OPS Forum Infrastructure Developments for Mission Operations Automation 02.02.2006

Infrastructure Developments for Mission Operations

Automation

Infrastructure Developments for Mission Operations Automation

M. Pecchioli, C. Haddow, S. Haag,G. P. Calzolari

(OPS-GI)

OPS- G Forum 3rd Feb 2006

OPS-G Forum – 3rd Feb 2006 2


Automation

Presentation Overview

• Background• What is missing• Target architecture• ESTRACK Management System (EMS)• Service Management Framework (SMF)• Mission AuTomatIon System (MATIS)• MCS Infrastructure Upgrades• Issues• Conclusions



Automation

Background 1/3

• Ground station resources scheduling is currently largely a manual process

• Spacecraft planning carried out by mission specific Mission Planning Systems, interacting with the Flight Dynamics System

• Responsibility for ‘run-time’ monitoring and control of shared resources (e.g. stations) falls under the network operator

• Responsibility for mission operations via mission dedicated elements (e.g. Mission Control System) under the spacecraft controllers (SPACONs)

• Coordination between the different operators during execution phase via voice loops



Automation

Background 2/3

• ESA Tracking Network has increased in size, capabilities and complexity (migration from mission dedicated facility to a multi-mission approach with ground station shared between several missions). This imposes the need to increase reliability of service, resource optimization and reduction of manual interventions;

• Spacecraft routine operations as such are largely executed without operator interaction but control center operations aren’t, primarily due to the fact that ESOC MCS infrastructure is lagging behind in the area of support to mission operations automation

• Missions are adopting ‘ad-hoc’ solutions to minimize the load on spacecraft operators



Automation

Background 3/3

• An Automation Working Group was set-up in year 2005 with the objective to define an automation concept and to derive the high-level requirements for the control center infrastructure:– E. Sorensen (OPS-ONV)– P. Ferri (OPS-OPR)– A. Rudolph (OPS-OFN)– T. Beck (OPS-ONF)– C. Haddow (OPS-GI)– A. Ercolani (OPS-GDS)– G. P. Calzolari (OPS-GIB)– M. Pecchioli (OPS-GIC)



Automation

Objectives of Automation

• Enable optimised utilisation of shared resources Reduced cost

• Enable reduction of the global number of operators required per shift and/or enable execution of ‘lights-off’ operations Reduced cost

• Enable automated execution of repetitive operations Increased reliability

• Enable automated reaction to ground equipment failures Increased operational resilience



Automation

What is missing in the infrastructure?

• SCOS-2000 does already expose a number of external interfaces enabling the automation of spacecraft operations

– but this set of interfaces is inadequate to allow the ‘replacement’ of a spacecraft operator with an automation tool. Same issue with the NCTRS

• There is a significant amount of European proprietary tools supporting automated execution of ‘structured’ statements (procedures).

– but none belongs to ESOC and none fits completely with other ESOC systems

• The Flight Dynamics System supports the planning phase by means of a number of (more or less) standardised products

– but no other generic system supports the planning of shared resources (e.g. ESTRACK) nor of mission dedicated resources



Automation

Automation Concept Highlights

• Similar split of responsibilities as present but operators activities supported and/or autonomously executed by ‘automation’ tools

• Clear split between preparation, planning and execution

• Central system responsible for planning, scheduling and M&C operations execution of shared resources

• Mission dedicated systems for the planning and execution of spacecraft operations and related control center systems operations

• Loose coupling between central and mission dedicated systems.



Automation System Context for Operations

Automation

MPS

SMF

StatusMessages

S/C Timeline Schedule (SCTS)S/C Pass Schedule (SCPS)

Mission AutomationPlanned Schedule (MAPS)

NIS

MAS

EMSSTC

FDS

G/S

MCS

Predicts and Radiometric dataMission Planning Data

Monitoring and Control

Data

TM and TC Data

Ground Resource Planning Data

TM and TC Data

Control System Monitoring and Control Data + SCTS and SCPS

G/S Schedules (GRSS)+Service Instance

Configuration Files (SICF)

Service Instance Configuration Files

(SICF)

TM and TC Data

OPS Procedure Definitions

Control System and G/S Link Monitoring and Control Data + SCTS,

SCPS and MAPS + Status Messages

G/S Link Monitoring and Control Data

MPSMPS

SMFSMF

StatusMessages

S/C Timeline Schedule (SCTS)S/C Pass Schedule (SCPS)

Mission AutomationPlanned Schedule (MAPS)

