Network Management and Signalling Standards for CCSDS Advanced Orbiting System Communication Systems

Abstract

The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) is an international organization chartered to develop and adopt communications protocols and data processing standards suitable for use in space-related communication and data processing systems. Among its ongoing activities, CCSDS is in the final stages of approving recommendations for communications services and protocols to be used by "advanced orbiting systems" (AOS) typified by the international Space Station Freedom Program. As a companion activity to the development of the AOS protocols, CCSDS is in the process of defining the network management functions that are necessary to realize the full capabilities of the AOS services. CCSDS is also concerned with communicating management information among distributed network management systems, an environment that will be typical of multi-national space ventures. These network management systems are envisioned to be automated, resulting in a need for standard network management protocols and data structures. This paper briefly describes the CCSDS network management environment, and reviews the current status of CCSDS recommendations for network management functional capability, use of international standards for network management, and composition of signalling systems in support of the AOS services. The paper concludes with a timetable for future work in this area.