An Investigation of TCP Congestion Window Validation over Satellite Paths

This paper examines an issue that arises when an Internet transport-layer connection using TCP is suspended (e.g. to mobile hand-off application dynamics or user preference) and later resumed. In particular, it examines whether congestion window validation (CWV) is an appropriate technique to prevent an application overwhelming the network path that it is using, and examines how widely CWV is implemented in current operating systems. This work is applicable to mobility between different types of networks, and when the network path properties can suddenly change - both of which can occur when IP mobility introduced into satellite systems. This change expected to reduce the impact of application-limited flows on other flows, by limiting the rate at which these applications can transmit following an idle, application-limited period or sudden change of networks.