the appropriate symbol rate
ICM-2D Adaptive ModCod selection Each VSAT uses the best possible ModCod from the
plan
ICM-3D Adaptive Uplink Power Control The BUC output power is increased or decreased
based on a closed loop feedback system
ICM-4D Adaptive channel plan the Symbol Rate is dynamically modified in real time based
on network conditions
8.3.2.1 ICM-1D Adaptive channel rate selection
As shown in Figure 31 the timeslots used by a VSAT can be allocated in different channels with
different symbol rates. ICM-1D exploits the gain differential between higher and lower symbol rates
as shown in Section 8.3.1 above. The change can be faster to slower or vice versa.
Freq
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Move to lower symbol rate gains 3dB
256ks/s
128ks/s
Time
Figure 31: ICM-1D change to lower symbol rate
8.3.2.2 ICM-2D Adaptive ModCod selection

As shown in Figure 32 the timeslots used by a VSAT can be allocated in the same or different
channels with different ModCods. ICM-1D exploits the gain differential between higher and lower
ModCods as shown in Section 8.3.1 above. The change can be faster to more robust or vice versa.
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Freq
8
6/
8
6/
8
6/
Gain per change 1.1dB
Q
4.3dB
1.3dB
256ks/s
256ks/s
256ks/s
Time
Figure 32: ICM-2D change to lower ModCod
8.3.2.3 ICM-3D Adaptive Uplink Power Control

The AUPC mechanism aims to keep the receive level at the hub at a nominal value while ensuring
that the BUC transmit power remains in the linear zone. Use of excessive power might incur space
segment costs. The use of adaptive power control compensates for long term changes in the actual
power transmitted caused by: Static attenuation (such as cable); Satellite location offset and aging;
Temperature, frequency effect on BUC gain. AUPC is also used to compensate for rain fade.
The AUPC includes a mechanism to find the nominal startup transmit power (when the VSAT is first
turned on or reset) and an ongoing mechanism to find saturation point and determine how far away
this point is from the current Tx power. The VSAT and hub use this information to determine how
much gain can be added from the AUPC mechanism and whether other mechanisms such as ICM -1D
and 2D need to be used.
The mechanism is shown in Figure 33. The receive level at the hub of SYNC bursts received every
second from every VSAT is inserted into the outbound traffic to the VSAT. The VSAT can then use
this information to determine whether long term or short term effects are affecting the received
power. Based on these the VSAT will make the decision to increase or reduce output attenuation.
This mechanism is also used by the startup and saturation search algorithms.
SYNC bursts
(every second)
Decision to
increase/
decrease
Received ES/N0
(in OB to VSAT)
Figure 33: ICM-3D AUPC
8.3.2.4 ICM-4D Dynamic Channels

ICM-4D adapts the Symbol Rate according to the actual network usage. Carriers may be combined to
provide higher throughputs or divided into several slower carriers for robustness. As shown in a
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single 512ksps channel is split into 2 x 256 ksps. The overall network throughput is m aintained while
the per VSAT transmission is made more robust (by 3dB as shown in Table 5).
512
Ksps
512
Ksps
512
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
256
Ksps
Network throughput is maintained

Per VSAT more robust channel
Figure 34: ICM-4D Dynamic Channels
8.3.2.5 ICM Progressive Adaptivity

SkyEdge II implements an advanced algorithm to determine the correct dimension of ICM to use in a
given situation. In rain fade situations the order generally followed is:
ICM-3D - Increase BUC power to the maximum possible
Choose the most suitable ModCod and symbol rate combination based on a combined lookup
table of available dynamic gain. The available dynamic gain will be based on the parameters
of the available CTs. Changes occur with the allocation of timeslots. The timeslot allocation
is published every 40ms and so round trip changes would take in the order of hundreds of
ms.
8.3.3 Dual Synthesizer Frequency Hopping
Available in SkyEdge II Access and Pro. Multi-frequency access schemes require that VSATs be able
to switch between frequencies. The time taken for the oscillator of the VSAT to change frequency
necessitates some sort of delay when a switch is required by the access scheme. The approaches to
accommodating this delay are presented in Figure 35.
Slow Hopping (1) provides time for the frequency change by simply skipping an entire timeslot. This
approach results in higher blockage and lower utilization (around 15% less). The gaps in transmission
can also cause jitter. Fast Hopping (2) uses consecutive timeslots but relies on a guard band between
all time slots. This too can result in around 15% of the bandwidth being unused.
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Freq #1
1. Slow Hopping
Freq #2
Freq #1
2. Fast Hopping
Freq #2
Synthesizer
settling time
Freq #1
#1
synth
Freq #2
Freq #3
syn
th
#1
3. SkyEdge II DSFH
synth #2
Figure 35: Frequency hopping options
Using a dual synthesizer architecture, a VSAT may switch to different frequency channels in
consecutive timeslots with guard times as low as 10usec. This high performance fast hopping allows
10-15% higher inbound efficiencies. All SkyEdge II VSATS include DSFH and provide this benefit.
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9.SkyEdge II Technology
As a successor of the successful first generation of the SkyEdge, the SkyEdge II system from Gilat
relies on an assortment of advanced technologies which maximize the return on investment for the
operator and enhance the user experience. With SkyEdge II transmission adaptivity and application
acceleration over satellite are further improved, and higher bit-rates are provided. On top of this
infrastructure, DVB-S2 is supported in the outbound with the option of Adaptive Modulation and
Coding (ACM), providing higher efficiency and higher system availability. The inbound efficiency is
improved with the enhanced DVB-RCS with higher order modulation and 4 dimensions of inbound
adaptivity (ICM-4D). Several additional technologies are used to further enhance throughput and
better utilize the available space segment.
9.1 TCP Acceleration

