Evaluation of Available Sadis Workstation Software

SADISOPSG/14-WP/17
/
International Civil Aviation Organization
WORKING PAPER / SADISOPSG/14-WP/17
20/03/09

SATELLITE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM OPERATIONS GROUP (SADISOPSG)

FOURTEENTH MEETING

Bangkok, Thailand, 15 to 17 July 2009

Agenda Item / 10: / Any other business

EVALUATION OF AVAILABLE SADIS WORKSTATION SOFTWARE

(Presented by the SADISProviderState)

SUMMARY
The SADISProviderState has completed a further evaluation of SADIS workstation software against the revised criteria agreed at the SADISOPSG/13 meeting. This paper presents the results of the third round of evaluations.

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1At its last meeting, the SADISOPSG generated one decision and one conclusion relating to a SADIS workstation software evaluation. Decision 13/28 endorsed modified software evaluation criteria in view of recent changes to the WAFS forecast requirements within Amendment 74 to Annex 3; whilst Conclusion 13/29 called on the SADISProviderState to conduct an evaluation of available workstation software from software vendors based on the modified criteria.

1.2In response to Conclusion 13/29, the group will be pleased to learn that the SADISProviderState has conducted an evaluation of available software. This is the third such evaluation to have been conducted by the SADISProviderState since 2004.

2.discussion

2.1During late 2008 and early 2009, the SADISProviderState carried out a review of the SADIS workstation software against criteria agreed as the SADISOPSG/13 meeting. The updated requirements are reproduced at Appendix A to this paper for ease of reference.

2.2Recalling discussions at SADISOPSG/10, the group agreed that the approach to conducting SADIS software evaluations, which was based on a certain level of trust between the vendor and the SADIS Provider State, could be considered sufficiently rigorous of the task, with the understanding that two caveats hold true:

The software evaluation process did not certify or endorse any single software application neither did it recommend one application over another.The software evaluations were the results of software reviews that the Met Office had carried out on behalf of the SADISOPSG. The purpose of these reviews was to verify whether the applications could deliver certain minimum functions which the SADISOPSG considered essential for the correct use of the WAFS and OPMET data; and
It remained the responsibility of the user to ensure that procured software met their full requirements. It was not intended that the software evaluations fulfilled this task. The results from the software evaluations may be used as one additional source of information to aid any procurement process but should not be viewed in isolation of other important procurement requirements.
The above caveats hold true when considering this latest round of software evaluations.
By 19th March 2009, seven out of ninelisted software vendors on had their software evaluated. Of the seven software packages assessed, sixcan be considered compliant, providing visualisation software that can depict global OPMET and WAFS data to the ICAO standards, and requirements of the SADISOPSG, that were current on 01 June 2008. The compliant packages are as follows (in alphabetical order):

3SI/GST – METLAB v1.95
Corobor – Messir Aero v7.1.0.0
IBL Software Engineering – AeroWeather v3.1.13
Info Electronic Systems (IES) – Ultima v3.30
Institute of Radar Meteorology (IRAM) – MeteoExpert v9.01
NetSys International – nsWAFS v2.1.0/v2.10.0
More detailed results are provided in Appendix B to this working paper. The results are presented in chronological order according to when the evaluation was completed.
Results from evaluations of packages that had not reached the desired level of compliancy or had not been submitted for evaluation by 19th March 2009 are included in Appendix C. The SADISProviderState is prepared to review these packages upon request. One new commercial software provider has indicated that they would like their software package evaluated in 2009, whilst one previous vendor has given no indication that they wish to participate in the latest round.

3.ACTION BY THE SADISOPSG

3.1The SADISOPSG is invited to:

a)note the information in this paper; and

b)review the results from the software evaluations which are included in Appendices B and C to this paper.

— — — — — — — —

APPENDIX A

REVISED SADIS WORKSTATION SOFTWARE EVALUATION CRITERIA
(AS AGREED AT SADISOPSG/13, MAY 2008)

SOFTWARE FUNCTIONALITY / Available and compliant? / Comments
1. Display of OPMET data and other data types in text format
2. WAFS GRIB decoder and compliant display package
3. WAFS SWH and SWM BUFR decoder and compliant display package
4. Display and ability to prompt users of the arrival of BUFR SIGWX or PNG SIGWX chart corrections
5. Display and ability to prompt users of the arrival of SADIS administrative messages
6. Display of tropical cyclone advisory statements
7. Display of volcanic ash advisory statements
8. Display of volcanic ash trajectory/dispersion graphics
9. Display bulletin contents from the WMO header
10. Display of special AIREPS
11. Display of WAFS SIGWX charts in the PNG (portable network graphics) chart format.
12. Ability to receive all the SADIS products via FTP from the SADIS FTP server

Note. – Please refer to the accompanying notes that detail the requirements.

