HiSeasNet Policy and Organization

HiSeasNet Policy and Organization

Above and around all of the technical stuff:

Organization and policies that hold HiSeasNet together

Above and around all of the technical stuff:

Organization and policies that hold HiSeasNet together

OverviewOverview

Business topics Maintenance Satellite bandwidth Coverage area Earth station structure Other resources What next?

Business topics Maintenance Satellite bandwidth Coverage area Earth station structure Other resources What next?

Business TopicsBusiness Topics

The interactions of HiSeasNet, satellite operators, NSF, ships,

etc.

The interactions of HiSeasNet, satellite operators, NSF, ships,

etc.

The Business of HiSeasNetThe Business of HiSeasNet

Think of HiSeasNet as an integrator. We do the following so that ships can have a network drop: Lease satellite space segment on a yearly basis Operate a US satellite earth station Act as a friendly and flexible ISP to provide IP

connectivity to stations Maintain satellite hardware on ships and shore Make changes based on ship requirements Provide technical and operational support to ships at sea

Most of the limitations you will find are related to funding or come from entities we are integrating

Think of HiSeasNet as an integrator. We do the following so that ships can have a network drop: Lease satellite space segment on a yearly basis Operate a US satellite earth station Act as a friendly and flexible ISP to provide IP

connectivity to stations Maintain satellite hardware on ships and shore Make changes based on ship requirements Provide technical and operational support to ships at sea

Most of the limitations you will find are related to funding or come from entities we are integrating

Who HiSeasNet works withWho HiSeasNet works with

Funding is largely via NSF Satellite operations and leases through Intelsat

(C-band), Loral (SatMex5b2), and CommSystems (SatMex5b1)

Maintenance and Integration with CommSystems

Stations operated by oceanographic institutions

Equipment supplied by Comtech, SeaTel, Codan, Vertex, Prodelin, Cisco, Digi, Hameg, ServerTech

Funding is largely via NSF Satellite operations and leases through Intelsat

(C-band), Loral (SatMex5b2), and CommSystems (SatMex5b1)

Maintenance and Integration with CommSystems

Stations operated by oceanographic institutions

Equipment supplied by Comtech, SeaTel, Codan, Vertex, Prodelin, Cisco, Digi, Hameg, ServerTech

MaintenanceMaintenance

Issues related to care and feeding of your equipmentIssues related to care and feeding of your equipment

Routine maintenanceRoutine maintenance Routine maintenance performed roughly every 6

months, takes 1-2 days (see online calendar) We try to combine ships in single visits to keep costs

down so we can handle emergencies CommSystems sends someone to the ship to walk

through a checklist of items and record latest settings

Helps to have a ship tech available…is a great chance to refresh or ask new questions

Maintenance report is archived at SIOand sent to institution representatives. Please read and print this report!

Report is used in future troubleshooting

Routine maintenance performed roughly every 6 months, takes 1-2 days (see online calendar)

We try to combine ships in single visits to keep costs down so we can handle emergencies

CommSystems sends someone to the ship to walk through a checklist of items and record latest settings

Helps to have a ship tech available…is a great chance to refresh or ask new questions

Maintenance report is archived at SIOand sent to institution representatives. Please read and print this report!

Report is used in future troubleshooting

Emergency maintenanceEmergency maintenance

We try to avoid emergency maintenance, but failures do happen

What we can do: Work with you to troubleshoot and resolve

problems based on our experience and resources (we need your help and answers to do this!)

Get in touch with manufacturer to work out details

Get parts to the ship (from our pool or factory) Send someone to meet the ship, cost/problem

dependent

We try to avoid emergency maintenance, but failures do happen

What we can do: Work with you to troubleshoot and resolve

problems based on our experience and resources (we need your help and answers to do this!)

Get in touch with manufacturer to work out details

Get parts to the ship (from our pool or factory) Send someone to meet the ship, cost/problem

dependent

Other maintenanceOther maintenance

There may be times you want to have other non-routine maintenance done on your gear (upgrading equipment, want an additional look, moving antenna, etc.) We expect you to be competent doing basic

adjustments to the equipment parameters and able to read manuals

You are welcome to contract with CommSystems directly and pay for work that is not part of HiSeasNet operational responsibility.