TCP performance over satellite without special treatment is impacted due to the latency introduced
by the distance between the Earth and the satellite. Typically this distance translates to a latency of
between 240 to 280 msec, depending on where the sending and receiving sites are in the satellite
footprint. This makes the round trip time due to propagation delay at least 480 milliseconds.
During a connection TCP employs four congestion control mechanisms to avoid generating an
inappropriate amount of network traffic for a certain network condition. These algorithms are :
Slow start
Congestion avoidance
Fast retransmit
Fast recovery
These algorithms are used to adjust the amount of unacknowledged data that can be injected into
the network and to retransmit segments dropped by the network. The effective performance then
changes between different operating systems as the TCP stack is implemented differently.
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SYNC
SYNC (Source IP-Add, Port, Dest1, PA-Add, Port, Socket)
ACK (Socket)
ACK
ACK
TCP1
TCP2
ACK1
ACK2
ACK3
TCP3
TCP4
FIN
ACK4
ACK
Figure 36: TCP traffic without acceleration
SkyEdge II includes a special mechanism to overcome the limitations described above and boost TCP
performance while maintaining the reliability of the transmission. This mechanism is referred to as
TCP spoofing, Performance Enhancement Protocol (PeP) or the Backbone protocol. This
protocol is used between the DPS and the VSATs to carry the traffic. The protocol provides reli ability
and congestion control both in a Star topology and in direct mesh transactions (2008). The
mechanism employed is transparent to the end user and application there is no need to change any
configuration or install any client on the TCP end device. The mechanism works as follows:
Selective retransmits and larger windows are used to improve the performance of the TCP
sessions
TCP data segments received by the VSAT are locally acknowledged by the VSAT (acting as the
remote side of the PEP) on one side and the DPS on the other side (as recommended in RFC
3135). This speeds up TCP slow start and allows the sending TCP host to quickly open up its
congestion window.
NAKs - Local Negative Acknowledgments are employed to trigger local (and faster) error
recovery when significant error rates occur (spike noises).
Retransmission The VSAT and DPS locally retransmit data segments lost on the satellite link,
thus aiming at faster recovery from lost data. In order to achieve this, the VSAT and DPS use
acknowledgments arriving from the end system that receives the TCP data segments, along
with appropriate timeouts, to determine when to locally retransmit lost data.
Inbound and outbound TCP-IP headers are compressed.
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SYNC
SYNC
ACK (Socket)
ACK
ACK
TCP1
ACK2
ACK3
TCP2
ACK2
TCP3
ACK3
ACK4
TCP4
ACK5
ACK4
FIN
ACK5
ACK 5 (B.B.) + FIN ACK
ACK
Figure 37: TCP traffic with acceleration
9.2 HTTP acceleration

In a satellite environment, HTTP performance suffers from latency even when the TCP layer is
accelerated. Dealing specifically with the HTTP traffic further improves the bandwidth usage and
browsing speed.
Gilats Internet Page Acceleration (IPA) server farm improves the Internet browsing experience while
minimizing traffic on the Inbound as well as the outbound channels of the satellite network. This
means that the operator can sell service to more end users over the same bandwidth or alternatively
provide better service with higher rates.
Tests conducted with the IPA server farm in Gilats labs (on a list of tens of web sites) showed
improvements both in the outbound and the inbound. The number of inbound packets was reduced
by 35% on average. The number of outbound packets dropped an average of 30%. The total
accumulated time to load all the pages was 40% below a comparable network without the IPA.
Although performance varies from site to site, these figures represent the capabilities in general.
Browser
Server
GET HTML Ob
jec
t
HTML Objec
GET Embedd
ed
Object #1
Object #1
Embedded
GET Embedd
ed Ob
ject #2
Object #2
Embedded
GET Embedd
ed Ob
ject #3
Object #3
Embedded
GET Embedd
ed Ob
ject #4
Object #4
Embedded
Figure 38: HTTP traffic without pre-fetching
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The IPA solution is based on a Hub Page Accelerator (HPA) collocated with the hub and a Remote
Page Accelerator (RPA) residing in the VSATs. The mechanisms employed are as follows:
9.2.1 Pre-fetching
Fetching an HTML page requires a number of TCP connections, one for each embe dded object
(images, applets, frames, etc.). Sometimes one object has to be completely loaded before embedded
objects are fetched, for example an HTML frame set has to be completely loaded before the enclosed
frames are fetch which in turn have to be completely loaded before the embedded images are
fetched.
With the IPA the entire page is provided as a single element to the user browser. As a result, the
complete web page is available faster. The IPA pre-fetches the entire web page from the Internet at
the first GET request, and then automatically pushes it to the remote site without the need to send
additional GET requests for each object. This saves space segment (bandwidth) by eliminating the
GET requests on the inbound, and reduces the satellite delay. Consequently, the user does not wait
for each component object to be downloaded and displayed.
Browser RPA
HPA Server
GET HT ML Ob
ject
t
HT ML Objec
Object #1
Object #2
Object #3
Object #4
4-1
Embedded Object
Object #1
Object #2
Object #3
Object #4
Figure 39: HTTP traffic with pre-fetching
9.2.2 Persistent TCP connections

