Realizing overlay Xcast in a tactical service infrastructure: An approach based on a service-oriented architecture

The service-oriented architecture (SOA) paradigm is increasingly applied to the armed forces' IT infrastructures. Previously, the tactical service infrastructure (TSI) developed in the TACTICS project by various European partners was proposed to overcome the challenges posed by the disadvantaged networks of the tactical battlefield. In this paper we focus on the realization of an overlay Xcast mechanism in this TSI to make good usage of the scarce bandwidth typically available in tactical military networks. The mechanism was implemented and its feasibility demonstrated in the TACTICS project.