Winlink 2000 Digital Messaging for EmComm

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Winlink 2000Digital Messaging for EmComm

• By
• Steve Waterman, K4CJX
• Winlink 2000 Network Administrator,
• Winlink 2000 Development Team

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WL2K Current Status

• DHS HQ Common Message Server/RMS now in place.
  Fort Huachuca Army Intelligence Base to follow,
  making five mirror image, redundant Common
  Message Servers available. (System operates
  currently at 20 percent on ONLY one CMS).
• Current secure WL2K FTP site to be moved to Fort
  Huachuca.
• Proposed RF only process being implemented in
  stages.
• The Network is fully operational and proven. It
  is very robust.
• WL2K is being reviewed, proposed, and used, by an
  ever-increasing number of Agencies.
• The entire topology has been updated and
  enhanced.
• Lets look at this value-added available
  tool.from an agency view..

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In a Real-Life Mass Casualty Event, we must
look at MARS WL2K from an Interoperability
Point-of-view.

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Interoperability Winlink 2000 Today by the
numbers

• Over 99 system availability since Nov, 1999.
• 4 Full-time, Redundant, Mirror image, Common
  Message Servers (CMS) in Halifax, San Diego,
  Washington DC, and Perth, all in hardened sites,
  providing excellent reliability, worldwide. (Wash
  DC is DHS sponsored, Halifax is Canadian
  Sponsored)
• 145 total HF Radio Message Servers, worldwide, in
  2 major Service Classes. Public EmComm Amateur,
  Government (MARS controlled) maintaining separate
  operations. More than 346 VHF/UHF entry points
  in CONUS.
• Approximately 10,000 Weekly Radio users
  communicating with over 98,000 Email recipients,
  pushing an average of 150,000 messages or 280,000
  minutes, monthly, with an average duration of 3.4
  Minutes at 3,600 bytes/per message. The average
  time from message origination to pickup for
  delivery is approximately 3.3 minutes, regardless
  of distance.
• The greatest growth is now in Emergency
  Communications preparedness.

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Written documents impose their own kind of
disciplineAlbert Einstein
Growth of the Winlink 2000 system is attributed
to the change in the way people now communicate
(and disaster awareness.)
Consistency
Record tracking
Accuracy
I cant work without e-mail!
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Why Winlink 2000 is used for EmComm.

• Uses de facto e-mail, the Worlds standard for
  written communications.
• Provides last Mile local radio digital
  messaging directly for served agencies, using
  existing e-mail programs, on existing computers,
  with no additional invasive softwareseamlessly
  and transparently.
• Provides wide area coverage from inside a
  disaster area without the Internet, and with a
  minimum amount of additional client hardware or
  software.
• Has a proven record of reliability, and continues
  to be responsive to the needs of its user
  communities.

Although Winlink 2000 has proven itself to be
attractive to the agencies we wish to serve, like
anything else, it must first be Implemented by
those who will benefit by its use.
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Real-Time Status view of the Winlink 2000 Common
Message Server System


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Real-time Status

Winlink 2000 HF PMBO/RMS Pactor, Worldwide
85 Public 30 EMCOMM 33 MARS 1 UK Cadet Force
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Real-time Status
Blue Public
Green EmComm
Brown MARS
Red Off-line
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(No Transcript)
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Real-time Status
VHF/UHF Telpac/RMS Packet 346 Active shown MARS
VHF numbers increasing (not shown).

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Winlink 2000 Telpac/RMS Packet, CONUS

MARS NOT SHOWN

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Winlink 2000 Near Real-Time Proactive User
Position Reports
MARS NOT SHOWN

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Winlink 2000 Topology
HALIFAX CMS

• E-mail IN and OUT
• Real-Time RMS access
• Real-Time TelNET access
• WX and other Info
• Position Reporting

SAN DIEGO CMS
DHS HQ CMS
PERTH CMS

• Mirror image, redundant Common Message Servers
  (CMS) provide
• IETF RFC 2821 de facto e-mail between Winlink
  2000 users and Internet Recipients over telnet,
  Web mail or Radio links.
• Retrieval of Weather and other information
  available as files or URL pages from the
  Internet.
• Position Reporting for Mobile applications.