Instead of opening a new TCP connection for every HTTP transaction, the RPA opens a single,
persistent connection to the HPA server after the first object request is received. The browser at the
customers host and the RPA at the VSAT will establish a standard HTTP dialog, with a new TCP
connection for every transaction, however these connections are established locally and do not
suffer from long delays. The RPA will aggregate all the HTTP information into the single TCP link with
the HPA and the VSAT will then handle it as another TCP connection, using spoofing and
encapsulating it in Gilats Backbone protocol.
This implementation saves the latency and protocol overhead involved in the multiple TCP
connections required to request a complete web page. This reduction in latency is mostly associated
with avoiding the TCP 3-way handshake required for opening and closing connections.
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Figure 40: Use of a persistent TCP link
9.2.3 Header compression

Inbound reduction of bandwidth is performed by the RPA by compressing the HTTP header of
inbound packets. This reduces the amount of traffic flowing in the inbound and increases the
efficiency of the space segment usage.
9.2.4 Text Compression
The solution supports compression of the outbound text traffic using GZIP. Text compression saves
bandwidth since the text portion of a web page (the HTML) accounts for a significant percentage.
The HPA compresses text received from the web servers. GZIP can be uncompressed in browsers
based on HTTP 1.1.
9.2.5 Additional functionality
The solution supports transparent and non-transparent modes. In transparent mode, the
source IP address of requests to the web server bears the source IP address of the RPA client.
In non-transparent mode, request to the web servers have the source IP addresses of the
cache servers. Transparent mode is essential when user authentication/monitoring are
required.
The solution is scalable and expandable. Additional servers can be added with little effort.
HPA and Cache connections are load-balanced. This means that a failure with one server does
not eliminate service from other servers.
HPA and Cache servers are in an internal and protected subnet. This feature allows better
protection for the IPA service without additional equipment.
DNS caching is supported in the remote sites. This feature reduces repeated transactions to
DNS servers from different PCs connected to the same VSAT and adds to the link efficiency.
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9.3 IP protocol Support

The SkyEdge II system is efficiently designed to provide broadband and enterprise IP services and
supports the following protocols:
9.3.1 IP
SkyEdge II supports the Internet Protocol (IP). All standard applications that run over IP are
supported such as TCP, UDP, FTP, email, web browsing, messaging and VoIP. The system includes
embedded performance enhancing capabilities to boost performance and user satisfaction. Static as
well as dynamic routing is supported in SkyEdge II. In addition the common ICMP and special
messages are supported such as PING and ARP.
9.3.2 RIP
RIP (Routing Information Protocol) is a relatively simple routing protocol primary intended for use in
reasonably homogeneous networks of moderate size. It is used by routers to maintain and update
their routing tables. A router running RIP will periodically transmit its routing tables to a ll
neighboring routers (using UDP as transport). This is usually done once every 30 seconds.
Additionally updates are sent whenever its routing tables change. RIPv2 was designed to overcome
some of the limitations of RIPv1, mainly the lack of support for subnet masks. It also changed the
routing tables distribution from simple broadcast to multicast.
SkyEdge II supports RIPv1 and RIPv2 both at the VSAT and at the DPS. The network administrator
can enable selectively RIPv1 and RIPv2 by completely enabling or disabling them or allowing to only
listen for RIP messages or to only send them. The SkyEdge II also supports RIPv2 authentication. A
VSAT can advertise itself as a default gateway for the hosts connected to it. Its routing table will
include an entry for network 0.0.0.0 with itself as the next router.
To better utilize the space segment SkyEdge II takes advantage of the intrinsic broadcast character of
the satellite channel and changes in the DPS routing table at the hub that require a RIP update are
transmitted to all the VSATs simultaneously in a single message. In addition RIP scheduled updates
are sent over the satellite only if the route change flag is set, otherwise they are spoofed by the
VSAT and the DPS.
9.3.3 BGP
BGP is one of the most important protocols on the internet as it is used to establish routing between
most ISPs. Very large private IP networks may use BGP internally eg: for joining of a number of large
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) networks where OSPF by itself would not scale to size. Another
reason to use BGP is multihoming a network for better redundancy, either to multiple access points
of a single ISP (RFC 1998) or to multiple ISPs. With the use of BGP, the end-site announces a single
address space to its upstream links. When one of the links fails, the protocol notices this on both
sides and traffic is not sent over the failing link any more.
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9.3.4 DHCP
The SkyEdge II VSAT acts as a DHCP server or a DHCP relay agent. As a DHCP server the SkyEdge II
VSAT will provide configuration information to up to 32 hosts that request it (the number of hosts to
be supported can be limited from the NMS). Any legal DHCP request will be honored as long as there
are available IP addresses, there is no filtering based on MAC address.
The addresses pool can be based on an arbitrary IP address or on the VSATs own address. Primary
and secondary DNS servers can be configured for the VSAT. In addition address for a primary and
secondary WINS Serves can be configured (WINS stands for Windows Internet Name Service. It is a
service analogous to DNS for the Windows environment that maps NetBIOS computer names to IP
addresses).
As a DHCP relay agent the SkyEdge II will forward DHCP request messages to the customers network
attached to the DPS. It should be noted that, when functioning as a DHCP relay agent, the VSAT will
forward DHCP requests from every host. All the management of the pool of IP address has to be
configured at the customer provided DHCP server. The range of assigned IP addresses must be from
the same subnet as the VSAT IP address.
9.3.5 IGMP
IGMP is a protocol used for managing IP multicast groups. It is necessary for a multicast router to be
aware of the groups to which local hosts belong since if at least one host i n a sub-network belongs to
a multicast group the multicast router should forward to that sub-network packets addressed to that
multicast group. Hosts use IGMP to join or leave such groups.
SkyEdge II supports IGMPv2. Every SkyEdge II VSAT acts as a multicast router, periodically sending
IGMPv2 queries to the hosts attached to it. The DPS acts like a host responding to IGMP queries from
routers in the customers IP network or the Internet.
The DPS maintains a list of which IP multicast groups are being supported. To keep this list up to date
the DPS periodically broadcasts a message (internally between the DPS and VSATs) with information
of all the currently supported groups, this message is similar in purpose, to a regular IGMP
membership query. If a VSAT has received an IGMP membership report (external IGMP) from a host
reporting membership to a group that was not included in the DPS message, the VSAT will send an
internal IGMP request message (after a random time). Since the rest of the VSATs do not list en to
inbound messages the DPS broadcast a new internal IGMP message with updated information so that
other VSATs that might request membership in this group will not send a superfluous internal IGMP
request.
9.3.6 NAT
Operators have the option to operate SkyEdge II VSAT with the Network Address Translation (NAT)
protocol. It then uses private addresses to communicate with the users hosts and public address
to communicate with the DPS and the customers IP network or Internet. SkyEdge II further supports
PAT (Port Address Translation) where multiple private IP addresses are translated to one public IP
address using the TCP/UDP ports as the multiplexing aid.
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9.3.7 Access list