Requirements

The numbers of the notes below correspond to the numbers of the 12 items listed in the table above. For a software package to receive a “Y” (“yes”) as opposed to “N” (“no”) in the Available and compliant column on the table, all of the functions detailed below need to be satisfied for each functionality item.

For every workstation provider that is happy for their software to be tested under these criteria, it our intention is to make the information available to all existing and prospective SADIS users via the SADIS web page at URL

Ability for the data to be sourced from SADIS 1G[1], SADIS 2G or the SADIS FTP service:

1. / i)The ability to receive and display OPMET data and other data types in text format (including TAFs, METARs, SPECIs, SIGMETs, EUR region AIRMETs and GAMETs, and ASHTAMs and NOTAMs related to volcanic ash);
ii)The ability for a user to display OPMET for aerodromes specified by the user
iii)Prompt users of the arrival of a SIGMET, SPECI, ASHTAM and NOTAM related to volcanicash.
2. / i)The ability to receive and display GRIB data, sourced from WAFC London and WAFC Washington[2]
ii)The functionality to enable a user to produce a wind-temperature chart from the GRIB data overa configurable user-specified area. Global coverage is required. The ability to produce chartsspanning the International Date Line and including all of the standard ICAO areas is required.
iii)A “zooming facility” for GRIB chart areas.
iv)The ability to produce a wind-temperature chart from GRIB encoded data that is identical as far as the meteorological content is concerned and largely identical as far as other features (e.g. the position of text boxes) are concerned to thewind and temperature example chart contained in Appendix 1 of Amendment 74 to ICAO Annex 3. The product must clearly display whether the chart isderived from the WAFC London or WAFC Washington GRIB encoded data.
v)Automatic chart production is required, i.e. human intervention is not required to modify a chartto ensure compliancy.
3. / i)The ability to receive and display WAFS SIGWX BUFR encoded data, sourced from WAFC London and WAFC Washington[3].
ii)The functionality to enable a user to produce a SWH and a SWM SIGWX chart from BUFR data over a configurable user-specified area. Global coverage for the SWH data is required. Theability to produce charts spanning the International Date Line and covering all of the standardICAO areas is required for the SWH data.
iii)A “zooming facility” for BUFR chart areas.
iv)A de-clutter facility for tropopause heights, whereby the quantity of tropopause data plotted over an area is appropriate to the size of the area, and hence maximises the clarity of the end product.
v)The ability to produce a SIGWX chart from BUFR encoded data that is identical as far as the meteorological content is concerned (including depiction of non-CB cloud areas and jetstream depth notation), identical as far as the chart legend box text,and largely identical as far as other features are concerned(e.g. the positionof text boxes), to a standard portable network graphics (PNG) SIGWX chart for the same area and meets the latest ICAOAnnex3 requirements. The product must clearly display whether the chart is derived from WAFC London or WAFC Washington BUFR encoded data. If the software allows the user to modifyany of the plotted meteorological parameters, reference to either WAFC must be automaticallyremoved if such modification is carried out by the end user.
vi)The ability to handle BUFR bulletins that contain no data – i.e. bulletins that are empty apart from message header information. In particular, this applies to the BUFR bulletins associated with surface fronts, namely:
JUFE00 EGRR, JUFE00 KKCI, JUJE00 EGRR; and JUJE00 KKCI.
vii)Automatic chart production is required, i.e. human intervention is not required to modify a chart to ensure compliancy.
4. / i)The ability to receive, prompt users and display the arrival of WAFS SIGWX corrections. These corrections are text messages issued with the following WMO header: FXUK65 EGRR for BUFR-code and/or PNG SIGWX chart corrections[4].
5. / i)The ability to receive, display and prompt users of the arrival of SADIS administrative messages. These are text messages issued with the following WMO headers:
NOUK10 EGRR; NOUK11 EGRR; NOUK12 EGRR; NOUK13 EGRR; NOUK31 EGGY; and NOBX99 EBBR
6. / i)The ability to receive, display and prompt users of the arrival of tropical cyclone advisory statements. These bulletins are in text format and are of the form FK**** CCCC.
7. / i)The ability to receive, display and prompt users of the arrival of volcanic ash advisory statements. These bulletins are in text format, and the WMO headers of those currently available fordissemination of SADIS are listed below. These bulletin headers are of the form FV**** CCCC.
FVAK(20-25) PAWU; FVXX(01-03) EGRR; FVXX05 EGRR; FVXX(20-27) KNES; FVXX(01-05) LFPW; FVFE01 RJTD; FVCN(01-04) CWAO; FVAU(01-10) ADRM; FVAG01 SBAM; and FVPS01 NZKL.
8. / i)The ability to receive and display volcanic ash trajectory and dispersion graphics (VAG). These graphical charts are in standard T4 formator PNG chart format (as available). The products that may be available for dissemination on SADIS have thefollowing WMO headers:
PFXB00 CWAO; PFXD00 CWAO; PFXG00 CWAO; PFXI00 CWAO; PHBE10 KWBC; and PHBI10 KWBC.
PFXD(01-10) ADRM; PFXD(01-03) EGRR; PFXD05 EGRR; PFXD(20-27) KNES; PFXD(05-09) LFPW.
ii)Additional VAG bulletins over and above those listed above will be broadcast on SADIS as they become available.
9. / i)The functionality to enable a user to display the contents of a single bulletin (including all types of bulletins except GRIB and BUFR encoded bulletins) by typing in the WMO header of the bulletin.
10. / i)The ability to receive, display and prompt users of the arrival of special AIREPS. These bulletins are in text format, and the WMO headers of the bulletins currently available for dissemination on SADIS are listed below. The bulletins are of the form UA**** XXXX.
UANT90 EGRR and UAUK90 EGRR
11. / i)The ability to receive WAFS SIGWX charts in the PNG (portable network graphics) chart format and display them using standard visualisation software, e.g. web browser.
12. / i)The ability to receive all of the operational SADIS data (detailed in items 1 - 11 above) via FTP over the Internet from the SADIS FTP server, and to display it using the same interface.

