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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 UNCLASSIFIED
In support of:
Defense Information Systems Agency
Interoperability Directorate, IN42
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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
• Point-to-Point
• Multipoint
• Circuit Switched
• Packet Switched
• Digital Compressed Video• Near Full Motion
• Audio Coding
• Narrowband
• Wideband
• Collaboration• Application Sharing
• Shared Whiteboard
• Still Image Transfer
• File Transfer
• Security (Encryption)
• Classified
• Unclassified Sensitive
• ISDN Interfaces
• Electrical Interfaces
• Mechanical Interfaces
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Video Standards
H.261 Video CodingH.263 Video Coding
H.231 MCUsH.243 Establish CommH.245 MCUs
G.711 Narrow-band Voice G.722 Wide-band VoiceG.723 Low Bit-rate VoiceG.728 Narrow-band VoiceG.729 Low Bit-rate Voice
Audio Standards
Interface Standards
EIA-366-A Dialing InterfaceTIA/EIA-422-B Digital InterfaceTIA/EIA-423-B Digital InterfaceEIA-449-1 Digital InterfaceTIA/EIA-530-A Digital Interface
H.320 Narrowband VTCH.323 Packet Network VTCH.221 Frame StructureH.224 Real Time ControlH.225 MultiplexingH.230 Control SignalsH.242 Establish CommH.245 SignallingH.281 Far-end camera controlH.450 Supplementary Services
Multipoint Standards
•ISDN•Switched 56•T1 / Fractional T1•Dedicated•Packet Switched•LANs
Networks
Key Standards & Interfaces in the VTC Profile (FTR 1080B-2002, Appendix A)
Encryption Interfaces
KG - 194 InterfaceKIV - 7 Interface
Collaboration Standards
T.120 Multimedia DataT.122 Multipoint CommT.123 Data Protocol StacksT.124 Conference ControlT.125 Multipoint Comm SpecT.126 Shared WhiteboardT.127 File TransferT.128 Application Sharing
VTC Standards
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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 – contact Klaus Rittenbach, [email protected]
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Army BVTC Equipment
Ruggedized
laptop
Audio/Video CODEC
Router
Microphone
Radio
Video Camera
Headphones/Mike
Speaker
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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