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• Radio Message Servers RMS are always connected
  to the CMS System via the Internet in a star
  network topology, serving as radio nodes on the
  Winlink 2000 network.
• RMS Pactor for HF provides short or long haul
  availability to internet e-mail.
• RMS Packet for VHF/UHF last mile e-mail
  availability to Internet e-mail.
• RMS Relay provides continual communications with
  the CMS system when no Internet is available to
  bridge the last mile.

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• To CMSs (Round Robin)

RMS VHF/UHF Packet
RMS HF Pactor
CMS Telnet WEB browser e-mail

• RMS Gateways provides real-time access to the CMS
  system from many locations, worldwide. It
  actually bridges HF radio to the Internet.
• The RMS systems are separated into classes such
  as the Government class, or the Amateur Radio
  class.
• In each class, the RMS system nodes are all
  redundant, mirror images of each other.
• Should an RMS Pactor Gateway be separated from
  the Internet, it will become invisible to the
  radio user.
• Radio users understand that they may check in on
  any RMS Pactor Gateway within their licensed
  class, depending on propagation, and the RMS
  availability to the Internet.

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To CMSs (Round Robin)
NO Internet
2nd RMS VHF/UHF Packet
1s t RMS VHF/UHF Packet
RMS HF Relay (with small MsgRetention database)
Via HF Radio
HF RMS Pactor Radio Network

• Last Mile RMS Packet provides real-time access
  to the CMS system from the last mile, in
  support of local areas such as County
  governments, or other communities of interest.
• Multiple RMS Packet (VHF/UHF) gateways may be
  linked to one RMS Relay for local hubbing and HF
  relay to an RMS Pactor gateway.
• RMS Relay allows RMS Packet to reach the rest of
  the Winlink 2000 system via HF (Radio) Pactor
  when local Internet is broken.

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• To CMSs (Round Robin) Via Internet

CMS Telnet
RMS VHF/UHF Packet
RMS HF Pactor

• Two separate clients
• Airmail, a single application client.
• Paclink MP, a single/Multiple user client with
  standard POP3 e-mail clients as a user interface.
  Contains automatic hierarchical routing, secure
  login, and auto-precedence.

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MISSION Our primary mission is to provide our
agencies with the value-added services they want.
They want interoperability among all available
services. Today, that includes digital messaging
in the form of de facto e-mail extendibility from
all available resources. We have such a network
in place. It is now up to us to be organized and
trained with the proper tools to respond to any
casualty event. Certainly, in such events, being
available to provide de facto e-mail where it is
otherwise unavailable is key.

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In todays World, we cannot predict the size,
nature or location of disaster areas! We be must
prepared, Globally.
Local?
Regional?
Global?
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The Real World, does it really work?
Example of agency use Hurricanes,
Typhoons The AsianTsunami Failure of
IntelSat 804 Forest Fires (US,
Australia) Humanitarian Missions Health Mercy
Missions Research Missions Missing/distressed
vessels (continual) Agency EmComm
Friend Ships
International Boat Watch Network
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The ability to go where summoned is critical.
Inside The Steve Hicks Special
Outside the Steve Hicks Special
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The ability to go where summoned is critical.
The ability to go where summoned is critical.
Inside The Steve Hicks Special
Outside the Steve Hicks Special
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Demo for Congress
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-----Original Message----- From Hennigan,
Joe Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 1113 AM To
Chief, Army MARS Subject The Department of
Homeland Security Sponsorship of Winlink
2000. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
Operations Coordination Directorate (OPS) has
made great strides over the last 3 months in
support of the Military Affiliate Radio System
(MARS). In cooperation with Army MARS, and DHS
Transportation Security Agency, DHS Operations
Coordination Directorate (OC) has installed a
WinLink 2000 system, to include hosting one of
four redundant, mirror image, Common Message
Server (CMS) Hubs, a Radio Message Server (RMS,)
and end-user client applications for HF
Operations. WinLink 2000 is a COTS application
suite, allowing users the ability to extend an
e-mail capability and GPS Positioning data
between an HF Radio and the internet. DHS has the
capability to literally pass data from anywhere
in the world, no matter how austere. DHS is one
of many Government Agencies with HF radio
capabilities, but this particular solution
provides DHS with a unique set of extended
capabilities. The WinLink 2000 system consists
of many different components, making it very
stable and reliable in times of need. WinLink
2000 is utilized by many Emergency Response
Agencies, including the Department of Defense
(DoD). The MARS Winlink 2000 radio messaging
system can both be contacted through this
application via conventional HF/VHF/UHF radio
communications, or via standard e-mail through
the MARS Winlink 2000 radio e-mail system, to any
number of operators throughout the world to get
messages promptly delivered where normal standard
e-mail does not exist. This is critical to any
emergency response requirement. This capability
is proof positive of the DHS's commitment to
enhancing emergency communications. Best
regards, Joe Hennigan, Director, Technology
Support Operations Coordination
Directorate Department of Homeland Security
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Recent Deployment for Tennessee Emergency
Management Agency

