Using Satellite Links as Delivery Pathsin the Multicast Backbone ( MBone )

The Multicast Backbone (MBone) is a virtual network that has been in operation since 1992. Through this experimental network, researchers have been learning how to deliver a scalable, one-to-many mul-ticast service. While much of the focus on multicast research continues to be on addressing the challenges of the traditional Internet, other \non-traditional" infrastructures, like satellite, cable, and wireless networks are beginning to be recognized as important environments in which to provide and use multicast communication. The inherent broadcast nature of these networks suggests that multicast might be easier to provide as compared to the traditional Inter-net. In this paper, we examine how to deliver MBone sessions and MBone style applications over satellite links. We have already demonstrated the basic feasibility of delivering MBone sessions over a satellite network. The next step is to answer the question of whether a satellite network can ooer performance and cost advantages. The focus of this paper is a quantitative analysis of three performance metrics: loss, jitter, and delay.