DOD

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DOD Federal VTC Interoperability Standards
In support of Defense Information Systems
Agency Interoperability Directorate, IN42

• Chuck Grandgent
• Dir. Strategic Development
• Octave Communications, Inc., Nashua, NH
• Chair, IMTC Dataconferencing Activity Group
• E-mail chuck_at_octavecom.com
• November 2002

UNCLASSIFIED
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Background

• - In the 1980s and early 1990s DOD relied on
  proprietary equipment to achieve VTC
  interoperability.
• - In the mid 1990s DOD successfully switched to
  international standards-based VTC equipment to
  achieve interoperability.
• As a result, DOD is now no longer reliant on any
  one VTC vendor to achieve interoperability.
• Multiple vendors within DOD
• Customer has the option to choose the vendor that
  best meets his particular needs.
• Interoperability is good (but not perfect)
• However, technology and use of the technology is
  rapidly evolving
• New standards are often needed to keep up with
  new technology and new requirements

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Joint Technical Architecture

• Joint Technical Architecture (JTA) is the set of
  information technology standards needed for
  interoperability within U.S. Dept of Defense(DOD)
• Developed jointly by all DOD Services and Agencies

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Joint Technical Architecture

• Goal improve interoperability within DOD
• Adopts mostly international standards
• Includes mandatory and emerging standards
• To be included as mandatory, standard must be
  approved (decided or ratified) and have
  commercially available implementations
• Website www-jta.itsi.disa.mil
• JTA 4.0 approved Aug 12, 2002
• JTA 5.0 in draft form

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JTA Policy

• JTA is mandated for all DOD per Aug. 12, 2002
  memorandum
• Exceptions require a waiver with concurrence from
  USD(AT) and ASD(C3I)
• Memorandum signed by
• E.C. Aldridge, Jr Under Secretary of Defense
  (Acquisition, Technology Logistics
• John P. Stenbit DOD Chief Information Officer
• OK to implement non-standard protocols to meet
  special requirements, as long as the
  corresponding JTA standard protocol is also
  implemented.

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JTA Status v 4.0

• Latest approved version 4.0 dated August 12,
  2002
• Mandates the following families of international
  standards pertaining to VTC and collaboration
• H.320 for digital switched ckts
• H.323 for packet switched networks such as TCP/IP
• Lots of recent interest in DOD
• H.324 for low bit rate (9.6 28.8 Kbps) (POTS)
• T.120 for all circuit types
• References Federal Standard for VTC for further
  details
• (Federal Telecommunications Recommendation 1080)

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FTR 1080

• Federal Telecommunications Recommendation 1080
• Federal Standard for VTC
• Website www.ncs.gov/n2/content/standard/html/ftr.
  htm
• Latest approved version FTR 1080B-2002
• Unanimous approval by Federal Telecommunication
  Standards Committee
• Final Approval --- 15 Aug 2002
• Adds H.323 for VTC over packet switched networks
• (in addition to H.320 for circuit switched
  networks)
• Supercedes FTR 1080A-1998
• Appendix A is VTC Profile

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VTC Profile (FTR 1080B-2002, Appendix A)

• Detailed profile of standards tailored for DOD
  Interoperability
• Includes security specifications (Type 1
  encryption)
• Includes Protocol Implementation Conformance
  Statements (PICS)
• Has been very useful in improving
  interoperability in DOD
• Cited in DOD procurement documents to raise the
  bar on standards-based interoperability
• Mandated for DOD by DOD policy and JTA
• Optional for rest of Federal Govt

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VTC Profile Features

• Point-to-Point
• Multipoint
• Circuit Switched
• Packet Switched
• Digital Compressed Video
• Near Full Motion
• Audio Coding
• Narrowband
• Wideband

• Collaboration
• Application Sharing
• Shared Whiteboard
• Still Image Transfer
• File Transfer
• Security (Encryption)
• Classified
• Unclassified Sensitive
• ISDN Interfaces
• Electrical Interfaces
• Mechanical Interfaces

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Key Standards Interfaces in the VTC Profile
(FTR 1080B-2002, Appendix A)
Audio Standards
VTC Standards

• Video Standards

G.711 Narrow-band Voice
G.722 Wide-band
Voice G.723 Low Bit-rate Voice G.728
Narrow-band Voice G.729 Low Bit-rate Voice
H.320 Narrowband VTC H.323 Packet Network
VTC H.221 Frame Structure H.224 Real Time
Control H.225 Multiplexing H.230 Control
Signals H.242 Establish Comm H.245
Signalling H.281 Far-end camera control H.450
Supplementary Services
H.261 Video Coding H.263 Video Coding
Multipoint Standards
Collaboration Standards
T.120 Multimedia Data T.122 Multipoint
Comm T.123 Data Protocol Stacks T.124
Conference Control T.125 Multipoint Comm
Spec T.126 Shared Whiteboard T.127 File
Transfer T.128 Application Sharing
H.231 MCUs H.243 Establish Comm H.245 MCUs
Interface Standards
EIA-366-A Dialing Interface TIA/EIA-422-B
Digital Interface TIA/EIA-423-B Digital
Interface EIA-449-1 Digital
Interface TIA/EIA-530-A Digital Interface
Encryption Interfaces
KG - 194 Interface KIV - 7 Interface
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VTC Standards Policy

• FTR 1080 is official VTC standards document for
  DOD
• Mandated per 30 Mar 1998 ASD-C3I policy
  memorandum and as per JTA 4.0
• Copy of policy memorandum can be found at end of
  FTR 1080B-2002.

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Next version of VTC Profile Focus on joint
tactical VTC stds

• Army is fielding its Battlefield VTC (BVTC)
• Navy is fielding shipboard Tactical VTC
• NATO is planning its tactical VTC system
• Other DOD components are also starting to use
  tactical VTC
• Need for interoperability to existing DOD VTC
  base, other government agencies contractors
• Need for joint, combined, coalition
  interoperability between DOD services, NATO,
  coalition partners
• First meeting held Sept. 24-25, 2002 (govt only)
• Looking for voluntary industry participation

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Army BVTC Equipment
Speaker
Video Camera
Router
Radio
Headphones/Mike
Ruggedized laptop
Microphone
Audio/Video CODEC
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A few of the Issues

• Need better support for common set of low bit
  rate audio standards on H.323 VTC
• Forced to go with G.711 as common denominator
• Need better interoperability support of T.120
  standards in H.320 and H.323 VTC products
• More robust, fully integrated, full featured
  implementations of T.120
• Firewall issues
• Need standardized, non-proprietary methods of
  passing through firewalls without opening many
  ports
• Managing gatekeeper configurations - prone to
  human error
• Error resiliency is key requirement for future
  codecs

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Summary

• U.S. federal government relies on international
  standards for interoperability
• The JTA mandates the minimum set of standards and
  guidelines for the acquisition of all DoD systems
• JTA 4.0 was approved 12 Aug 2002 JTA 5.0 is in
  draft form
• Primary standards applicable to VTC currently in
  JTA H.320, H.323, T.120 families
• FTR 1080 VTC Profile is a profile of VTC
  standards tailored for DOD and cited in the JTA
• VTC Profile to be enhanced to more fully address
  Joint Tactical VTC standards