Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “network performance”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2003

Performance Evaluation Modeling of Network Sensors

Substantial benefits are promised by operating many spatially separated sensors collectively. Such systems are envisioned to consist of sensor nodes that are connected by a communications network. A simulation tool is being developed to evaluate the performance of networked sensor systems, incorporating such metrics as target detection probabilities, false alarms rates, and classification confusion probabilities. The tool will be used to determine configuration impacts associated with such aspects as spatial laydown, and mixture of different types of sensors (acoustic, seismic, imaging, magnetic, RF, etc.), and fusion architecture. The QualNet discrete-event simulation environment serves as the underlying basis for model development and execution. This platform is recognized for its capabilities in efficiently simulating networking among mobile entities that communicate via wireless media. We are extending QualNet's communications modeling constructs to capture the sensing aspects of multi-target sensing (analogous to multiple access communications), unimodal multi-sensing (broadcast), and multi-modal sensing (multiple channels and correlated transmissions). Methods are also being developed for modeling the sensor signal sources (transmitters), signal propagation through the media, and sensors (receivers) that are consistent with the discrete event paradigm needed for performance determination of sensor network systems. This work is supported under the Microsensors Technical Area of the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Advanced Sensors Collaborative Technology Alliance.

probability of detection↗
NASA NTRS1993

Asynchronous transfer mode link performance over ground networks

The results of an experiment to determine the feasibility of using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology to support advanced spacecraft missions that require high-rate ground communications and, in particular, full-motion video are reported. Potential nodes in such a ground network include Deep Space Network (DSN) antenna stations, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and a set of national and international end users. The experiment simulated a lunar microrover, lunar lander, the DSN ground communications system, and distributed science users. The users were equipped with video-capable workstations. A key feature was an optical fiber link between two high-performance workstations equipped with ATM interfaces. Video was also transmitted through JPL's institutional network to a user 8 km from the experiment. Variations in video depending on the networks and computers were observed, the results are reported.

Chow, E. T.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Development of task network models of human performance in microgravity

This paper discusses the utility of task-network modeling for quantifying human performance variability in microgravity. The data are gathered for: (1) improving current methodologies for assessing human performance and workload in the operational space environment; (2) developing tools for assessing alternative system designs; and (3) developing an integrated set of methodologies for the evaluation of performance degradation during extended duration spaceflight. The evaluation entailed an analysis of the Remote Manipulator System payload-grapple task performed on many shuttle missions. Task-network modeling can be used as a tool for assessing and enhancing human performance in man-machine systems, particularly for modeling long-duration manned spaceflight. Task-network modeling can be directed toward improving system efficiency by increasing the understanding of basic capabilities of the human component in the system and the factors that influence these capabilities.

Diaz, Manuel F.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Performance Modeling of Network-Attached Storage Device Based Hierarchical Mass Storage Systems

Network attached storage devices improve I/O performance by separating control and data paths and eliminating host intervention during the data transfer phase. Devices are attached to both a high speed network for data transfer and to a slower network for control messages. Hierarchical mass storage systems use disks to cache the most recently used files and a combination of robotic and manually mounted tapes to store the bulk of the files in the file system. This paper shows how queuing network models can be used to assess the performance of hierarchical mass storage systems that use network attached storage devices as opposed to host attached storage devices. Simulation was used to validate the model. The analytic model presented here can be used, among other things, to evaluate the protocols involved in 1/0 over network attached devices.

Menasce, Daniel A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Network and User-Perceived Performance of Web Page Retrievals

The development of the HTTP protocol has been driven by the need to improve the network performance of the protocol by allowing the efficient retrieval of multiple parts of a web page without the need for multiple simultaneous TCP connections between a client and a server. We suggest that the retrieval of multiple page elements sequentially over a single TCP connection may result in a degradation of the perceived performance experienced by the user. We attempt to quantify this perceived degradation through the use of a model which combines a web retrieval simulation and an analytical model of TCP operation. Starting with the current HTTP/l.1 specification, we first suggest a client@side heuristic to improve the perceived transfer performance. We show that the perceived speed of the page retrieval can be increased without sacrificing data transfer efficiency. We then propose a new client/server extension to the HTTP/l.1 protocol to allow for the interleaving of page element retrievals. We finally address the issue of the display of advertisements on web pages, and in particular suggest a number of mechanisms which can make efficient use of IP multicast to send advertisements to a number of clients within the same network.

Kruse, Hans↗
NASA NTRS1987

Algorithm for Fluid Networks

Algorithm performs either transient integration or steady-state relaxation of network that represents internal fluid system. Valid for both single and two-phase flow of any fluid and includes both heat-transfer and work terms. General enough to simulate almost any flow system to almost any degree of detail desired. Encoded into computer program FLUINT, will work in conjunction with SINDA-85 program to enable analysis of pipelines; heating, ventilating, and cooling systems; and almost any other system that involves both fluid flow and heat transfer. Other possible extensions includes effects of flexibilities of containers, high-velocity flow, gravitation, acceleration, and opening and closing valves.