• -----Original Message-----From David Wolfe
  mailtowolfemail_at_bellsouth.net Sent Saturday,
  February 09, 2008 2045To K4CJXSubject TEMA
  Mission NR 8 
•  Although there was no commercial power at the
  deployment site, TEMA's communications
  infrastructure was fully operational.  Both the
  VHF High Band and 800 MHz repeater systems had
  good coverage for voice command and control.  Our
  shortage was internet connectivity, and our unmet
  needs were e-mail and the ability to send
  pictures.  Winlink provided EXACTLY what was not
  available by any other means.  We also utilized
  it to reduce the "chatter" on our C2 nets by
  sending short event notices direct to TEMA
  operations.  
• Thanks for all your help and support.  The TEMA
  folks were impressed with your professionalism,
  enthusiasm and work.
•  
•  
• David Wolfe,
• Chief of Communications
• Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
•  

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In a 911 Center, a belly-up E-Mail Server can
be a disaster!
-----Original Message----- From Bill Jorgensen
ltTnWc-EOC1_at_Winlink.orggt Sent Friday, January
14, 2005 1630 To k4cjx_at_comcast.net Subject
WinLink2000 Steve, Winlink 2000 was installed
recently in the Williamson County Emergency
Communications Center and Outlook Express set up
on my work station desk top to access the Winlink
server. I never imagined I would be using it as
soon as I did. About two weeks ago the Williamson
County GroupWise Server encountered problems and
was off line for three hours. During this time
period the Emergency Communications Center was
without GroupWise e-mail, but in its place, I was
able to use Winlink 2000 as a backup e-mail
service until the County's was restored. Since
this time, Outlook Express icons for emergency
email have been put on all desktops in the
Emergency Communications Center, and with the
Mayor's office.. I do know the time will come
again when an incident such as a server going
down or if we lose the "last mile" of the
internet, we won't have connectivity. It is
reassuring to know we will have Winlink 2000 at
our disposal during that time of need. In the
emergency communications field every second
counts. William K. Jorgensen,
Director Williamson County Department
Of Emergency Communications
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• The County Digital Initiative
• - Results -

WinlinkMayor Approval Sent 3/4/2006 65500
PM Subject Williamson County Amateur Radio
Emergency Drill Bill, Please extend my thanks
on behalf of the Williamson County, TN,
Government to the Williamson County Amateur Radio
Emergency Service Volunteers for their excellent
work this Saturday, March 4, 2006. As a part of
the drill, I am sending you this message
from the Winlink 2000 system. In addition, having
witnessed other types of communications support
as well from WCARES, it is certainly comforting
to know that our County is prepared should any
need arise for the use of these volunteers and
their communications systems. Rogers
Anderson Mayor, Williamson County, TN

(courtesy of CQ Magazine)
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It is just a matter of time.. Are we ready?
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Meeting Resistance
A recent statement from a Congressman after the
Special Congressional Report, Failure of
Initiative was provided to Congress as a result
of the many communications mishaps during and
after Hurricane Katrina One can only imagine
the tragic consequences of learning the valuable
lessons of Katrina, recent tornados, and other
such disasters, both large and small, only to
have someone be singled out for not allowing the
very methodology that has had a proven record of
saving of lives and property. Any subsequent
casualty event that would follow without such a
capability would be difficult to explain in any
governmental investigation, much less to the
public.