Access list - SkyEdge II has as an IP Classifier that can implement different actions based on the IP
traffic sources and destinations. It allows the network operator to selectively allow or deny network
access to hosts and applications. It enables to block all the traffic from a VSAT except for certain
source or destination IP address (or address range) and Ports (White Listing) or allow traffic from all
host and applications except for specified address and/or ports (Black Listing). The same IP classifier
is a dominate element in the QoS capabilities of the system.
9.3.8 VRRP
Any SkyEdge II VSAT can function as a virtual router within a VRRP group. With Virtual Router
Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) two or more routers on a network act as a single virtual default
gateway for an entire network. Computers on the network refer to the virtual address for gate way
services.
The router that is actively providing gateway services is the Master router, while the other routers
serve as backups according to a priority table. As the Master periodically advertises its services, the
other routers watch the network to ensure that the gateway is working. If the router is no longer
advertising its availability, the next highest router in the priority table begins to advertise as the
default gateway, transparently preserving services for the full network through the virtual address
which remains valid for all clients.
The result is improved business continuity ensuring higher network performance without business
users or applications having to do anything, or even know, about network problems that could stop
an individual gateway.
Figure 41: VRRP
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9.3.9 VLAN
The implementation of VLANs in SkyEdge II enables the definition of multiple VLANs per VSAT. Each
VSAT LAN port can either be in Tag mode or Trunk mode. This eliminates the need for an external
VLAN switch. This all embedded solution is less expensive than other VSAT solutions, as it requires
fewer components in the solution and is simpler to manage.
Some of the benefits of this implementation are:
Complete solution both tag mode and trunk mode are supported enabling the use of both
external switches or port-based tagging
Flexibility in service - IP Transparency different customers on different VLANS can have
overlapping IP addresses
Scalability up to 8 VLANs per SkyEdge II Pro/Access and 2 per IP/Extend
Security The VLAN/VR implementation provides end-to-end traffic separation between
different users sharing the same VSAT
Backbone integration The feature enables operators to seamlessly connect to MPLS
backbones and map LSP to VLANs and Diffserv DSCP codes, thereby extending services over
the satellite link
QoS different VLANS can be mapped to separate queues which are controlled with
maximum rate and relative priority
DHCP relay/proxy per VLAN each VLAN/VR has its own set of DHCP parameters so two
customers using the same VSAT can be served by two different DHCP servers.
SkyEdge II
192.168.0.0/24
VLAN A
192.168.8.0/24
VLAN A
Virtual Router
192.170.0.0/24
VLAN C
Virtual Router
192.168.8.0/24
VLAN B
Hub
VLAN
Switch
Figure 42: SkyEdge II Multi-VLAN, VRF support
9.4 QoS capabilities