NISNIS

MASMATIS

EMSSTCSTC

FDS

G/SG/S

MCSMCS

Predicts and Radiometric dataMission Planning Data

Monitoring and Control

Data

TM and TC Data

Ground Resource Planning Data

TM and TC Data

Control System Monitoring and Control Data + SCTS and SCPS

G/S Schedules (GRSS)+Service Instance

Configuration Files (SICF)

Service Instance Configuration Files

(SICF)

TM and TC Data

OPSOPS Procedure Definitions

Control System and G/S Link Monitoring and Control Data + SCTS,

SCPS and MAPS + Status Messages

G/S Link Monitoring and Control Data



Automation ESTRACK Management System (EMS)

Overview

EMS

File Server

ES

TR

AC

K P

lanning S

ystem

ESTRACK Scheduling

System

ESTRACK Coordination

System

Planning P

roducts

ESTRACK Ground Station

Communications Network

Management

Mission Operations

Centre

EM

S U

ser Flight

Dynamics

Mission Planning

External Provider (scheduling office)

Proxy

Form

at C

onverter

Planner MMI

Online MMI

EMS Operator Positions

SMF



Automation

Network Service Allocation

EMS User

EMS

Event Files

Initial EMP View

Order Refinement

Updated EMP View

Service Session Commitment

Final EMP View

Service Session Refinement



Automation

ESTRACK Planning System (EPS)

• Creates resource allocation plan for ESTRACK• Models stations resources• Input based on mission agreement on station

availability (I.e. standing order)• Flight Dynamics prediction used to determine

when mission have station visibility• Mission can submit refinement requests• Output conflict free resource ESTRACK

Management Plan (EMP)



Automation

ESTRACK Scheduling System (ESS)

• Input is the conflict free ESTRACK Management Plan

• Generates schedules for use for Station Computer

• Generates Service Instance Configuration Files (SICF) for use by station equipment and Network Interface System (NIS)

• SICFs also produced for SLE compliant external facilities



Automation

ESTRACK Coordination System (ECS)

• Downloads schedules to station equipment• Monitors service provision and schedule

execution• Control schedule• Coordinates possible with MAS via loosely

coupled messaging system utilising the SMF• Logs events and generates reports• Executes EMS Master Schedule From ESS



Automation

• SMF is a service provision middleware infrastructure designed to be generic.

• Can be tailored to expose the services of different software systems.

• Scalable and flexible architecture and run time environment.

• Ensures ‘transparent’ access to a service i.e. independence of underlying implementation.

Application Unit

External User Service ConsumerLayer

Service ProviderLayer

Generic Interface to Service Requests and Responses

Specific Interfaces to Service Providers Units

Service Management Framework

Service Management Framework (SMF)



Automation SMF exposes services according to

ECSS-70-31• All services are described in XML files as a tree of

System Elements;• Each System Element is composed of:

– Activities: to initiate actions on the system;– Reporting Data: to Get/Set the data describing

the status of the system; – Events: to notify external user of system changes.

• SMF provides generic methods to:– Initiate activities;– Access to reporting data;– Register for notification of events.



Automation

SMF Service ExampleExtract of S2K TC configuration system element configuration:System Element Name: TcMCConfigurationDescription This System Element define services for allowing a external user to monitor and modify the various global parameters affecting the behaviour of commandsActivities (name / description)• GetGlobalUv : It allows to get the global status of the Uplink Verification• ResetGlobalUv : It allows to reset the global status of the Uplink Verification to an OK stateReportingData (name/ description) • GlobalUv : Current status of the Uplink Verification (OK or FAIL).Event :• ServiceAvailability : Event to inform the external user of a change in the service availability status.• GlobalCommandingStatus Event to inform the external user of a change in the Global Command Status.



Automation

SMF / S2K 5.0 Automation Upgrade

Telemetry

Commanding

Data BaseProvision/Patch

ReportingGeneration

Archived DataDistribution

User Management

System Monitoring& Control

System Maintenance

Event

OBSM

Ground

Automation Services

Domain Monitoring& Control

System Management Data ManagementOn board Software

Management

PUS Services

Data BaseConfiguration

Multi Domain

ServicesManagement

General

Scheduling

Time Management



Automation

• External User:

– Application Software assessing the services

• Session Manager:– User access manager

• Service Directory System:– Central repository of the Services

Location• Service Request Handler

– Separation layer from the service consumer and the service provider

• Driver: – Component that allows the

access to the services exposed by the Application Unit.

