Plotinus: A Satellite Internet Digital Twin System

TL;DR

Plotinus is a modular, real-time digital twin system for satellite Internet emulation that addresses scalability, dynamic topology, and detailed layer analysis in SAGIN networks.

Contribution

It introduces a microservices-based, flexible digital twin platform that enables real-time, scalable emulation of satellite Internet with customizable physical and network layers.

Findings

Effective emulation of dynamic satellite networks

Supports real-time network traffic analysis

Flexible for various communication models

Abstract

The development of an integrated space-air-ground network (SAGIN) requires sophisticated satellite Internet emulation tools that can handle complex, dynamic topologies and offer in-depth analysis. Existing emulation platforms struggle with challenges like the need for detailed implementation across all network layers, real-time response, and scalability. This paper proposes a digital twin system based on microservices for satellite Internet emulation, namely Plotinus, which aims to solve these problems. Plotinus features a modular design, allowing for easy replacement of the physical layer to emulate different aerial vehicles and analyze channel interference. It also enables replacing path computation methods to simplify testing and deploying algorithms. In particular, Plotinus allows for real-time emulation with live network traffic, enhancing practical network models. The evaluation result shows Plotinus's effective emulation of dynamic satellite networks with real-world devices. Its adaptability for various communication models and algorithm testing highlights Plotinus's role as a vital tool for developing and analyzing SAGIN systems, offering a cross-layer, real-time and scalable digital twin system.