The capability to manage and control the traffic flowing in the network is crucial for an efficient use
of space segment resources. Furthermore networks today are required to support different
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applications running concurrently, where each application has a different nature and different users
are under different service level agreements. The Diffserv architecture uses the term Service Level
Agreement (SLA3) to describe the service contract that specifies the forwarding service a
customer should receive. The SLA may include traffic conditioning rules which constitute a set of
profiles such as metering, marking, discarding and shaping to be applied.
SkyEdge II is following the Diffserv architecture and was designed from day one to server as a multi purpose hub for multiple applications and multiple user groups. It provides mechanisms to enforce
traffic rules on a single VSAT level as well as on a group level. The QoS mechanisms can be classified
according to the traffic direction of inbound and outbound.
9.4.1 Inbound
Traffic management capabilities have been implemented both in the VSATs and in the HSP. This
mechanisms control traffic per application, per VSAT or per group of VSATs (MPN).
9.4.1.1 Application traffic control (inside a VSAT) according to DiffServ
When application traffic control is configured in SkyEdge II, the IP classifier analyzes the inbound
traffic per VSAT and classifies it to three flow priority levels: Low, Medium, and High. The IP Classifier
uses the information in the IP Addresses and TCP/UDP ports and performs rate control or weighted
priorities per flow (implementing Per Hop Behavior (PHB) as defined by DiffServ RFCs 2474, 2475,
2597 (3260) and 2598 (3246)). The IP Classifier can also recognize packets according to their DSCP 4
code for packets that are already marked, and assign them automatically to the appropriate queue
and handling.
SkyEdge II can recognize and handle applications according to one of thirteen types of PHBs each
one is recognized by a different code point (in DSCP). The different classifiers are categorized under
the following 4 categories: Expedited Forwarding (EF), Class Selector (CS), Assured Forwarding (AF)
and Default Forwarding (DF).
Each SkyEdge II VSAT uses thirteen queues to support the capabilities described above.
9.4.1.2 VSAT priority, CIR and MIR
In addition to the above, another level of prioritization is provided on SkyEdge II, using four VSATbased priority levels called metals. In this mode each VSAT belongs to one of the four service levels:
Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. The distribution of metal priority defines how resources are
distributed among different VSATs when the network is congested (using ratios).
Furthermore, it is possible to define for each VSAT a Committed Information Rate (CIR) and
Maximum Information Rate (MIR). This can prohibit network abusing and improve resource sharing.
3
4
The term SLA was updated in some RFCs to SLS Service Level Specification
Differentiated Services Code Points
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9.4.1.3 Managing traffic per VSAT group - MPN

The MPN mechanism is a QoS mechanism, controlling CIR and MIR on a VSAT group level. Logical
groups may be created in the system to allow optimal resource sharing among users of the same
entity (e.g. the aggregate guaranteed capacity among all remote branches of the same enterprise can
be optimized), or bandwidth borrowing between different MPN groups can be done, for statistical
sharing on a network level (e.g. a certain MPN group can enjoy higher rates while another MPN is not
fully exploiting its service MIR).
9.4.1.4 Managed Private Networks
MPNs give service providers a mechanism to share the network infrastructure between different
customers while maintaining guaranteed committed an information rate (CIR) and a maximum
information rate (MIR) for each MPN. Each MPN acts like a pool of VSATs that is sharing a certain
inbound bandwidth that the network is committed to supply. Thus congestion in the network will
not influence the performance in a vacant MPN, and a congested MPN will not influence the
performance in the rest of the bandwidth segment.
Networks bandwidth resources
Resources assigned
to customer A
Resources assigned
to customer B
Oversubscription in
MIR values
Figure 43: Managed Private Networks
9.4.2 Outbound QoS

The Outbound QoS system is used for optimizing and controlling the usage of the outbound
bandwidth. The integrated system, provided by Allot, Includes real-time monitoring and controlling
of traffic rates, protocol distribution, top users, active users, top servers, etc. All inbound and
outbound IP traffic is routed through the server which resides in the hub and guarantees perfect
classification for true end-to-end QoS. The Allot QoS server is integrated with the ACM Outbound as
described in Section 7.5 above.
Allot's Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technology is used to provide granular insights into the
applications and protocols traversing the network in real-time. An optional accounting application
can be added for billing customers according to their network usage. This solution create reports
that provide a full history of IP-based account activity, this capabilities to analyze specific
application-level traffic flows, as well as long-range traffic usage patterns.
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9.5 IP Telephony in SkyEdge II

