Satellite systems delivering broadband multimedia services need to be effectively managed to ensure satisfactory performance is maintained. In order to help improve compatibility of performance management functions of satellite systems and their network components a set of new specifications has been issued for ETSI Broadband Satellite Multimedia (BSM) systems. These specifications cover key issues needed in a functional framework for managing IP (Internet Protocol) services over satellite.

The approach used by ETSI’s Technical Committee for Satellite Earth Stations and Systems (TC-SES) has been to ensure that protocols developed for terrestrial IP networks by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) are compatible with satellite systems, using BSM-defined adaptation when needed. The suite of four technical specifications on this topic produced by the ETSI project team STF-344, funded by the European Commission and the European Free Trade Association, is as follows:

• TS 102 672: “Satellite Earth Station and systems (SES); Broadband Satellite Multimedia; Management Functional Architecture”.
• TS 102 673: “Satellite Earth Station and systems (SES); Broadband Satellite Multimedia; Performance Parameters”.
• TS 102 675-1: “Satellite Earth Station and systems (SES); Broadband Satellite Multimedia; Performance Management at the SI-SAP [Satellite Independent Service Access Point]”.
• TS 102 675-2: “Satellite Earth Station and systems (SES); Broadband Satellite Multimedia; Performance Management Information Base”.

The Management Functional Architecture provides a framework for satellite network management and the Performance Management uses this architecture to define management functions that are linked to the existing ETSI BSM Working Group (BSM-WG) Quality of Service specifications.