Cullimore, Brent A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Diagnostic Analysis of the Kennedy Space Center LDAR Network

The performance characteristics of the Kennedy Space Center Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) network are investigated at medium-far range (50-300 km). A 19 month noise-filtered sample of LDAR observations is examined, from which it is determined that the "climatological" VHF source density as observed by LDAR falls off approximately 10 dB every 71 km of ground range from the network centroid. The underlying vertical distribution of LDAR sources is approximately normally distributed with a mean of 9 km and a standard deviation of 2.7 km, implying that loss of below-horizon sources has a negligible effect on column-integrated source densities within 200 km ground range. At medium to far ranges, location errors are primarily radial and have a slightly asymmetric distribution whose first moment increases as r(exp 2). A range calibration derived from these results is used to normalize source density maps on monthly, daily and hourly time scales and yields significant improvements in correlation with NLDN ground strike densities.

Boccippio, Dennis J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

DSN Wide Area Network Architecture, Capacity and Performance

This paper discusses the architecture of the wide area network that connects key communications facilities within the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) Deep Space Network (DSN). Several considerations are given to the design of this wide area network to ensure a timely, reliable, and secure data delivery between the mission users and their spacecraft. The network star configuration simplifies data delivery to users and minimizes operational cost. The dual-path connections maximize the system reliability, with geographical diversity in data routing to avoid single point of failure. Data encryption enhances the protection of mission users’ data. The system bandwidth is determined by balancing the needs to minimize the operating bandwidth cost and to have sufficient bandwidth to be able to deliver data to all users within the required. The DSN uses a class base weighted fair queuing (CBWFQ) method in its data delivery. This scheme guarantees a minimum bandwidth to each class of users and allows users to also access any unused bandwidth by other groups. The paper will also show performance of system reliability and bandwidth margin.

Liao, Jason↗
NASA NTRS1988

Implementing direct, spatially isolated problems on transputer networks

Parametric studies were performed on transputer networks of up to 40 processors to determine how to implement and maximize the performance of the solution of problems where no processor-to-processor data transfer is required for the problem solution (spatially isolated). Two types of problems are investigated a computationally intensive problem where the solution required the transmission of 160 bytes of data through the parallel network, and a communication intensive example that required the transmission of 3 Mbytes of data through the network. This data consists of solutions being sent back to the host processor and not intermediate results for another processor to work on. Studies were performed on both integer and floating-point transputers. The latter features an on-chip floating-point math unit and offers approximately an order of magnitude performance increase over the integer transputer on real valued computations. The results indicate that a minimum amount of work is required on each node per communication to achieve high network speedups (efficiencies). The floating-point processor requires approximately an order of magnitude more work per communication than the integer processor because of the floating-point unit's increased computing capacity.

Ellis, Graham K.↗
NASA NTRS1980

An analysis of network deployment for a dedicated navigation tracking system

Stringent navigation accuracy requirements for future deep space missions are expected to be met by conventional two way radio metric data supplemented with Very Long Baseline Interferometric (VLBI) data provided by a dedicated tracking network. The performance of several proposed VLBI network configurations have been evaluated by comparing navigation capability for the probe delivery and post flight probe trajectory phases of the Galileo mission. Candidate configurations include stations located at the current intercontinental DSN sites, a network with sites in Hawaii, Florida and Washington, Regional (300 km) and a Micro (30 km) baseline systems. Sensitivity to systematic error sources, network deployment, viewing period and sampling strategy are investigated. The dominant factor in performance is shown to be the baseline length.

Ellis, J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Performance analysis of LAN bridges and routers

Bridges and routers are used to interconnect Local Area Networks (LANs). The performance of these devices is important since they can become bottlenecks in large multi-segment networks. Performance metrics and test methodology for bridges and routers were not standardized. Performance data reported by vendors is not applicable to the actual scenarios encountered in an operational network. However, vendor-provided data can be used to calibrate models of bridges and routers that, along with other models, yield performance data for a network. Several tools are available for modeling bridges and routers - Network II.5 was used. The results of the analysis of some bridges and routers are presented.