Voice over IP (VoIP) is universally replacing legacy telephony services. The VoIP capabilities of
SkyEdge II enable a satellite service provider to provide a full telephony service to customers.
SkyEdge II provides full support for IP Telephony by using an external ATA (Analogue Terminal
Adapter) or by using the internal ATA supported on the SkyEdge II Access and SkyEdge II Pro. The
SkyEdge II Access has 2 slots that can accommodate add-on ATA cards. These ATA cards have 2
phone ports thereby providing up to 4 embedded telephony ports per VSAT. The embedded ATA
card is managed and monitored by Gilats NMS. IP Phones may be directly connected to the
embedded LAN ports on the VSAT.
The Figure below provides a schematic description of the elements included in a SkyEdge II VoIP
solution, along with their interconnection and dependencies:
SkyEdge II
HUB
Softswitch
IP
E1
SkyEdge II IP
ATA
PSTN
PSTN
SkyEdge II
Access
Phone
IP-phone
Figure 44: VoIP Topology
The main characteristics of the SkyEdge II VoIP solution are the following:
Voice quality In order to achieve high quality voice call a dedicated virtual circuit per call is
created. The hub manages this circuit in such a way that it eliminates jitter and thus
maintains the quality of the session.
Codecs supported - The system supports G.729 (8Kbps) and G.723.1 (5.3Kbps and 6.3Kbps)
codecs.
Protocols supported (for compatibility with external ATAs or IP phones):
SIP SIP voice call are identified as they start. The SkyEdge II implementation includes call
admission control (CAC) ((RBGC described in Section 8.2.3.1 above), and requests BW
allocation from the system when a SIP INVITE is detected. If there are enough system
resources then they are guaranteed for the whole duration of the call and a virtual circuit
between the remote and the hub is created. At the end of the session the resources are
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returned to the system. If there are not enough system resources to start the call, then the
call is dropped.
H.323, MEGACO and MGCP supported through RTP detection the allocation of the
resources and creation of the virtual connection is done when the RTP packets start to flow.
The system identifies the RTP frames and based on the information inside it does the
bandwidth allocation.
Fax over IP T.38 protocol for fax over IP is supported in SIP. Fax over IP over H.323 is
supported using manual configuration of the FXS port.
Strict Priority - Since VoIP runs simultaneously with other applications, the VoIP traffic will
get absolute priority over any other traffic running over the VSAT.
Efficient space segment utilization In order to best utilize the space segment the system
uses several techniques:
Inbound - compresses the RTP frame header by 95% from 40 Bytes to 2 Bytes.
Outbound 40% Compression of packet header (from 67 to 40 Bytes)
Topologies supported Star and Mesh, - calls may be established between a SkyEdge II VSAT
terminal and the hub, or single hop between mesh-enabled VSATs - improving voice quality
and significantly cutting down on delay and bandwidth usage.
Concurrent calls Each VSAT support up to 30 voice calls in parallel.
Local calls Calls made between 2 phones connected to the same VSAT are connected locally
and do not use satellite capacity. Up to 256 concurrent local calls are supported.
Management The embedded ATA cards are fully managed from the NMS. Both
configuration and monitoring are supported.
Any VoIP equipment that supports SIP protocol may be used, however, the implementation of
different vendors may include variations. Gilat should be consulted prior to network
implementation.
9.6 Mesh Connectivity (SkyEdge II Access and Pro)

In star topologies, communication between any two VSATs traverses the satellite twice in each
direction from the VSAT to the hub and from the hub to the second VSAT. This topology wastes
space segment, raises operational expenses, and incurs a very noticeable delay for applications such
as VoIP and video conferencing.
The SkyEdge II Access and Pro can be equipped with a plug-in card to support mesh connectivity
among multiple VSATs. A direct connection may be set up between two VSATs equipped with mesh
reception capability, where communication traverses the satellite only once in each direction. TCP
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traffic is accelerated over the mesh connection in a similar manner to VSAT-hub traffic, thus reducing
space segment utilization and providing better response times.
9.6.1 The Mesh Receiver
9.6.1.1 Mesh Receiver Physical Characteristics
The SkyEdge II mesh receiver is a double-width add-on for the SkyEdge II Access or Pro, which fits
into expansion slots 1 and 2. When a mesh receiver is installed, the RF receive cable connecting the
indoor unit and the LNB is connected to the mesh receiver's input and a short cable then extends the
signal from the mesh receiver to the VSATs main RF input.
9.6.1.2 Mesh Receiver Specifications
Receiver type
Single channel, frequency hopping
Frequency Range
950 1750 MHz
Modulations and Coding
QPSK: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6, 6/7

8PSK: 2/3, 3/4, 5/6, 6/7
Symbol Rates
128 2560Ksps
Maximum carrier data rate
6.1Mbps
Maximum payload rate
4.5Mbps, upgradeable to 5Mbps
Maximum mesh connections per > 1000
VSAT
30 simultaneous sessions
Access Scheme
DVB-RCS based
Frequency Hopping
Fast
Table 7: Mesh Receiver Specifications
9.6.2 Mesh Operation Mechanism

Whenever traffic is to be exchanged between two VSATs capable of mesh connectivity, two
logical connections are established, one for each direction. Upon connection establishment:
o
TCP spoofing is enabled between the remotes with the purpose of improving user
experience as well as reducing the amount of traffic to be actually transmitted on th e
network.
As with star traffic, predefined QoS policies apply for the transmission between the remotes.
The following QoS policies may be applied:
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VSAT traffic shaping, based on standard Diffserv with 13 queues. Applications are
classified into one of the 13 queues with weighted queuing.
VSAT CIR and MIR. These levels take into account both Star and Mesh traffic.
VSAT priorities, enabling prioritization of individual VSATs into 1 of 4 priority levels.
[]
Network flow priority mechanism: When there is congestion bandwidth is allocated