APPENDIX B

RESULTS FROM THIRD ROUND OF SADIS
SOFTWARE EVALUATIONS – FULLY COMPLIANT PACKAGES

All evaluations based on the revised SADIS Operations Group workstation software criteria, as agreed as SADISOPSG/13, May 2008 (and reproduced at Appendix A)

Results are presented in chronological order according to when the evaluation was completed.

Workstation provider: IBL Software Engineering
Software application: AeroWeather
Software Version No. (Release date):v3.1.13 (9th September2008)
Evaluation date: 24th September 2008
Evaluation result:Fully compliant

General Remark: It is understood that the AeroWeather application can receive data distributed via SADIS 2G and SADIS FTP but live reception of data by these systems was not evaluated.

SOFTWARE FUNCTIONALITY / Available and compliant? / Comments
1. Display of OPMET data and other data types in text format / Y
2. WAFS GRIB decoder and compliant display package / Y
3. WAFS SWH and SWM BUFR decoder and compliant display package / Y
4. Display and ability to prompt users of the arrival of BUFR SIGWX or PNG SIGWX chart corrections / Y
5. Display and ability to prompt users of the arrival of SADIS administrative messages / Y
6. Display of tropical cyclone advisory statements / Y
7. Display of volcanic ash advisory statements / Y
8. Display of volcanic ash trajectory/dispersion graphics / Y
9. Display bulletin contents from the WMO header / Y
10. Display of special AIREPS / Y
11. Display of WAFS SIGWX charts in the PNG (portable network graphics) chart format. / Y
12. Ability to receive all the SADIS products via FTP from the SADIS FTP server / Y

Workstation provider: NetSys International

Software application: nsWAFS, consisting of nsWS and nsGIB

Software Version No. (Release date):nsWS v2.1.0 and nsGIB v2.10.0 (both 20th October 2008)

Evaluation date: 14th and 29thOctober 2008

Evaluation result:Fully compliant

General Remark: It is understood that the nsWAFS application can receive data distributed via SADIS 2G and SADIS FTP but live reception of data by these systems was not evaluated.

Workstation provider: Corobor Systems
Software application: MESSIR AERO
Software Version No. (Release date):v7.1.0.0 (2008)
Evaluation date: 2nd January 2009
Evaluation result:Fully compliant

General Remark: It is understood that the Messir Aero application can receive data distributed via SADIS 2G and SADIS FTP but live reception of data by these systems was not evaluated.

Workstation provider: Institute of Radar Meteorology (IRAM)
Software application: MeteoExpert
Software Version No. (Release date):v9.01 (January 2009)
Evaluation date: 2nd March 2009
Evaluation result:Fully compliant

General Remark: It is understood that the MeteoExpert application can receive data distributed via SADIS 2G and SADIS FTP but live reception of data by these systems was not evaluated.

Workstation provider: 3SI/GST
Software application: METLAB
Software Version No. (Release date):v1.9.5 (5th November 2008)
Evaluation date: 4th March 2009
Evaluation result:Fully compliant

General Remark: It is understood that the METLAB application can receive data distributed via SADIS 2G and SADIS FTP but live reception of data by these systems was not evaluated.

Workstation provider: Info Electronic Systems (IES)
Software application: Ultima
Software Version No. (Release date):v3.30 (11th March 2009)
Evaluation date: 13th November 2008 and 11th March 2009
Evaluation result:Fully compliant