Avitech AG
 
 
    Home Company Products Career References Publications Contact
 


Press Release Avitech AG

Concept and involvement
AMHS
EDS and Avitech

Order form

Concept and involvement

ICAO has established standards and recommended practices that require all contracting states to introduce the Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) to allow ground, air-to-ground and avionics data subnetworks to interoperate by adopting common interface services and protocols based on the ISO open systems interconnection (OSI) reference model. The ground-ground ATS Message Handling Service (ATSMHS) is going to replace the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) world wide and in Europe it will also replace the Common ICAO Data Interchange Network (CIDIN) part of the Aeronautical Fixed Services. The ICAO ATN standardisation process started in the late 1980s and the first operational ATSMHS systems were taken into operational use in Spain by Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegacíon Aérea (Aena) and in Germany by the German Armed Forces in the mid-1990s. This was followed by the Republic of Korea in 2001. Other countries made trials and introduced further operational systems in the years after 2001 (Hong Kong, Japan, USA and others). All ATSMHS systems are still communication islands and do not interoperate with other ATSMHS systems. This means that the advantages of ATSMHS can only be used within those islands. The ICAO SARPs for ATN/ATSMHS are published in ICAO Annex 10, and in the Manual of Technical Provisions, which is available in its third edition (Doc 9705). The Comprehensive ATN Manual (Doc 9739) gives further guidance. To coordinate the work of ATSMHS and ATN implementation in the ICAO regions most of the ICAO Regional Offices have introduced Implementation Task Forces and Sub-Working Groups. ATN/ATSMHS Seminars in the Asia/Pacific, Caribbean/South America, and European/North Atlantic Region, actively supported by the manufacturing industry, have assisted in the implementation. From the regional documentation point of view there is an ATSMHS Interface Control Document available for the Asia/Pacific Region and in Europe, Eurocontrol is going to publish a profile for ATSMHS over TCP/IP for intra-regional communication between COM Centres of Eurocontrol member States. The foundation of the First Multipartite International Realisation of ICAO SARPs AMHS Trials (FIRST Team) is a further initiative in Europe. This team consists of the air navigation service providers (ANSPs) of Spain (Aena), the German Civil ANSP, Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), and the German military (BATSO). The three ANSPs are supported by the manufacturers of their systems, Avitech for BATSO, Comsoft for DFS and Telefonica Soluciones for Aena. The team has developed three sets of test documents and exercised all the tests successfully between summer 2003 and summer 2004.

Future global coordination

The first operational ATSMHS implementations have now been running for eight years. In parallel some test and trial systems have gathered experience. All this now causes a number of proposed changes that need to be coordinated in the Change Control Board, the ATN Maintenance Sub-Group of the newly formed Aeronautical Communication Panel (ACP), which has provisionally planned its first meeting (ACP/1) for the end of June or beginning of July 2005. This timeline means that amended SARPs, if adopted, can become applicable not before end of 2006. The ACP covers in total nine working groups whereby ground-ground ATN SARPs-related issues are handled by the Working Group N (Networking) (WG N). The WG N is further divided into four subgroups. To overcome the still fragmented situation in the ATSMHS services between countries there are a number of initiatives under way in the various ICAO regions. In particular the plan to enhance the Basic ATSMHS Service to the Extended ATSMHS Service is an important step. Important additional functional groups are:

ATN Directory Service (DIR)
This leads to a number of efficiency and security benefits including:

  • Increased quality of service brought about by submission-time verification of recipient address and data reception capabilities. This ensures that messages are sent containing data that is in compliance with the abilities of the receiving party and that the number of bad addresses entered into the system is sharply reduced.
  • Smooth deployment by providing a mapping (lookup) between AFTN and O/R address structures, allowing the use of eight-digit AFTN addresses within the new environment while hiding the generation of O/R addresses from end users.
  • The support of personal and shared address books (in a local directory), making the selection of recipients a clean, efficient and error-free process while allowing the storage of information on users not yet registered in the ATN-wide directory.
The use of an ATN directory makes choosing recipients during message generation as simple as using a white pages service to lookup addresses.

Unstructured binary data
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is going to replace alphanumerical codes with a binary universal form for the representation of meteorological data (BUFR) codes in aeronautical meteorological messages, starting from 2007. As a possible consequence, all AFTN terminals should be capable of receiving binary data by 2015 and, from 2007, to deliver Table Driven Code Forms (binary) data. The support of this requirement by ATSMHS file body parts brings the real advantage of ATSMHS to users.

System, Network and Application (SM)
This is how the ICAO ATN SARPs defines the XMIB for system management. The system s management functionality is desirable and achievable today. However it is not practical to use XMIB to achieve this, as CMIP implementations suitable to perform this management are not generally available. The use of the directory for configuration options, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) for monitoring, and vendor specific functions for control is a better option.

Using TCP/IP as an ATN sub network
As the European strategy for implementing TCP/IP in the groundground network, this leads to the necessity of implementing dual-stack ATN end-systems (TP4/CLNP and TCP/IP), which need to be implemented at inter-regional boundary gateways to other ICAO regions and at intra-regional gateways to air-ground ATN routers for possible relay of messages from the ground-ground network to the air-subnetworks or routers.

