Computerized Aeronautical Information Services CAIS System

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Computerized Aeronautical Information Services
(CAIS) System
East Tennessee State University International
Civil Aviation Organization
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Introduction

• This presentation is a summary of a research done
  by the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and
  ICAO between 2001 and 2002
• The research focused on the suitability of
  existing technologies for making digital
  aeronautical information globally available

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Project Goals

• Up to date aeronautical information available to
  any user, anytime, anywhere (3 As)
• Data quality must be ensured
• The system must be robust and recoverable
• The system needs to preserve States autonomy
• The system cost for the States should be low
• The system should be as compatible with the
  existing paper based system as necessary

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Problems to Solve

• Creating an electronic version of the
  Aeronautical Information Publication
• A format for the electronic version
• A protocol for interchanging the electronic
  version
• Updating the electronic AIP
• A format for the updates
• A protocol for interchanging the updates

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Aeronautical Data Package (ADP)

• Today, Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP)
  is brought up-to-date by
• AIP Amendments
• AIP Supplements
• NOTAM
• An always up-to-date electronic AIP is called the
  Aeronautical Data Package (ADP)

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Computerized Aeronautical Information Services
(CAIS) system

• Three tier architecture
• Database
• Servers
• Clients
• Publisher-Subscriber Model
• Stores and retrieves ADPs
• Broadcasts ADP update information

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Aeronautical Information Database (AID)

• Verifies data integrity
• Stores ADP
• Controls ADP versioning and source

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Aeronautical Communications and Transmissions
Protocol (ACTP)

• A dedicated network of cooperating computer
  servers connected in a hierarchical structure
• Supporting
• ADP storage
• ADP updates
• ADP availability

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Aeronautical Communications and Transmissions
Protocol (ACTP)

• Designed using the concepts of
• Data integrity enforcement
• Load balancing
• Content availability
• Fault tolerance

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Servers in the ACTP

• CAGIS Central Aeronautical Global Information
  Server
• Synchronizes all changes in the system
• Connects with the AID
• Located at ICAO HQs in Montreal

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Servers in the ACTP (cont.)

• AGIS Aeronautical Global Information Server
• Multiple servers containing the formatted ADPs
• Answers users request for an ADP
• Located at ICAO Regional Offices?

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Servers in the ACTP (cont.)

• ASIS Aeronautical State Information Server
• Contracting State's level server
• One server per State, similar to the
  International NOTAM Office today
• Suggested changes to the ADP are approved or
  denied

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Servers in the ACTP (cont.)

• AISIS_CUP Aeronautical In-State Information
  Server_Centre for Update Proposals
• AIS office, aerodrome, ATS, technical services
  etc.
• Located at aerodromes or other in-State locations
• Propose updates to its own States ADP
• Request an ADP of any other State

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Servers in the ACTP (cont.)

• AISIS_ARC Aeronautical In-State Information
  Server_ADP Request Centre
• In-State users of aeronautical information
• Requests an ADP of its own or any other State

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The ACTP Network
Push Technology
CAGIS
Pull Technology
AGIS Network Cloud
ASIS
AISIS_CUP
AISIS_ARC
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ACTP Functionality

• ADP Functions
• Retrieve ADP
• Update ADP
• Server Functions
• Information updates
• Ability to add or remove subscribers at any time
• Network Functions
• Traffic filtering by AGIS network tier
• Failure recovery in the AGIS network tier

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Advantages to the Approach

• State autonomy is maintained
• Based on the concept of data interchange
• Network traffic is minimized
• The system is expandable
• The system is modular

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Results

• By focusing on the interchange process, a working
  modular architecture was created
• Using ICAO Annex 15, and Doc 8126 as a prototype
  lead to an XML interchange format
• Currently available technology can be used to
  electronically interchange aeronautical
  information
• A full working system can be built along these
  lines given sufficient support and resources

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Future Work

• Security and Integrity
• Network Security
• Encryption
• CRC error detection
• Redundancy
• Analysis of full network traffic load
• ADP Enhancements
• A more precise document specification would allow
  much greater automated integrity checking
• ISO 10646 Multi-lingual character set

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• Questions?
• THANK YOU