Coping With Legacy Networks And VPNs
Because heritage or legacy systems are out there in great numbers, and because it can be expensive to convert them, International Datacasting has provided legacy compatibility and platforms to help customers migrate to full IP solutions, as their budgets allow.
"For new systems, it is still a tradeoff, but we are seeing more people opt for the all-IP solution. Take MPEG-4, for example, even though the standards have not settled down yet, it offers a considerable savings in bandwidth cost, depending on the applications," says Clifton. "Low-end products designed for consumer applications have fundamental performance problems compared with those developed for the demands of the enterprise market. It is important to understand the differences between vendors, and insist on open standards."
As for data broadcasting over Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and any special considerations when it comes to overall performance and security, Clifton says that the most important advantage that satellite data broadcasting has over terrestrial VPN networks is the point-to-multipoint economic model.
"In comparing satellite to terrestrial VPNs, it all boils down to how much bandwidth and how many locations. For example, a 200-site broadband terrestrial VPN network could cost $100,000 per month. A satellite broadcasting network with the same number of locations would incur a fraction of that cost for bandwidth with higher availability and be more reliable," says Clifton.
"Yes, the popularity of VPNs is certainly increasing, and although the emphasis on private networks is becoming less, they will remain important for clients that require stronger access control and QOS," says Attisha.
As far as encounters with Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS)-enabled networks, Attisha emphasizes that among other things, there is currently no established method for MPLS payload encryption.
"The same issues of data security apply to MPLS as to any other network Layer 2 or Layer 3 transport mechanism. When it comes to MPLS over satellite, any data can be encapsulated and transported via satellite, but the security needs increase with the size of the pirate audience," says Attisha. "Satellite networks will follow the trends in the network industry but more strongly their customers' needs. It is relatively easy to convert an existing IP or ATM satellite network to MPLS, but the receiving devices might very well be the bottleneck."
The End Of One-Way VSATs?
In late June, Israel-based Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. signed a deal with Bulgaria-based Petrol Bulgaria and Transat JSC to deploy Gilat's DVB-based Skystar 360E hub and more than 500 Skystar VSATs primarily in gas stations and corporate offices in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe. The days of the one-way VSAT may not be over, but in case after case, customers are eager to exploit the advantages of robust and cost efficient two-way VSATs that can support a variety of interactive broadband IP and multicasting applications.
"Gilat's one-way solutions are now more often a portion of a two-way network," says to Ran Livnat, product manager for satellite IP with Gilat's interactive VSAT product management group. "The business is changing. We are also seeing a trend involving companies that are running their virtual private networks over an outsourced satellite network as well.
"Content distribution services including data broadcasting are leased from full service providers as in the case of the Connexstar service provided by Spacenet, which is Gilat's U.S. subsidiary," adds Livnat. "Customers seem to prefer this shared service approach. They just log into a central hub via the Web. They can take advantage of off peak capacity while retaining the option to access faster delivery speeds at a premium price when needed," he adds.
A wide variety of customers use Gilat/Spacenet networks for content distribution applications ranging from simple file distribution to advanced CDN-type architectures. For example, energy provider Southern States utilizes its Spacenet network to run the popular Centra distance learning system for simultaneous multiple site distribution.
Fortune 100 grocery and retail giant Kroger uses Spacenet equipment to power an advanced distance learning network using the Convergent system. It is scalable across thousands of locations and capable of providing rich-media experiences and full interactivity.
In another example, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) uses its Spacenet network for a variety of multicast content distribution applications. The delivery mechanism of Spacenet networks allows the USPS to distribute software images and pricing/tariff data files to its electronic cash registers at thousands of nationwide offices. This VSAT network also supports the efficient and timely distribution of a 9 GB national network database sent weekly to large postal centers.
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