• Application Unit:– Application exposing the services

SMF ComponentsExternal

UserSession Manager

Service Directory

ApplicationUnit A

Service

ApplicationUnit B

Service

Service Request Handler

Generic Driver I/F

AU Driver AU Driver



Automation

Mission Automation System (MATIS)

• Responsible for the automation of operations executed via mission dedicated facilities (‘automated spacecraft controller’)

• Executes schedules prepared by the mission specific planning system or manually prepared

• Supports execution of predefined procedures • Procedures can initiate any action ‘published’ by the

control center systems (e.g. S2K+NIS) via SMF• Implementation based on S2K low level services and

Vitrociset product ASE (schedules/procedure execution engine)



Automation

MATIS Preparation Environment

• Allows user to create/manipulate a Mission Automation User Schedule (MAUS)– Intended to be used for ‘standing orders’ that

always apply (e.g. produce daily printouts)• Provides facilities for importing/validating a

schedule generated by the Mission Planning System

• Provides facilities to import Procedures defined by the Operation Preparation System (MOIS). No capability to create/edit procedures



Automation

MATIS Execution Environment

• MATIS will support the execution of schedules containing procedure execution requests, events and links between them

• Multiple schedules may be running at a time and schedules may contain parallel executing procedures

• MATIS will support the execution of procedures defined according to the PLUTO standard syntax– Either ‘called’ by a Schedule– Or manually loaded by the user

• Interaction between the various schedules/procedures will be possible

• User control of schedule/procedures execution possible via Graphical User Interface.



Automation

MPS

MATIS Execution Layers

SMF

FLIGHT CONTROL TEAM

Calendar Management

Schedules Management

Procedures Management

Activities & external events Management

LAYERS

MAPS and MAUS Scheduling, Standing orders

MAPS and MAUS execution, Task scheduling, Event check point management

Procedure execution, Activity initiation, Contingency handling

External services invocation, external event handling

1: MAPS Mission automation planned schedule

2: MAUS (mission automation user schedule) & Calendar Monitoring

3: Schedule execution request

4. Procedure execution, tracing.MATIS



Automation MCS Infrastructure Upgrades for

Automation

• The SCOS-2000 kernel (R5.0) and the NIS (R1.0) will enable access (via SMF) to all functions required for automation

• The EGOS Data Dissemination System (EDDS) will support services enabling tools ‘á la MUST’ to access data required e.g. to automate the routine operations planning and/or the reporting

• A new application (MATIS) will be ‘developed’ supporting automated execution of schedules and procedures (accessing SMF services)



Automation

MCS Infrastructure Target Architecture

EGOS Framework (Basic Services)

Common Libraries

Events Logging

Service Directory

Configuration Management

Others Others

Common Services

Archive UsersSystem

M&CAlarms

User Desktop

Others

TM/TC Processing Components

TM ServersTC

ServersNIS

Client applicat.

Others

Ancillary Systems

MATIS EDDS ECS

GUIsSMF Driver Driver Driver

Driver

Driver



Automation

Towards the Target Architecture

MCS Framework (S2K-R5.0 Basic Services)

TM/TC Processing Components

TM ServersTC

ServersNIS

Client applicat.

Others

Ancillary Systems

MATIS EDDS ECS

GUIsSMF Driver Driver Driver

Driver

Driver



Automation

Developments Status and plan

Product Status PA Delivery

SMF Provisionally accepted Available

NIS Development ongoing Q2/2006

S2K-R5 Development ongoing Q4/2006

EPS Development ongoing Q4/2006

MATIS Design ongoing Q2/2007

EDDS Requirements Definition Q2/2007

ESS RFP ongoing Q3/2007

ECS RFP out in Q4/2006 Q1/2008



Automation

Issues

• Automation requires upfront ‘investment’!• No infrastructure available in the medium-

term in the area of Mission Planning Systems– Missions will have to develop their own interfaces

to EMS/MATIS

• Will other systems (e.g. FDS) adopt SMF?• The infrastructure commitments/plans are

very ambitious!



Automation

Conclusions

• Flexible concept has been developed• Covers shared and mission dedicated

resources• Will allow gradual increase in the amount of

automation as products are delivered and procedures are defined and debugged

• Extendable to cover most of the elements in the ground segment

• Ambitious infrastructure development plan!



Automation Thank you for your attention.

Questions ?

Technology

OPS Forum Infrastructure Developments for Mission Operations Automation 02.02.2006