to VSATs with prioritized applications before VSATs with lower priority applications.
VSAT group QoS VSATs may be grouped into an MPN (Managed Private Network)
with CIR and MIR set for the group.
For voice sessions, admission control is applied to guarantee secured bandwidth for the
session duration. A voice or a video session with a minimum bandwidth requirement will
only be established if bandwidth is available. Voice and Video traffic is inherently prioritized
over all other applications in the network. Jitter is controlled to no more than 20ms.
9.6.3 Bandwidth allocation in Mesh
Connections are allocated bandwidth according to traffic requirements in the applicable direction
and according to the applicable QoS policies. As with star traffic, mesh VSATs request rate-based or
volume-based bandwidth according to the application being used. Real time traffic, such as voice or
video is assigned rate-based traffic to ensure low latency and jitter. Non real-time traffic typically
uses a volume based allocation, allowing higher utilization of the inbound medium.
In SkyEdge II networks star and mesh traffic share the same bandwidth. In enterprise mesh networks
however, it is possible to save MCR modules and therefore CapEx at the hub by using the Bandwidth
Separation feature with separated dedicated mesh channels. This is suitable for cases where certain
sites will only use mesh traffic and will therefore not require channels allocated by the hub MCR.
9.6.4 Access mechanism
The same time-frequency burst plan is shared by star and mesh VSATs, to allow maximum borrowing
of bandwidth, optimizing bandwidth utilization according to the dynamic changes in the network.
Mesh VSATs receive the allocation map and may simultaneously run mesh traffic and star traffic in
consecutive time slots within the same inbound carrier or on different carriers without constraints.
9.6.5 Connection Management
Each connection is marked with a network-unique identifier. Each VSAT is notified of both
connections during session setup, as it needs to transmit in the allocated timeslots of one connection
and receive the bursts transmitted in the timeslots of the other connection.
The VSAT then notifies its mesh receiver of the establishment of the connection. From this point
onwards and until the connection is terminated (e.g. due to closing of the TCP connections that
triggered its establishment), the receiver tracks the allocated timeslots and provides the VSAT with
any bursts received.
9.6.6 Mesh/Star failover (Future)
The link budget for mesh connectivity is typically limited by the VSAT hardware and sometimes also
due to pointing accuracy issues. Mesh connectivity with peer mesh VSATs may therefore not always
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be possible, and connectivity between peers will have to be done via the hub as in a star topology.
An example scenario is when the network is using multiple carrier rates where all lower rate carriers
are congested. SkyEdge IIs flexible design allows mesh VSATs to operate in a star topology in such
cases. The mesh/star failover mechanism operates as follows:
The inbound allocation map is shared by star and mesh traffic, as mentioned above. VSATs are
allocated send and receive timeslots, either from the hub or from peer VSATs.
The hub assigns inbound allocations for transmission and reception every 40ms according to the
instantaneous link conditions, overall network demand, and QoS policies.
The hub will attempt to assign mesh allocations for the peer VSATs upon mesh session initiations. If
no allocation is available, the session will flow through the hub as in a star topology.
In a case where a mesh session already exists, and link conditions deteriorate, the hub may reassign
the bandwidth and so that traffic flows in a star topology.
9.7 Network Bonding

Operators that use Gilat equipment are concerned about the possibility of VSATs being taken out
from their network and used in other networks. The network bonding feature enables operators to
prevent such a possibility by bonding VSATs to their networks.
Network bonding is based on the exchange of Network and Private Keys between the NMS and the
VSAT. The Network Key is common for all VSATs in the network. The NMS generates a Network key
by hashing (encoding) a password provided by the NMS operator. The operator may change the
password (hence the network key) at any given time or may choose to disable the feature at any
time. The Private Key (unique for each VSAT) is determined during VSAT manufacturing, and remains
the same over the entire life of a VSAT. VSATs store authentication keys in their non-volatile
memory; the NMS stores the keys in its database.
Initial Bonding By default, a VSAT leaves the factory floor not bonded to any network. Bonding
occurs once the VSAT sends an AAA request (either during boot or through the periodic mechanism).
If Network Bonding is enabled, the NMS saves the private key in its database and sends an AAA reply
containing the current network key and the saved private key. The VSAT saves the received network
key in its non-volatile memory. The VSAT then transmits these keys as part of each subsequent AAA
request. If Network Bonding is disabled, the NMS still verifies the keys provided by the VSAT and
authenticate the VSAT as per the verification result.
Bonding Verification When the VSAT sends an AAA request, the NMS compares the provided keys
with the current network key and the stored private key. If at least one of the provided keys matches
the corresponding value known to the NMS, the VSAT is fully authenticated and continue s normal
operation (as determined by all other parameters).
If none of the keys provided by the VSAT matches its corresponding value stored in the NMS
database, and the VSAT is already bonded, the NMS sends an AAA reply containing a Bonding Failure
indication and user data prohibition command. The VSAT remains online but user data cannot be
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transmitted. The VSAT continues sending periodic AAA messages at preset intervals. In the NMS, the
VSAT indicates the Bonding Failure state.
Unbinding a Bonded VSAT Upon receiving an Unbind command, the VSAT erases the network key
information from its flash memory and continues its normal operation. In addition, as a result of
receiving an Unbind command, the VSAT will not bond again until it is reset.
When Network Bonding is disabled (i.e. its status is changed from enabled to disabled), all VSATs
automatically unbind through normal operation of the AAA mechanism. In response to a VSAT AAA
request, the NMS replies with a blank network key, causing the VSAT to unbind . However, unlike in
the case of the explicit command, the VSAT does not need to be reset in order to bond again once
the feature is reactivated.
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10.Specialized VSAT Applications

Gilat is a complete solutions supplier and offers a wide range of complementary services and
applications. The following paragraphs list some example scenarios
10.1 SkyAbis Cellular backhaul

