Protocol Processor
The iDirect Protocol Processor is a high performing, highly scalable core part of the iDirect hub, providing many critical functions. The protocol processor software is architected to scale and provide load balancing and automatic redundancy.
iDirect Protocol Processor software provides the following:
- Support for single or multiple networks: Each protocol processor can support one or more satellite networks, either on one or more satellites.
- Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation: Dynamically assigns the available inroute bandwidth based on a fairness algorithm, in both star and star/mesh configurations. Dynamic bandwidth allocation is based on many factors including CIR configurations, application or traffic type, priority, and availability.
- TDMA Control and Allocation: Dynamically assigns and re-allocates slots across the star or star/mesh network based on MF-TDMA and D-TDMA.
- Automatic Uplink Power Control of remotes: Automatically adjusts remote transmit power to maintain low Bit-Error-Rate through the satellite link and increase availability of remote site.
- Automatic Symbol and Frequency Offset Control: Automatically adjusts symbol and frequency offset to adjust for satellite and remote site movement.
- Remote Authentication: Ensures only authenticated remote sites are allowed into the network, based on serial number of remote site.
- Remote Acquisition: Handles remote acquisition and synchronization of the remote site.
- Dynamic IP Routing: Provides IP routing functionality to all remotes and upstream routers using RIPv2. RIPv2 can be enabled or disabled on both upstream and satellite link.
- Static IP Routing: Provides static IP routing functionality to all remotes and upstream routers.
- IP Multicast: IGMP based multicast support. Controls IP multicast bandwidth used.
- TCP Acceleration: Provides the Hub side control for TCP Acceleration to optimize TCP over Satellite. This is provided using pseudo-split TCP over the air. In addition, provides support for MSS integration, by dynamically breaking packets to match MTU sizes.
- HTTP Acceleration: Provides the Hub side control for HTTP Acceleration to ensure higher HTTP performance over the air.
- Traffic QoS/Prioritization
- Provides QoS and Traffic Prioritization on the Downstream per remote
- Provides Dynamic and Static CIR on the Downstream per remote
- System QoS: Provides allocation of minimum CIR, maximum CIR, dynamic CIR, CIR reallocation, CIR rubber-banding, real-time and non-real time traffic handling in both the upstream and downstream, on a per remote basis.
- Basic Firewall: Provide basic firewall functions using ACLs (Access Control Lists) per remote, on both the upstream and downstream.
- Link Encryption: Optional hardware to provide AES encryption to select remote sites.
The Protocol Processor architecture provides both automatic failover of a failed PP and nearly limitless scalability of processing power.