Delay Deterministic Routing Algorithm Based on Inter-Controller Cooperation for Multi-Layer LEO Satellite Networks

HUANG Longhui; DING Xiaojin; ZHANG Gengxin

doi:10.11999/JEIT251100

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HUANG Longhui, DING Xiaojin, ZHANG Gengxin. Delay Deterministic Routing Algorithm Based on Inter-Controller Cooperation for Multi-Layer LEO Satellite Networks[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology. doi: 10.11999/JEIT251100

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HUANG Longhui, DING Xiaojin, ZHANG Gengxin. Delay Deterministic Routing Algorithm Based on Inter-Controller Cooperation for Multi-Layer LEO Satellite Networks[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology. doi: 10.11999/JEIT251100

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Delay Deterministic Routing Algorithm Based on Inter-Controller Cooperation for Multi-Layer LEO Satellite Networks

doi: 10.11999/JEIT251100 cstr: 32379.14.JEIT251100

School of Communications and Information Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210003, China

Funds: National Science Foundation of China (No. U21A20450)

Accepted Date: 2026-01-27
Rev Recd Date: 2026-01-27

Available Online: 2026-02-12

Abstract

Abstract

Objective The massive scale and large number of satellites in multi-layer Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations result in highly dynamic network topologies. Coupled with the time-varying traffic load, this leads to temporal fluctuations in satellite network resources (e.g., available link queue sizes, available link bandwidth), making it challenging to establish stable end-to-end transmission paths and guarantee Quality of Service (QoS). To address these issues, this study introduces Software-Defined Networking (SDN) into multi-layer LEO constellations. By leveraging SDN controllers to collect network state information, unified management of network resources is achieved. The constellation is partitioned into regions, with a controller deployed in each region to manage the entire constellation. Furthermore, a deterministic delay routing algorithm is designed within the SDN controller to compute inter-region transmission paths for traffic, thereby meeting its deterministic delay requirements.Methods This paper proposes a deterministic delay routing algorithm for multi-layer LEO constellations based on controller collaboration. Firstly, a regional division strategy and controller deployment scheme are proposed, dividing the satellite network into multiple regions, each managed by an assigned controller. Subsequently, criteria are established for Inter-Satellite Links (ISLs) between satellites within the same layer and across different layers to characterize link communication states. Finally, a Time-Varying Graph (TVG) model is employed to represent the network topology and link resource attributes, including bandwidth, queue size, and link duration. This is combined with a multi-destination LaGrange relaxation method to optimize path selection, ensuring the chosen paths satisfy both delay and delay jitter constraints. Through collaboration between adjacent regional controllers, which exchange state information, the proposed algorithm enables the computation of feasible inter-region paths.Results and Discussions To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, a simulation system for multi-layer LEO constellations was designed, and the algorithm’s performance was tested under different data transmission rates. Compared to IUDR, the proposed method significantly enhances network performance by reducing end-to-end delay, delay jitter, and packet loss rate, while improving throughput. Specifically, at a data transmission rate of 3 Mbps, the average end-to-end delay was reduced by 16.0% (Fig. 3(a)), delay jitter by 37.9% (Fig. 3(b)), packet loss rate by 37.2% (Fig. 3(c)), and throughput increased by approximately 2%(Fig. 3(d)). Regarding signaling overhead, the proposed algorithm achieves a higher Reduction-Improvement Gain Ratio, improved by approximately 111.8% compared to IUDR, indicating the superior comprehensive performance of the DDRA-ICC. Additionally, the proposed method exhibits lower time complexity for route computation compared to IUDR.Conclusions To solve the problem of deterministic delay for traffic transmission in multi-layer LEO constellations, this study proposed a controller collaboration-based deterministic delay routing algorithm. Performance evaluation under different load scenarios demonstrates that: (1) Compared to IUDR, the proposed algorithm reduces average end-to-end delay, delay jitter, and packet loss rate by 16.0%, 37.9%, and 37.2% respectively, while increasing average throughput by approximately 2%. (2) While the additional overhead increase of the DDRA-ICC is comparable to IUDR, it further reduces the packet loss rate to 2.96%—a reduction of 52.49%—and achieves a Reduction-Improvement Gain Ratio of 1.97. This indicates lower packet loss, a higher Reduction-Improvement Gain Ratio, and demonstrates a better balance between overhead and reliability, granting it greater advantage in ensuring deterministic traffic transmission. Future work could incorporate more practical factors, such as the impact of satellite node failures on network performance, to further enhance network capabilities.
- Multi-layer LEO constellation,
- Software-Defined Networking,
- Deterministic routing,
- Controller cooperation

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References(24)

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