In this case, the remote VSATs are connected to Base Transceiver Station (BTS), which is the network
node serving the end users by cellular wireless protocols. The SkyEdge II VSATs work with the Gilat
SkyAbis adaptor to optimize and compress traffic flow towards the BSC. The solution uses the
dynamic bandwidth allocation of SkyEdge II for best efficiency and minimal operational costs. Cellular
operators can use this solution to extend their service coverage to rural areas in a cost effective
manner. The SkyEdge II system can simultaneously transport Abis as well as other traffic.
Sky-Abis adapter
BSC
MSC
SkyEdge II
E1
SkyEdge II
E1
SkyEdge II
Hub
IP
IP
E1
E1
BTS 1
Sky-Abis
Adapter
BTS n
Figure 45: Cellular backhaul
SkyEdge II also supports the current usage of BTSs with integrated IP adapters. For IP-Abis SkyEdge II
further optimizes the traffic by using compression techniques that can reduce the traffic by up to
20%. Compression techniques include:
IP Abis header compression
UDP header compression for voice or UDP Abis signaling
TCP spoofing for signaling and other TCP Abis traffic
Creating an internal tunnel excluding Gilat's propriety backbone protocol
Packet aggregation
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10.2 Multiple applications in a shared network

The hub is in this case is owned by one entity (typically a satellite operator) bu t offering services to
two or more organizations. In this case one customer is a university which uses the VSATs to create a
virtual class over a wide geographical coverage. This service brings Interactive distant learning and
combines video broadcast from the HQ with video conferencing capabilities. It is combined with
additional messaging service, white board and completing features. The same hub operator provides
secured connectivity to employees of another organization to their data center HQ. This serv ice is
secured by means of IPSec tunnels and use dedicated resources as supported by the MPN QoS
capabilities.
Internet,
Intranet
SkyE
dge
Pro
SkyE
dge
Pro
IDL teacher
Figure 46: Shared hub
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11.Acronyms
11.1 SkyEdge II Acronyms
Abbreviation
BB
DPS
GW
HPA
HSP
IPA
VSAT
Explanation
Back-Bone (proprietary protocol)
Data Protocol Server
Gateway
Hub Page Accelerator
Hub Satellite Processor
Internet Page Accelerator
Very Small Aperture Terminal
11.2 General Acronyms

Abbreviation
ACM
CCM
MODCOD
VoIP
SIP
H.323
cRTP
RTP
BW
QoS
QPSK
GMSK
MF-TDMA
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Explanation
Adaptive Coding and Modulation
Constant Modulation and Coding
Modulation and Coding combination
Voice over IP
Session Initiation Protocol
A messaging VoIP protocol
Compressed RTP
Real Time protocol
Bandwidth
Quality Of Service
Quadrature Phase Shift Keying
Gaussian Phase Shift Keying
Multi Frequency Time Division Multiple Access

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Annex 7.

2 - SkyEdge II Technical Description

Gilat Network Systems

SkyEdge II Technical Description v5, April 2011

SkyEdge II System Overview ......................................................................................................................... 8

SkyEdge II Hub ............................................................................................................................................. 11

SkyEdge II VSATs .......................................................................................................................................... 17

Network Management System (NMS)....................................................................................................... 24

DVB-S2 ACM Outbound ............................................................................................................................... 30

DVB-RCS based Inbound ............................................................................................................................. 37

Proprietary and Confidential

SkyEdge II Technical Description v5, April 2011

SkyEdge II Technology ................................................................................................................................ 49

10. Specialized VSAT Applications ................................................................................................................... 66

Proprietary and Confidential

SkyEdge II Technical Description v5, April 2011

Figure 26: ATM cell makeup ........................................................................................................................ 40

Proprietary and Confidential

SkyEdge II Technical Description v5, April 2011

1.2 Benefits for the SkyEdge II Operator

Comprehensive application acceleration solutions embedded in the VSATs hardware

Advanced built in QoS mechanisms, allowing high flexibility in meeting user

Lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with efficient bandwidth handling:

Proprietary and Confidential

SkyEdge II Technical Description v5, April 2011

Outbound 32APSK, 16APSK, 8PSK, QPSK

Inbound QPSK, 8PSK

Dynamic optimization of bandwidth efficiency through the use of Adaptive Coding

Acceleration, optimization and compression for TCP and HTTP traffic.

VoIP traffic optimization

Shared inbound bandwidth for mesh and star traffic

High scalability with low entry level capital requirements:

High system reliability

High MTBF for hub and VSAT equipment

Powerful redundancy schemes for all hub components

Enhanced capabilities supported through multi-platform VSATs:

VPN client with acceleration

Payload and header Compression

Multi VRF and VLAN

Embedded Voice (SkyEdge II Access and Pro)

Mesh add on card (SkyEdge II Access and Pro)

Based on standard technologies

Proprietary and Confidential

SkyEdge II Technical Description v5, April 2011

High capacity for large networks

Support up to 30,000 VSATs from one hub

Outbound carrier up to 135Mbps and up to 300Mbps for a multiple outbound hub

Broad coverage of all market segments, services and solutions:

Market Segments Enterprise/Corporate, Carriers, Governments, Service Providers,

Solutions Rural (USO), SOHO/SME, GSM Backhaul, Rapid deployment, Military,

MultiStar supported by existing hub

Cost efficient addition of a uStar to an existing network

Cost effective Gateway, managed by the hub

Efficient link budget of VSAT's connected to the uStar

Single hop to hub and Gateway

Protocol Acceleration with Gateway traffic

Proprietary and Confidential

SkyEdge II Technical Description v5, April 2011

2.SkyEdge II System Overview

Proprietary and Confidential

SkyEdge II Technical Description v5, April 2011

Figure 1: SkyEdge II Mesh and Star Topology

Figure 2 - NetEdge Topology