Bitmap Dynamic Header Optimization for Overhead Reduction in IP Services for Narrowband Channels

When carrying IP traffic over low-bandwidth narrowband links, the IP header consumes a significant amount of bandwidth. In many deployments, tactical networks possess limited link capacity. Substantial reduction in the transmission overhead is possible by suppressing the repetition of static information, and by synchronizing the sender and receiver for reproducing the information. Instead of sending all the fields of the header with every packet, information of some selected fields can be transferred based on the consideration of how these fields vary over the period of the data transfer. The approach can result in a considerable reduction in header overhead thereby improving the bandwidth utilization. The paper introduces the concept of dynamism in the compression process by utilizing the bit-map pattern. To mitigate the loss of primary information, an acknowledgement-based handshake mechanism has been introduced which is supplemented by synchronization maintenance. The results evident the improved bandwidth utilization, less overhead, and header compression efficiency of 50% to 90% which is revitalizing for narrowband channels and low bandwidth MANET environment.