An eBPF-Based Trace-Driven Emulation Method for Satellite Networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces an eBPF-based trace-driven emulation method tailored for satellite networks, enabling accurate and efficient simulation of connection conditions for application evaluation, especially in LEO satellite scenarios.

Contribution

It presents a novel emulation approach using Linux's eBPF technology and a Starlink trace collection system for satellite network performance evaluation.

Findings

Effective emulation of satellite connection conditions

Efficient and accurate simulation for application testing

Demonstrated feasibility with Starlink traces

Abstract

System-level performance evaluation over satellite networks often requires a simulated or emulated environment for reproducibility and low cost. However, the existing tools may not meet the needs for scenarios such as the low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks. To address the problem, this paper proposes and implements a trace-driven emulation method based on Linux's eBPF technology. Building a Starlink traces collection system, we demonstrate that the method can effectively and efficiently emulate the connection conditions, and therefore provides a means for evaluating applications on local hosts.