State transfer among virtualization-enabled satellite platforms

• US 10,084,534 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vector Launch, Inc.
• Inventors: Coleman, Shaun, Garber, Darren D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US15/859,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20180123681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: 455430, 455 302, 455427, 455428, 4554521, 455 121, 455 133
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18519 Operations control, administration or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18521 Systems of inter linked satellites, i.e. inter satellite service for optical links between satellites H04B10/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software described herein provide enhancements for deploying applications in satellite systems. In one example, a satellite system comprises a communication interface configured to receive software payloads, and a satellite control system configured to operate logistical control elements of the satellite system. The satellite system further comprises a virtualized execution system configured to execute ones of the software payloads deployed on the satellite system as associated virtual nodes that share resources of the satellite system.

Claims

1. A satellite device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive software payloads for execution by the satellite device;

an execution system configured to execute ones of the software payloads deployed on the satellite device as associated virtual nodes that share resources of the satellite device, wherein the software payloads execute independently of a satellite control system of the satellite device that is configured to operate logistical control elements of the satellite device; and

the execution system configured to transfer state information related to execution of ones of the virtual nodes to at least a peer satellite over the communication interface.

2. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

the execution system configured to execute the ones of the software payloads as the associated virtual nodes on the satellite device according to at least a resource schedule that indicates a timewise allocation of the associated virtual nodes to the resources of the satellite device.

3. The satellite device of claim 2, comprising:

the communication interface configured to receive the resource schedule and the software payloads over at least one of a ground communication portion and a peer satellite communication portion of the communication interface, wherein the ground communication portion communicates with a ground-based station to receive first ones of the software payloads, and wherein the peer communication portion communicates with at least one other satellite device to receive second ones of the software payloads.

4. The satellite device of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more sensor systems communicatively coupled with the execution system over associated communication links;

the execution system configured to provide access for ones of the virtual nodes to the one or more sensor systems as the resources of the satellite device.

5. The satellite device of claim 1, wherein the satellite control system is configured to operate the logistical control elements of the satellite device independent of a state of the execution system;

and wherein the logistical control elements comprise one or more of satellite position control elements, satellite inertial control elements, satellite orbital control elements, satellite power control elements, and satellite thermal control elements.

6. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

the execution system comprising a hypervisor system configured to isolate execution and memory resources of the execution system among the ones of the software payloads when executing the associated virtual nodes; and

the execution system comprising a storage system configured to store at least the ones of the software payloads in an inactive state when not being executed by the execution system.

7. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

the execution system configured to receive initial state information from a first satellite device over the communication interface, and process the initial state information to modify the initial state information into the state information for transfer to at least the peer satellite device and further processing by at least the peer satellite device.

8. The satellite device of claim 7, further comprising:

one or more sensor systems communicatively coupled to the execution system, wherein the state information comprises data related to monitored sensor activity of the one or more sensor systems.

9. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

the execution system configured to transfer the state information for delivery to the peer satellite device that is configured as a backup to the satellite device;

the communication interface configured to transfer the state information over at least a peer communication portion for delivery to the peer satellite device.

10. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

the execution system configured to receive state information related to execution of one or more virtual nodes on a further satellite device;

the execution system configured to establish execution of at least one virtual node on the satellite device in response to receiving the state information, the at least one virtual node continuing at least one activity performed by the further satellite device and indicated in the state information.

11. A method of operating a satellite device, the method comprising:

in a communication interface, receiving software payloads for execution by the satellite device;

in an execution system, executing ones of the software payloads deployed on the satellite device as associated virtual nodes that share resources of the satellite device, wherein the software payloads execute independently of a satellite control system of the satellite device that is configured to operate logistical control elements of the satellite device; and

in the execution system, transferring state information related to execution of ones of the virtual nodes to at least a peer satellite over the communication interface.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in the execution system, executing the ones of the of software payloads as the associated virtual nodes on the satellite device according to at least a resource schedule that indicates timewise allocations of the associated virtual nodes to the resources of the satellite device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in the communication interface, receiving the resource schedule over at least one of a ground communication portion and a peer communication portion, wherein the ground communication portion communicates with a ground-based station to receive first ones of the software payloads, and wherein the peer communication portion communicates with at least one other satellite device to receive second ones of the software payloads.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in the execution system, providing access for ones of the virtual nodes to one or more sensor systems as the resources of the satellite device according to at least the resource schedule, wherein the one or more sensor systems are communicatively coupled with the execution system over associated communication links.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the satellite control system is configured to operate the logistical control elements of the satellite device independent of a state of the execution system;

and wherein the logistical control elements comprise one or more of satellite position control elements, satellite inertial control elements, satellite orbital control elements, satellite power control elements, and satellite thermal control elements.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in the execution system, receiving initial state information from a first satellite device over the communication interface, and processing the initial state information to modify the initial state information into the state information for transfer to at least the peer satellite device and further processing by at least the peer satellite device.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in the execution system, transferring the state information for delivery to the peer satellite device that is configured as a backup to the satellite device;

in the communication interface, transferring the state information over at least a peer communication portion for delivery to the peer satellite device.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in the execution system, receiving state information related to execution of one or more virtual nodes on a further satellite device;

in the execution system, establishing execution of at least one virtual node on the satellite device in response to receiving the state information, wherein the at least one virtual node continues at least one activity performed by the further satellite device indicated in the state information.

19. A satellite software execution platform for a satellite device, comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media;

a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media; and

an execution service comprising program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media that, when read and executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least;

store software payloads for execution that are received over a communication interface comprising at least a peer communication portion;

execute ones of the software payloads deployed on the satellite device as associated virtual nodes that share resources of the satellite device, wherein the software payloads execute independently of a satellite control system of the satellite device that is configured to operate logistical control elements of the satellite device;

transfer state information related to execution of ones of the virtual nodes to at least a peer satellite over the communication interface.

20. The satellite software execution platform of claim 19, comprising further program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least:

receive initial state information from a first satellite device over the communication interface;

establish execution of at least one virtual node on the satellite device in response to receiving the initial state information; and

process the initial state information using the at least one virtual node to modify the initial state information into the state information for transfer to at least the peer satellite device and further processing by at least the peer satellite device.