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CCT Applications - Communications Gateway

Interoperability depends on a transparent understanding of protocols, semantics, and knowledge across disparate systems. One approach to achieving interoperability is the communication gateway.

Gateways provide interoperability among disparate systems by interconnecting at least two different systems and operating on the data and/or the communications format. They provide information transfer that preserves the meaning and relationships of the information exchanged at every destination. By using a gateway, systems using different communications capabilities can communicate without requiring modifications.

CCT's CCTK provides a reusable gateway platform that can be readily adapted to varying gateway applications, providing a tremendous cost savings via reduction of development costs associated with integrating disparate systems. It is especially applicable to improving interoperability between legacy and new systems. CCTK interoperable capabilities are also available as an integrated gateway system via the C2 TM Gateway product.

CCT is also engaged in ongoing interoperability research and development which will soon produce a line of products based on a new innovative technology called the Semantic Gateway. Almost any application that includes message-based communications represents a potential opportunity for the Semantic Gateway enhanced interoperability. The results of this research have cross cutting applicability in commercial and government application areas such as Space Exploration, Telecom and Electronic Commerce, Tactical Data Links, Range Modernization, and Air Traffic Management.

Telecom and Electronic Commerce

Interoperability in the telecom and electronic commerce market is central to conducting business; hence there is an ongoing need to improve communications equipment and services using products like the CCTK and the Semantic Gateway. They will reduce time to market for new infrastructure and communications services. The telecom industry has already embraced the concept of using metadata standards coupled with middle ware for conducting electronic commerce. However, the notion of auto-generating semantic processing services is new. It is particularly relevant because of the proliferation of various exchange standards. The notion of being able to abstract the semantic ontology from the middleware that handles real-time messaging represents a significant potential cost saving for telecom systems that have to evolve rapidly in a highly competitive market place.

Tactical Data Links

According to a recent AFRL study on Objective Gateway Architectures, "over the years, a myriad of tactical data links have been developed and fielded to support particular missions and communities and they are often designed to be highly specialized for their particular purpose. While this specialization was considered to be necessary during development, it came at a price. With few exceptions, the different data link systems were generally not interoperable with each other. Hence the tactical data link gateway was born to provide interoperability between individual heterogeneous data links. While this was not as elegant as having two systems that could actually talk directly to each other, it was the only way of achieving interoperability without starting from scratch with the data links themselves, a very expensive proposition."

However, a number of issues arose out of the strategy to provide interoperability between systems that were not designed to interoperate by using gateways: 1) Overall system complexity increased due to the proliferation of interfaces, 2) diversity of gateway and data link architectures increased standardization challenges for the gateway domain, 3) the application of proprietary systems has further exacerbated potential standardization and architecture complexity, 4) gateway stovepipes have emerged due to lack of intra-department/agency cooperation and long term planning, and 5) most importantly standardization in the gateway domain has been slow to evolve. CCT Semantic Gateway research effort addresses many of these issues through strategic and tactical means. The Semantic Gateway approach maps gateway domain knowledge into architecture and process concepts to capture high-level strategies for large-scale reuse, attain TDL interoperability via a comprehensive gateway development approach, and achieve the broader long-term business objectives of transparent information exchange across the DoD enterprise.

Space

NASA's vision for returning to the moon and on to Mars will require the interoperation of new and existing systems in an increasingly complex data processing environment. The use of standardized semantic exchange protocols for data acquisition and equipment interoperation will greatly simplify the configuration and operation of a distributed system-of-systems, while providing rapid and accurate access to data.

Air Traffic Management

Just as we have come to realize in the military communication realm, civilian data link communications between aircraft and air traffic control (ATC) requires an interface between air/ground data link networks and ATC systems that recognizes different message formats and semantics. Further, ground networks in the systems-of-systems national and global air traffic management process are message centric architectures that are developed from disparate transports, protocols, and interpretations of meaning. Also, given that technologies within the ATM world are evolving incrementally, there is a pressing need to integrate legacy and future systems using a systematic gateway strategy to bridge systems to achieve near term interoperability.

Range Modernization

Current DOD ranges are seeking ways to modernize and streamline operations through application of new technologies. This is evidenced by the participation in the Advanced Range Technology Working Group (ARTWG), which is seeking to develop a roadmap for future launch and test range operations. Interoperation of existing systems with new systems will be a challenge. The continued existence of systems developed by multiple organizations will require a method for the interchange of control information through gateways in order to provide a seamless operation. Military ranges are being upgraded to accommodate more missions and to reduce turn around time between range operations. The same types of architectures used for weapons systems integration and range safety operations can be integrated into military range architectures. The Range Commanders Council has already identified XML and data standardization as a key part of their roadmap for the future. Weapons and aeronautical test range modernization programs include Eglin Air Force Base CIMTIC program, and the Air Force Material Command Next Generation Range Instrumentation Program; just to name two, place improved interoperability as central to future technology objectives. The approach and products developed in this research will have direct applicability to these issues and will act as a path-finding project for future architectural implementations of highly interoperable systems.

Major Gateway Features and Capabilities:

Reference Material:

Command and Control Technologies Corporation is a computer technology company specializing in mission critical automation systems and software tools. We offer complete automation solutions, delivering products, engineering expertise, support, and training for aerospace, industrial, security, and military applications.