Hajare, Ankur R.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Performance Evaluation in Network-Based Parallel Computing

Network-based parallel computing is emerging as a cost-effective alternative for solving many problems which require use of supercomputers or massively parallel computers. The primary objective of this project has been to conduct experimental research on performance evaluation for clustered parallel computing. First, a testbed was established by augmenting our existing SUNSPARCs' network with PVM (Parallel Virtual Machine) which is a software system for linking clusters of machines. Second, a set of three basic applications were selected. The applications consist of a parallel search, a parallel sort, a parallel matrix multiplication. These application programs were implemented in C programming language under PVM. Third, we conducted performance evaluation under various configurations and problem sizes. Alternative parallel computing models and workload allocations for application programs were explored. The performance metric was limited to elapsed time or response time which in the context of parallel computing can be expressed in terms of speedup. The results reveal that the overhead of communication latency between processes in many cases is the restricting factor to performance. That is, coarse-grain parallelism which requires less frequent communication between processes will result in higher performance in network-based computing. Finally, we are in the final stages of installing an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switch and four ATM interfaces (each 155 Mbps) which will allow us to extend our study to newer applications, performance metrics, and configurations.

Dezhgosha, Kamyar↗
NASA NTRS2006

Simulation Modeling and Performance Evaluation of Space Networks

In space exploration missions, the coordinated use of spacecraft as communication relays increases the efficiency of the endeavors. To conduct trade-off studies of the performance and resource usage of different communication protocols and network designs, JPL designed a comprehensive extendable tool, the Multi-mission Advanced Communications Hybrid Environment for Test and Evaluation (MACHETE). The design and development of MACHETE began in 2000 and is constantly evolving. Currently, MACHETE contains Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) protocol standards such as Proximity-1, Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS), Packet Telemetry/Telecommand, Space Communications Protocol Specification (SCPS), and the CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP). MACHETE uses the Aerospace Corporation s Satellite Orbital Analysis Program (SOAP) to generate the orbital geometry information and contact opportunities. Matlab scripts provide the link characteristics. At the core of MACHETE is a discrete event simulator, QualNet. Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) is an end-to-end architecture providing communication in and/or through highly stressed networking environments. Stressed networking environments include those with intermittent connectivity, large and/or variable delays, and high bit error rates. To provide its services, the DTN protocols reside at the application layer of the constituent internets, forming a store-and-forward overlay network. The key capabilities of the bundling protocols include custody-based reliability, ability to cope with intermittent connectivity, ability to take advantage of scheduled and opportunistic connectivity, and late binding of names to addresses. In this presentation, we report on the addition of MACHETE models needed to support DTN, namely: the Bundle Protocol (BP) model. To illustrate the use of MACHETE with the additional DTN model, we provide an example simulation to benchmark its performance. We demonstrate the use of the DTN protocol and discuss statistics gathered concerning the total time needed to simulate numerous bundle transmissions

network protocols↗
NASA NTRS1990

Expert systems and advanced automation for space missions operations

Increased complexity of space missions during the 1980s led to the introduction of expert systems and advanced automation techniques in mission operations. This paper describes several technologies in operational use or under development at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Goddard Space Flight Center. Several expert systems are described that diagnose faults, analyze spacecraft operations and onboard subsystem performance (in conjunction with neural networks), and perform data quality and data accounting functions. The design of customized user interfaces is discussed, with examples of their application to space missions. Displays, which allow mission operators to see the spacecraft position, orientation, and configuration under a variety of operating conditions, are described. Automated systems for scheduling are discussed, and a testbed that allows tests and demonstrations of the associated architectures, interface protocols, and operations concepts is described. Lessons learned are summarized.

Durrani, Sajjad H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Parameter estimation in space systems using recurrent neural networks

The identification of time-varying parameters encountered in space systems is addressed, using artificial neural systems. A hybrid feedforward/feedback neural network, namely a recurrent multilayer perception, is used as the model structure in the nonlinear system identification. The feedforward portion of the network architecture provides its well-known interpolation property, while through recurrency and cross-talk, the local information feedback enables representation of temporal variations in the system nonlinearities. The standard back-propagation-learning algorithm is modified and it is used for both the off-line and on-line supervised training of the proposed hybrid network. The performance of recurrent multilayer perceptron networks in identifying parameters of nonlinear dynamic systems is investigated by estimating the mass properties of a representative large spacecraft. The changes in the spacecraft inertia are predicted using a trained neural network, during two configurations corresponding to the early and late stages of the spacecraft on-orbit assembly sequence. The proposed on-line mass properties estimation capability offers encouraging results, though, further research is warranted for training and testing the predictive capabilities of these networks beyond nominal spacecraft operations.

Parlos, Alexander G.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Stereo imaging based particle velocimeter

Three dimensional coordinates of an object are determined from it's two dimensional images for a class of points on the object. Two dimensional images are first filtered by a Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG) filter in order to detect a set of feature points on the object. The feature points on the left and the right images are then matched using a Hopfield type optimization network. The performance index of the Hopfield network contains both local and global properties of the images. Parallel computing in stereo matching can be achieved by the proposed methodology.

Batur, Celal↗