There may be times you want to have other non-routine maintenance done on your gear (upgrading equipment, want an additional look, moving antenna, etc.) We expect you to be competent doing basic

adjustments to the equipment parameters and able to read manuals

You are welcome to contract with CommSystems directly and pay for work that is not part of HiSeasNet operational responsibility.

Maintenance processMaintenance process

We like to have you make the changes to your ship if possible, so you know what changed.

With this training, we hope that you can do significant diagnostic work to minimize ship and shore interaction for a faster resolution

When hardware or a site visit is required: Arranged through HiSeasNet staff, not directly with

CommSystems. We can work out schedule, priority, trouble ticket

tracking, parts, etc. and keep all the necessary people in the loop.

We like to have you make the changes to your ship if possible, so you know what changed.

With this training, we hope that you can do significant diagnostic work to minimize ship and shore interaction for a faster resolution

When hardware or a site visit is required: Arranged through HiSeasNet staff, not directly with

CommSystems. We can work out schedule, priority, trouble ticket

tracking, parts, etc. and keep all the necessary people in the loop.

Spares poolSpares pool We maintain a pool of spares in San Diego, CA that

we can usually ship immediately. They include: Spare RF gear for C-band and Ku-band antennas SeaTel “premium” spares kit for C-band gear SeaTel level cage and PCU for “xx06” antennas SeaTel rotary joint Comtech modems Some Cisco router and networking parts Misc RF connectors, cables, combiners, etc. Marine Air air conditioner (for C-band antennas)

These usually cover both earth station gear and ship gear. They can also be borrowed for testing.

This is not everything that can go wrong.

We maintain a pool of spares in San Diego, CA that we can usually ship immediately. They include: Spare RF gear for C-band and Ku-band antennas SeaTel “premium” spares kit for C-band gear SeaTel level cage and PCU for “xx06” antennas SeaTel rotary joint Comtech modems Some Cisco router and networking parts Misc RF connectors, cables, combiners, etc. Marine Air air conditioner (for C-band antennas)

These usually cover both earth station gear and ship gear. They can also be borrowed for testing.

This is not everything that can go wrong.

Satellite bandwidthSatellite bandwidth

What bandwidth we have and the concept of “more”

What bandwidth we have and the concept of “more”

Satellite bandwidthSatellite bandwidth HiSeasNet has the following space segment leased

for ships: IS-701: 5 slots (96kbps), 160kbps shared outroute IS-707: 3 slots (96kbps), 180kbps shared outroute,

expanding to 4 slots in March 08 (240kbps outroute) IS-906: 1 slot (96kbps), 88kbps outroute (until 3/30/08) SatMex5b1: 2 slots (64kbps), 128kbps shared outroute SatMex5b2: 4 slots (64kbps), 256kbps shared outroute

Cost /mo/slot is ~$3k (C-band), $750 (Ku-band) IP services for IS-906 ship provided by Intelsat

(tunnel from ship to earth station through Internet) Leases are preemptible. If the operator needs to

move our signal, we are required to move.

HiSeasNet has the following space segment leased for ships: IS-701: 5 slots (96kbps), 160kbps shared outroute IS-707: 3 slots (96kbps), 180kbps shared outroute,

expanding to 4 slots in March 08 (240kbps outroute) IS-906: 1 slot (96kbps), 88kbps outroute (until 3/30/08) SatMex5b1: 2 slots (64kbps), 128kbps shared outroute SatMex5b2: 4 slots (64kbps), 256kbps shared outroute

Cost /mo/slot is ~$3k (C-band), $750 (Ku-band) IP services for IS-906 ship provided by Intelsat

(tunnel from ship to earth station through Internet) Leases are preemptible. If the operator needs to

move our signal, we are required to move.

Expanding bandwidthExpanding bandwidth Can be done a number of ways depending on how

much you want, ship position, number of ships online, and bandwidth availability

Hardware Modems and routers top out at 2 Mbit in any direction C-band ship-to-shore power limits top out at 400kbps Ku-band ship-to-shore power limits at 400kbps to 2Mbit

depending on the ship configuration Bandwidth

May already have bandwidth if not all slots are used May need to be leased from satellite provider, will pay a

premium for short term leases May need to buy 3rd party downlink/ISP services Must coordinate with HiSeasNet early!