Message Server Access Profiles
These are for ATSMHS user agent communication using the P7 protocol. If enforced message delivery is required then the P3 protocol is used. The HMI for the user agent assists the operator transition from AFTN to ATSMHS. The user agent includes templates for generating NOTAM, SNOWTAM and flight plans and has a configurable local message store to enable rapid tracing and retrieval of both transmitted and received messages. In addition address books are available and files can be submitted as attachments.

Concepts and user involvement
When taking the Extended ATSMHS Service into account there are two user groups that are affected:
  • End-user working on user agents;
  • User (operator) working in COM centres at management and control positions (MCP).
The end-users of AFTN terminals and operators of AFTN/CIDIN COM centres have not been greatly involved in the ATSMHS work until now because in the vast majority of cases their working environment was not changed by ATSMHS. For the Extended ATSMHS this can no longer be the case and the operational concepts need to be developed well in advance by involving experienced users from the beginning. This is necessary to raise the acceptance of ATSMHS and to bring the user to a level that will allow them to use the new features of the Extended ATSMHS service and to build in requirements from the practical experience gathered by users during AFTN and CIDIN use.
At the 11th Air Navigation Conference in autumn 2003 (ANConf11) Jack Howell, Director Air Navigation Bureau at ICAO in Montreal, described an "operational concept" as "how an integrated global ATM system should operate, providing States and industry with clearer objectives for designing and implementing ATM and supporting CNS systems".
This description can be directly mapped to the implementation of the Extended ATSMHS service and especially to the operational use of the directory services, the use of file attachments, the system management and future security services. Without a clear operational concept and sufficient training it will become extremely difficult to implement the Extended ATSMHS service.
Avitech is prepared to play an active role in the development of an operational concept for the implementation of Extended ATSMHS and to involve users in the system implementation. This is part of the Avitech policy to focus on requirements, training, usability and acceptability of their products and systems.
Avitech has already developed operational concepts in other aviation areas such as aeronautical information management, aeronautical data chains and flight planning. This was done collectively with users and operators. Avitech brings partnership with other companies and its own ATSMHS products into this process.
Avitech partner: Isode, UK
Avitech has chosen Isode as its new X.400 and X.500 supplier because of the extensive customer base of Isode X.400/X.500 products in industry and government and because of the clear vision and release planning of Isode in implementing specific requirements from ICAO ATN SARPs into its products. Avitech has worked with a number of X.400 suppliers since the implementation of its first ICAO ATSMHS in 1996.
By combining the Avitech Aeronautical Data and Message Handling System (ADAMS) family of ATSMHS products with the Isode M-Switch, M-Vault and M-Store, the following ATSMHS Infrastructure can be implemented now:
ADAMS AFTN/CIDIN switch and gateway
This is an AFTN switch using MTP procedures. X.25 connections, TCP/IP, asynchronous connections, X.3 and X.29 can be used. Routing and relaying with multiple addressee indicators and the processing of ITA-2 and IA-5 message formats are supported. The gateway ensures that messaging between AFTN and CIDIN and the ATSMHS/AFTN gateway is a seamless transition towards ATSMHS.

ADAMS ATSMHS switch
s is an ICAO SARPs 3 compliant ATSMHS switch using MTA/X.400 procedures. The message transfer and control unit and the user agent provide functions for interpersonal messaging. XF and CAAS addressee schemes are supported. The gateway to AFTN and CIDIN ensures a seamless transition during ATSMHS implementation.

ATN lower layers
The ADAMS system supports the ATN lower layers including TP0, IDRP, CLNP, ES-IS, IS-IS as well as X.25, IP V4/V6, DLPI, and LAP B. They are integrated into the ADAMS products from our partners and delivered together with the ATSMHS package. Dual-stack ES implementation is available.

System, network and application management
The system, network, routing and application management for ADAMS is integrated into the Integrated Monitor and Control Position (iMCP). This unit covers all functionality necessary for operating the switches, gateways, networks, users, applications and their safety and security. The iMCP for AFTN, CIDIN, ATSMHS messaging is designed to have a common integrated and harmonised user interface.

ADAMS end-user station
This is available for both the AFTN and the ATSMHS switches. The AFTN switch communication is X.29/PAD, X.25 SVC/PVC, TCP/IP and asynchronous. The ATSMHS user agent is part of the end-user station and communicates using the P7 protocol over TCP/IP. If enforced message delivery is required, the P3 protocol is available.
Options
The implementation of the X.500 directory service with DAP and DSP is available as an option. For interfacing to other services or gateways an XOM API of the X/Open Group can be used.

Conclusion
ATSMHS implementation of Extended Services can start now. With the simultaneous development of an operational concept for ATSMHS and the strong involvement of users and operators, ICAO s global and regional initiatives and Eurocontrol s activities shall be used by ANSPs, CAAs and industry to expedite ATSMHS implementation.



Friedrichshafen, 18 January 2004




For further information please contact:
Avitech AG
Eleni Triantafillidou Bahnhofplatz 1
88045 Friedrichshafen / Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 75 41 / 282-473
Fax: +49 (0) 75 41 / 282-199
E-Mail: Eleni.Triantafillidou@avitech-ag.com
WEB: www.avitech-ag.com

       
  © 2009, Avitech AG    Send  Print  Sitemap Privacy Statement Impressum