Transcript DOD and Federal VTC Interoperability Standards

DOD & Federal VTC Interoperability
Standards
Chuck Grandgent
Dir. Strategic Development
Octave Communications, Inc., Nashua, NH
Chair, IMTC Dataconferencing Activity Group
E-mail: [email protected]
November 2002
In support of:
Defense Information Systems Agency
Interoperability Directorate, IN42
UNCLASSIFIED
Background
- In the 1980’s and early 1990’s DOD relied on proprietary equipment
to achieve VTC interoperability.
- In the mid 1990’s 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(A&T) 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 Gov’t
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VTC Profile Features
• Collaboration
• Point-to-Point
•
•
•
•
Multipoint
Circuit Switched
Packet Switched
Digital Compressed Video
• Near Full Motion
• Audio Coding
• Narrowband
• Wideband
•
•
•
•
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
G.711
G.722
G.723
G.728
G.729
Narrow-band Voice
Wide-band Voice
Low Bit-rate Voice
Narrow-band Voice
Low Bit-rate Voice
Collaboration Standards
T.120
T.122
T.123
T.124
T.125
T.126
T.127
T.128
Multimedia Data
Multipoint Comm
Data Protocol Stacks
Conference Control
Multipoint Comm Spec
Shared Whiteboard
File Transfer
Application Sharing
Encryption Interfaces
KG - 194 Interface
KIV - 7 Interface
VTC Standards
H.320
H.323
H.221
H.224
H.225
H.230
H.242
H.245
H.281
H.450
Narrowband VTC
Packet Network VTC
Frame Structure
Real Time Control
Multiplexing
Control Signals
Establish Comm
Signalling
Far-end camera control
Supplementary Services
Video Standards
H.261
H.263
Video Coding
Video Coding
Multipoint
Standards
H.231 MCUs
H.243 Establish Comm
H.245 MCUs
Interface
Standards
EIA-366-A
TIA/EIA-422-B
TIA/EIA-423-B
EIA-449-1
TIA/EIA-530-A
Dialing Interface
Digital Interface
Digital Interface
Digital Interface
Digital Interface
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Networks
•ISDN
•Switched 56
•T1 / Fractional T1
•Dedicated
•Packet Switched
•LANs
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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 (gov’t 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
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