Hierarchical beam management

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a server computer system of a satellite communications system, the method comprising: receiving, by the server computer system from a first client computer system, a request for communication service for a first user associated with the first client computer system; in response to the request, accessing a first set of communication service requirements that specify satellite resources to satisfy a communication service need of the first user;

accessing, by the server computer system, an existing unified beam plan that includes information on a first group of satellite beams currently used to provide communication services to other users in the satellite communications system, the other users being associated with corresponding sets of communication service requirements;

modifying the existing unified beam plan to provide the communication service to the first user in accordance with the first set of communication service requirements and to the other users in accordance with the corresponding sets of communication service requirements, wherein modifying the existing unified beam plan comprises:

determining that the satellite resources to satisfy the communication service need of the first user conflict with satellite resources currently provisioned to provide communication service to a second user of the other users;

determining that a first priority for the communication service for the first user is higher than a second priority for the communication service for the second user;

in response to determining that the first priority is higher than the second priority,

releasing the satellite resources currently provisioned to provide the communication service to the second user, and

allocating the satellite resources to satisfy the communication service need of the first user; and

deploying the modified unified beam plan.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of communication service requirements includes one or more of a satellite coverage area, a satellite bandwidth, beam connectivity information, and interference requirements.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein releasing the satellite resources currently provisioned to provide communication service to the second user and allocating the satellite resources to satisfy the communication service need of the first user comprises:

replacing a first satellite beam included in the first group of satellite beams configured to provide the communication service to the second user with a second satellite beam configured to provide the communication service to the first user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing a first set of communication service requirements in response to the request comprises:

determining that the first set of communication service requirements satisfy a first agreement established between the first user and an operator of the satellite communications system.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first priority corresponds to the first agreement and the second priority corresponds to a second agreement between the second user and the operator, and wherein determining that the first priority is higher than the second priority comprises:

determining that the first agreement is a constraint agreement that guarantees a particular level of service by the satellite communications system to provide the communication service to the first user; and

determining that the second agreement is not a constraint agreement and devoid of a guarantee of a level of service by communications system.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the particular level of service includes parameter values for one or more of satellite beam clear sky power, satellite beam interference power, percentage availability of satellite connection, satellite beam bandwidth, or satellite geographic coverage area.

7. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

receiving, by the server computer system, a second request for a second communication service from the first user;

in response to the second request, accessing a second set of communication service requirements that specify satellite resources to provide the second communication service to the first user;

determining that the second set of communication service requirements does not satisfy the first agreement;

in response to determining that the second set of communication service requirements does not satisfy the first agreement, checking whether an unallocated satellite beam is available in the modified unified beam plan that can be allocated to provide the second communication service to the first user; and

based on an unallocated satellite beam being available, updating the modified unified beam plan by allocating the unallocated satellite beam for providing the second communication service to the first user; and

deploying the updated unified beam plan.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein deploying the modified unified beam plan comprises:

determining a user-specific beam plan based on the modified unified beam plan, the user-specific beam plan including information on the satellite resources for allocation to provide the communication service to the first user;

communicating the user specific beam plan to the first client computer system;

receiving a communication from the first client computer system indicating that the user-specific beam plan has been approved; and

upon receiving the communication from the first client computer system, deploying the modified unified beam plan.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a server computer system of a satellite communications system, a request from a first client computer system for communication service for a first user associated with the first client computer system;

in response to the request, accessing a first set of communication service requirements that specify satellite resources to satisfy a communication service need of the first user;

accessing, by the server computer system, an existing unified beam plan that includes information on a first group of satellite beams currently used to provide communication services to other users in the satellite communications system, the other users being associated with corresponding sets of communication service requirements;

modifying the existing unified beam plan to provide the communication service to the first user in accordance with the first set of communication service requirements and to the other users in accordance with the corresponding sets of communication service requirements, wherein modifying the existing unified beam plan comprises:

determining that the satellite resources to satisfy the communication service need of the first user conflict with satellite resources currently provisioned to provide communication service to a second user of the other users; determining that a first priority for the communication service for the first user is higher than a second priority for the communication service for the second user;

in response to determining that the first priority is higher than the second priority,

releasing the satellite resources currently provisioned to provide the communication service to the second user; and

allocating the satellite resources to satisfy the communication service need of the first user; and

deploying the modified unified beam plan.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first set of communication service requirements includes one or more of a satellite coverage area, a satellite bandwidth, beam connectivity information, and interference requirements.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein releasing the satellite resources currently provisioned to provide communication service to the second user and allocating the satellite resources to satisfy the communication service need of the first user comprises:

replacing a first satellite beam included in the first group of satellite beams configured to provide the communication service to the second user with a second satellite beam configured to provide the communication service to the first user.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein accessing a first set of communication service requirements in response to the request comprises:

determining that the first set of communication service requirements satisfy a first agreement established between the first user and an operator of the satellite communications system.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the first priority corresponds to the first agreement and the second priority corresponds to a second agreement between the second user and the operator, and wherein determining that the first priority is higher than the second priority comprises:

determining that the first agreement is a constraint agreement that guarantees a particular level of service by the satellite communications system to provide the communication service to the first user; and

determining that the second agreement is not a constraint agreement and devoid of a guarantee of a level of service by the satellite communications system.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the particular level of service includes parameter values for one or more of satellite beam clear sky power, satellite beam interference power, percentage availability of satellite connection, satellite beam bandwidth, or satellite geographic coverage area.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving, by the server computer system, a second request for a second communication service from the first user;

in response to the second request, accessing a second set of communication service requirements that specify satellite resources to provide the second communication service to the first user;

determining that the second set of communication service requirements does not satisfy the first agreement;

in response to determining that the second set of communication service requirements does not satisfy the first agreement, checking whether an unallocated satellite beam is available in the modified unified beam plan that can be allocated to provide the second communication service to the first user; and

based on an unallocated satellite beam being available, updating the modified unified beam plan by allocating the unallocated satellite beam for providing the second communication service to the first user; and

deploying the updated unified beam plan.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein deploying the modified unified beam plan comprises:

determining a user-specific beam plan based on the modified unified beam plan, the user-specific beam plan including information on the satellite resources for allocation to provide the communication service to the first user;

communicating the user-specific beam plan to the first client computer system;

receiving a communication from the first client computer system indicating that the user-specific beam plan has been approved; and

upon receiving the communication from the first client computer system, deploying the modified unified beam plan.

17. A satellite communications system comprising:

one or more processors; and

non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a server computer system of the satellite communications system, a request from a first client computer system for communication service for a first user associated with the first client computer system;

in response to the request, accessing a first set of communication service requirements that specify satellite resources to satisfy a communication service need of the first user;

accessing, by the server computer system, an existing unified beam plan that includes information on a first group of satellite beams currently used to provide communication services to other users in the satellite communications system, the other users being associated with corresponding sets of communication service requirements;

modifying the existing unified beam plan to provide the communication service to the first user in accordance with the first set of communication service requirements and to the other users in accordance with the corresponding sets of communication service requirements, wherein modifying the existing unified beam plan comprises:

determining that the satellite resources to satisfy the communication service need of the first user conflict with satellite resources currently provisioned to provide communication service to a second user of the other users;

determining that a first priority for the communication service for the first user is higher than a second priority for the communication service for the second user;

in response to determining that the first priority is higher than the second priority,

releasing the satellite resources currently provisioned to provide the communication service to the second user, and

allocating the satellite resources to satisfy the communication service need of the first user; and

deploying the modified unified beam plan.

18. The satellite communications system of claim 17 , wherein the first set of communication service requirements includes one or more of a satellite coverage area, a satellite bandwidth, beam connectivity information, and interference requirements.

19. The satellite communications system of claim 17 , wherein releasing the satellite resources currently provisioned to provide communication service to the second user and allocating the satellite resources to satisfy the communication service need of the first user comprises:

replacing a first satellite beam included in the first group of satellite beams configured to provide the communication service to the second user with a second satellite beam configured to provide the communication service to the first user.

20. The satellite communications system of claim 17 , wherein accessing a first set of communication service requirements in response to the request comprises:

determining that the first set of communication service requirements satisfy a first agreement established between the first user and an operator of the satellite communications system.

21. The satellite communications system of claim 20 , wherein the first priority corresponds to the first agreement and the second priority corresponds to a second agreement between the second user and the operator, and wherein determining that the first priority is higher than the second priority comprises:

determining that the first agreement is a constraint agreement that guarantees a particular level of service by the satellite communications system to provide the communication service to the first user; and

determining that the second agreement is not a constraint agreement and devoid of a guarantee of a level of service by the satellite communications system.

22. The satellite communications system of claim 21 , wherein the particular level of service includes parameter values for one or more of satellite beam clear sky power, satellite beam interference power, percentage availability of satellite connection, satellite beam bandwidth, or satellite geographic coverage area.