ADASS XIX, Large systems - 2

Flexible operations
planning repository
for space science
missions
J.C. Vallejo, R. Vazquez, J. Tejo (GMV,AD)P. Chaizy, G. Hutchinson, T. Dimbylow (STCF/RAL)
D. Frew (ESA)© GMV, 2009 Property of GMV
All rights reserved

OUTLINE
 The (variable) ground segment.
 The modular approach in science operations.
 The P-REP Science Planning Repository.

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The groundsegment© GMV, 2009 Property of GMV
All rights reserved

THE (VARIABLE) GROUND SEGMENT
 Ground facilities, the link between thespacecraft and its user.

 GS requirements vary across missions(obviously).

 GS requirements vary within the mission

lifetime (if long enough).

– Scientific missions (or their data) survive
meanwhile in good condition, they are cheap tooperate and keep a high rate of published papers.
– So requirements may change because ageing,costs reduction or search for an increase on thescientific return.
 Wishful thinking: to have a unique GS able tocope with such a variability.

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YESTERDAY A one-fit-for all system is impossible.

– A bottom-up approach was traditionally used todevelop one mission from another.
– Coordination/reuse was not a priority.
 However, MOC/SOC were developed sometimes

in a combined way. It was noted,– A reduction of management overheads, risks, andincrease of coordination in common areas.
 But unavailability of multi - purpose / multi -mission / time - evolving systems.

– It may be easiest for platform operations, not soeasy for data operations, difficult for science
operations.

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Page 5TODAY Between yesterday and today the problem isdifferent,– An increasing number of missions and a shrinking
budget.
 Between yesterday and today the problem isthe same,– A one-fit-for all system is impossible!
 Today’s approach to the above problems,– Coordination/reuse is a priority.
– Some solutions are,••

To have common reusable infrastructures, such as ESA EGOS, or GSCFGMSEC, providing standard middlewares.
To have common GS elements, such as ESAC Multimission archives, ESAC
MIG activities, Commercial “generic” products, ...

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Page 6TOMORROW A top-down approach is the only approach

which will allow the efficient development ofsuch systems.

 The development of P-REP is positioned in a

global effort for building generic science
operation center frameworks.

 P-REP is one building block corresponding to aplanning repository within a modular SOC.

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MODULAR SOCs
 Driver; We cannot have a one-fit-for allsystem; The functional architecture of the SOCs

must be modular to cope with thevariations of the requirements.

 So … design all systems (maybe even its

infrastructure itself) as flexible as possible,
to be used across different missions.

 Subsystems replacement or reengineering,incorporation of new elements within theSOC, or changes of the functionalarchitecture, should be affordable evenduring operational phase.

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Page 8MODULAR SOCs (II) MOCs are “well” standardized. SOCs are stillscratch.

built from Some trends point to locating its functional development

non-centralized scientific entities.
– Modularity still essential.

 Building pluggable blocks approach,– Allows future enhancements and major changes.
– Allows future paradigms which at the moment are not mature
enough.
– Clean/Clear interfaces are a key issue
 A period of one decade in s/w and h/w is an era.

– Any system, any module should cope with this.

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Page 9inThe P-REP
planningrepository© GMV, 2009 Property of GMV
All rights reserved

P-REP PLANNING REPOSITORY P-REP was born as a call from ESA for

developing a planning repository, (planetary)
mission-independent.

 It was decided to carry out this project within

the modular SOCs context, taking advantage ofour previous activities there.

PES
InputsGenerator

Operated
Systems

Planners
InputsGenerator

PES Inputs
Type 1

Operated
SystemOutputs

Planner Inputs

ServiceInterface
Planner
Outputs

Access User
I/O Stored in
the P-REPPES Outputs
Type 1PES Inputs
Type 2

Access User
I/O Not Stored
in the P-REP

P-REP

Planners
ExternalSystemsPlanners
PES Outputs
Type 2

 It is being carried out by a consortium made of

Grupo Mecanica de Vuelo (GMV) and of theRutherford Appleton Laboratory (STFC/RAL).