Can be done a number of ways depending on how much you want, ship position, number of ships online, and bandwidth availability

Hardware Modems and routers top out at 2 Mbit in any direction C-band ship-to-shore power limits top out at 400kbps Ku-band ship-to-shore power limits at 400kbps to 2Mbit

depending on the ship configuration Bandwidth

May already have bandwidth if not all slots are used May need to be leased from satellite provider, will pay a

premium for short term leases May need to buy 3rd party downlink/ISP services Must coordinate with HiSeasNet early!

Satellite operationsSatellite operations Contract limits bandwidth and power for all

carriers. Sat operator is the one that measures signal

levels and characteristics When a signal is too loud, we must turn it down

quickly to continue to operate. If we cannot turn it down quickly, we may need to turn it off.

When we make major changes, we need to check with the operator to verify the level is okay. To make adjustments, we usually email the ship, then re-verify when we see a change is made.

Contract limits bandwidth and power for all carriers.

Sat operator is the one that measures signal levels and characteristics

When a signal is too loud, we must turn it down quickly to continue to operate. If we cannot turn it down quickly, we may need to turn it off.

When we make major changes, we need to check with the operator to verify the level is okay. To make adjustments, we usually email the ship, then re-verify when we see a change is made.

Coverage AreasCoverage Areas

Ships move and satellites do not

Ships move and satellites do not

Switching coverage areasSwitching coverage areas Ships can often move from one region to

another. This is possible via empty frequency slots on

some satellites. This requires scheduling which ships can

transmit at what times. We sometimes need to ask a ship to not

transmit during an in-port or other down period. Please help us out with that.

We try to be as fair as possible if there is a conflict. Generally science mission has priority.

Ships can often move from one region to another.

This is possible via empty frequency slots on some satellites.

This requires scheduling which ships can transmit at what times.

We sometimes need to ask a ship to not transmit during an in-port or other down period. Please help us out with that.

We try to be as fair as possible if there is a conflict. Generally science mission has priority.

Procedures for changing coverage areas

Procedures for changing coverage areas

Keep an eye on the slot chart. We update it when we notice the schedules changing, but you know your schedule better than we do

If you see a need to move from one region to another, please let us know ASAP so we don’t over look it.

We will try to contact you well in advance of a region move to make sure you are aware.

We will develop a “change document” in PDF format that will list the changes to be made. With it will be a suggested time to make the changes. Please proof the document and ask questions before the scheduled time.

Keep an eye on the slot chart. We update it when we notice the schedules changing, but you know your schedule better than we do

If you see a need to move from one region to another, please let us know ASAP so we don’t over look it.

We will try to contact you well in advance of a region move to make sure you are aware.

We will develop a “change document” in PDF format that will list the changes to be made. With it will be a suggested time to make the changes. Please proof the document and ask questions before the scheduled time.

Current coverage mapsCurrent coverage maps

POR AOR

SatMex5 beam 1 SatMex5 beam 2

Coverage areasCoverage areas The HiSeasNet earth station currently operates

with satellites in the POR, AOR, and North America regions

Additional coverage areas (Med, IOR, etc.) are available through independent contracts (NewSkies, Intelsat, etc.) since the HiSeasNet earth station cannot see the satellites in those areas Changes required:

New configuration of equipment for space segment New routing for a new ISP (may give static IPs?) Sometimes new hardware to decode different frequencies

Bandwidth sharing advantage disappears

The HiSeasNet earth station currently operates with satellites in the POR, AOR, and North America regions

Additional coverage areas (Med, IOR, etc.) are available through independent contracts (NewSkies, Intelsat, etc.) since the HiSeasNet earth station cannot see the satellites in those areas Changes required:

New configuration of equipment for space segment New routing for a new ISP (may give static IPs?) Sometimes new hardware to decode different frequencies

Bandwidth sharing advantage disappears

Earth StationEarth Station

What the stationary side looks like

What the stationary side looks like

Earth station setupEarth station setup Very similar to a ship setup (antenna, RF,

modem, router) but with a more complicated router setup and a lot more modems (mostly receive)

Infrastructure additions include: Climate control and monitoring Remote access to modem configuration Remote access to a SpecAn Building-wide UPS power

Antennas move slowly if at all Maintenance done every year

Very similar to a ship setup (antenna, RF, modem, router) but with a more complicated router setup and a lot more modems (mostly receive)

Infrastructure additions include: Climate control and monitoring Remote access to modem configuration Remote access to a SpecAn Building-wide UPS power

