Bandwidth Allocation Strategies for TCP/IP Traffic over High Altitude Platform: a Multi-Objective Programming Approach

The paper formalizes the bandwidth allocation process as a Multi ¿ Objective Programming (MOP) problem, revises an algorithm already in the literature (identified as ABASC) in the framework of the MOP and proposes a novel scheme (called Minimum Distance ¿ MD method), which fully uses the MOP features. All the schemes are suited to be used in the High Amplitude Platforms (HAPs) environments and are aimed at improving the level of Quality of Service (QoS) of the communications system. The rain attenuation effect, typical of the HAP channels, is considered and modelled as a reduction of the available bandwidth. Only TCP/IP traffic is considered. The two strategies investigated are compared each other and with a fixed and a heuristic allocation. The performance evaluation is carried out analytically by varying the degradation level of the HAP channel and the traffic load offered to the earth stations.