PES Outputs
Type 1

Planner
Outputs

 Main goal: to specify, design and develop a prototype for acentralized information repository to store any relevant
operation planning data for any past, current or future
mission.

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PES Inputs
Type 1

Planner Inputs

ServiceInterface

OperatedSystemOutputs

BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED Combined developments reduce management overheads,risks, production times.

 A mission with modular design can cope with in-flight majorchanges (keep i/f)...and still be cheap to operate.

 S/W is notorious for (unexpected?) growth of costs– Still an art, not an engineering task (?).
– Considered to be a buffer area for the problems (!). Always
expect last minute modifications and requirements.
– S/W replacement and re-engineering of complete systems ispossible in long-life operations.
 Complex monolithic leading-edge systems can cope with today

mission requirements, but may be cumbersome to re-engineer
tomorrow, for other mission or even for the mission itself.

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Page 12P-REP BASICS
 The P-REP is more than just a database.
 It provides a user environment that facilitates,in a secure and role-driven system,– The access to the database contents.
– The adaptability of its external interfaces to permission requirements.
– The adaptability to the user defined, mission
specific data storage modeling.
 The data to be handled by the P-REP can befiles, file content or any type of relevant
planning information. That is,– Format specific information.
– Planning system specific information.

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PLANNING DATA STORAGE Typical planning information that can be stored

includes,– Predicted or measured events.
– Constraints and/or rules– Plans.
 But also any information that can help users togenerate the latter.

– Results of the processing of downlinked data, as
QLA results.
– Feedback of the science results from the PI teams.
– Etc…
 These data are variable per mission basis, bothin terms of the data itself and its definition.

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Page 14DATA MODELING A key element is the proper data modeling to be embedded in

the databases structures.

 P-REP shall allow the modeling of the different and specificmission data types, based on the “Component Philosophy”.

 P-REP manages two type of components,– TEMPLATES; model the format of the required structures (datatypes), i.e. structure types for the variables.
– ITEMS; they are instantiated templates with specific values (datavalues), i.e. the variable themselves.
 Components enable the possibility to implement a uniqueflexible and combined way of accessing, structuring andprocessing the data.

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SYSTEM DESIGN
FTP
Clients

Software
Clients

InternetP-REP GUIInternalFTP External Interfaces:
File basedoProgramming API P-REP interaction

P-REP
Application Servero

External Services

External ServicesoProgramming API(Request/Result Controller)
OUTPUT TRAYINPUT TRAY••INPUT TRAYOUTPUT TRAY

oData Manager
FileHandler

File
Disseminator

Online (centralised Database)ControlAccess

User
Administration

MANAGER

Events
LoggerAlertsManager

QueueManager

File
Processor

File based
Programming API

Offline (local Database)Programming API

 P-REP Server

Scripting AutomationoIt’s the core of the P-REP
software.

Data
Data Access
Access Objects
Objects

FILES
FILES
REPOSITORY Security P-REP AccessoCONFIGFILES
FILESSCRIPTSSCRIPTSREPOSITORY

oRelational Database

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Security P-REP access
Security P-REP data access• Based on privileges

STATUS Building block approach fully working withother elements,– TM Data repositories, (archiva).
– Scheduling and planning systems, (flexplan).
– Control centers, (Hifly).
 P-REP Design completed. Design review nearlyfinished.

 P-REP Data modeling on going. Prototype readyjust early next year.

 First target mission Rosetta. BepiCol potential candidate.
 Combined with ROSCOSMOS WSO/UV mission ground segment

design (poster ADASS XIX).

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Thank you
Juan C. Vallejo – GMV Consultant
XMM-SOC / ESAC
Email:

jcvc@gmv.es
www.gmv.com© GMV, 2009 Property of GMV
All rights reserved