A Load Balancing Routing Strategy for LEO Satellite Network

Abstract

The LEO network composed of massive satellite nodes is a hot research field at present. In such a network, the problem of load balancing should be reconsidered due to the large number of satellite nodes, the frequently changing topology, and the uneven distribution of global ground users. To solve such problem, a selective iterative Dijkstra algorithm (SIDA) is proposed to optimize the path finding process by reducing the reuse frequency of nodes. On the basis of SIDA, a selective split load balancing strategy (SSLB) is proposed to solve the link congestion problem in low latitude LEO network. SSLB is a distributed strategy, which diverts the traffic flow of congestion nodes to neighboring nodes. SSLB reduces the burden of neighbor nodes, which need the less demand of computing resources and signaling interaction. Simulation results show that SIDA reduces the number of congestion links and balances the load distribution, while SSLB can effectively suppress the number of new congestion links after traffic diversion. These algorithms provide a load balancing solution for LEO satellite network.