With the explosion of traffic demand in recent years, the integration of satellite optical networks and terrestrial networks (ISTN) creates a promising networking solution for future low-latency, high-rate, and high-capacity communications. Owing to the high cost of deploying and maintaining a satellite optical network, it is critical to carefully design and plan the network to ensure the performance of the network. Thus, a semi-physical simulation platform based on software-defined networks

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... Ns) is developed to simulate a satellite optical network and evaluate the performance of the proposed label-based advanced orbiting system (AOS) frame switching method that adheres to the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems' recommended standard (CCSDS). The semi-physical simulation platform has two major innovations: (1) adapting and integrating network protocols between the CCSDS and open system interconnect (OSI) reference models, particularly at the data link layer, and (2) the foundation for an SDN-based satellite optical network. In the control plane, real-time VxWorks Simulators serve as controllers to establish and manage various network protocols and the link manager protocol (LMP). Here, network protocols include open shortest path first (OSPF) for routing managing and controlling messages, constraint shortest path first–traffic engineering (CSPF-TE), and constraint-label distribution protocol (CR-LDP) for routing data services. LMP is used to assign and reserve satellite optical link resources. The performance of the architecture and protocols is evaluated via a semi-physical simulation platform.