PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
The 4SSTB project developed core elements of a 4S System & Services Test Bed (4SSTB) to support complex telecommunication system design verification and validation. Throughout the 18-month effort, both non-real time (NRT) and real-time (RT) simulation capabilities were developed to meet a wide array of use cases in the GovSatCom, Mass Market, and Space Data Relay mission areas. Now fully operational, the 4SSTB is a key tool which can be used to validate critical infrastructure emerging under the European Union’s IRIS2 initiative and provide insights for its future development and verification and validation.
To target next generation SATCOM missions, scalability and functionality were key objectives in capturing the emerging complexity of tomorrow’s telecommunication systems. In addition to robust network simulation capabilities, the testbed can process real-time applications and services over IP networking, to provide users essential network and application performance feedback. From traffic routing simulation to network KPI generation and channel emulation, the 4SSTB is a versatile tool for network validation and applications testing in emulated realistic conditions.
Challenges
The challenges met by the consortium primarily centred around the potential complexity of the simulated networks. With an open number of possibilities, such as diverse network topologies, varying service requirements, and dynamic network conditions, it is easy to consume a lot of computational resources. To address this, the testbed was designed to be easily scalable. Detailed trade-offs, performance optimizations and modular solutions were considered through this First Phase of the project, with these future needs in mind.
System Architecture
The 4SSTB architecture largely focuses on its two simulators (RT and NRT). A wide variety of use cases are covered between the Real Time (RT) and Non-Real-Time (NRT) simulators.
Plan
First Phase of the 4SSTB project began in Q1 of 2023 and ended in Q3 of 2024. In that time, the consortium successfully conducted six different reviews, culminating in a Final Presentation in the ARTES Presentation Days Conference 2024.
Current Status
With the conclusion of the First Phase, the Second Phase is set to start at the beginning of 2025.
Current efforts involve scope refinement for Second Phase tasks.
