Quality of Service for Tactical Wireless Networks

Applications resident on tactical wireless networks are levying increasing offered loads. Tradeoffs can be made between range and throughput, but the wireless network is destined to be considered a limitation in information transfer. If managed correctly, the network can be an intelligent aid in ensuring the right information gets to the right place at the right time. Over the last 5 years, SAIC has worked with Natick Soldier Center (NSRDEC) to provide reliable communication with guaranteed service quality for the dismounted soldier. The effort utilizes a series of tools to mark, shape, condense, fragment and persist information for congestion and corruption control. The critical aspect of the congestion control solution is accomplished by adaptively throttling lower priority information at the sending node before it gets pushed to the wireless realm. Of note is that the solution adapts through passive processes without control messages. The solution also implements compression of messages and images, along with fragmentation techniques to alleviate congestion. Information corruption is purely a radio phenomenon and cannot be overcome through cognitive solutions. However, the solution mitigates corruption through information persistence and reliable retransmission. The implemented solution, unlike Transport Control Protocol, is optimized for wireless networks and demonstrates reduction of added signaling traffic. Combined congestion and corruption techniques have demonstrated how soldiers can get the right information at the right time during high traffic loads or network segmentation.