Antennas move slowly if at all Maintenance done every year

Earth station layout

HiSeasNet ResourcesHiSeasNet Resources

A network of people and resources, not just modems

and routers

A network of people and resources, not just modems

and routers

HiSeasNet self-serve resources

HiSeasNet self-serve resources

Website (www.hiseasnet.net) Wiki (FAQ, organizational info, science info, wish list, etc.) Slot scheduler Calendar FAQ File archive Ship schedules Network diagrams Traffic plots Satellite footprints

Mailing lists (subscribe at website) Operations (mostly announcements re: service) Users (more for chatter among HiSeasNet end users)

Website (www.hiseasnet.net) Wiki (FAQ, organizational info, science info, wish list, etc.) Slot scheduler Calendar FAQ File archive Ship schedules Network diagrams Traffic plots Satellite footprints

Mailing lists (subscribe at website) Operations (mostly announcements re: service) Users (more for chatter among HiSeasNet end users)

Getting helpGetting help Look at the self-serve resources first Contact the tech team via the email alias if possible

(hiseasnet@ucsd.edu). This gets the quickest written response. Contact technical team by phone if you need to.

Send details of your problem. Include ADMC values/plots, specific behavior, info we can use to isolate the problem, requests for what we can do for you

Tell us what you have already done and what the results were.

Answer all of our questions. Really. Consider AIM if you are online enough

Look at the self-serve resources first Contact the tech team via the email alias if possible

(hiseasnet@ucsd.edu). This gets the quickest written response. Contact technical team by phone if you need to.

Send details of your problem. Include ADMC values/plots, specific behavior, info we can use to isolate the problem, requests for what we can do for you

Tell us what you have already done and what the results were.

Answer all of our questions. Really. Consider AIM if you are online enough

HiSeasNet staffHiSeasNet staff PI: Dr. Jon Berger (jberger@ucsd.edu)

Carolyn Keen, Laura Cravens-Wertz (business) Technical team (hiseasnet@ucsd.edu):

Steve Foley (primary contact, 858-822-3356, AIM: floatingsteve)

Geoff Davis (backup, 858-822-5756) Brian Battistuz (backup, 858-534-7569)

Systems integrators (contracted to CommSystems) Karl Kapusta (tech), Ron Nitz (business)

We are not staffed 24/7, 8/5, or even regular hours. We try to accommodate and respond as best we can. Steve is half-time, working usually 0630-0830, 1430-1630

PST, but often taking calls whenever

PI: Dr. Jon Berger (jberger@ucsd.edu) Carolyn Keen, Laura Cravens-Wertz (business)

Technical team (hiseasnet@ucsd.edu): Steve Foley (primary contact, 858-822-3356, AIM:

floatingsteve) Geoff Davis (backup, 858-822-5756) Brian Battistuz (backup, 858-534-7569)

Systems integrators (contracted to CommSystems) Karl Kapusta (tech), Ron Nitz (business)

We are not staffed 24/7, 8/5, or even regular hours. We try to accommodate and respond as best we can. Steve is half-time, working usually 0630-0830, 1430-1630

PST, but often taking calls whenever

How you can help HiSeasNet

How you can help HiSeasNet Learn about the gear and how to troubleshoot

Use the resources we provide (manuals, web, etc.) Be patient if we don’t get back to you right away Humor us if we ask you a dumb question…we have

reasons for asking seemingly strange questions Tell us about your successes and cool projects you

have seen that use HiSeasNet Install a terminal server for your ACU and modem We need feedback, too!

Tell us what you need. Tell us what you want. Help us collect the resources you need to work well with

HiSeasNet

Learn about the gear and how to troubleshoot Use the resources we provide (manuals, web, etc.) Be patient if we don’t get back to you right away Humor us if we ask you a dumb question…we have

reasons for asking seemingly strange questions Tell us about your successes and cool projects you

have seen that use HiSeasNet Install a terminal server for your ACU and modem We need feedback, too!

Tell us what you need. Tell us what you want. Help us collect the resources you need to work well with

HiSeasNet

HiSeasNet futureHiSeasNet future

Get the rest of the ships online (for those where it makes sense)

Build a better user community Offer better training so users are more

successful operating their gear and minimizing downtime

Offer more coverage areas Encourage more real-time data returns

What are we missing?

Get the rest of the ships online (for those where it makes sense)

Build a better user community Offer better training so users are more

successful operating their gear and minimizing downtime

Offer more coverage areas Encourage more real-time data returns

What are we missing?