NOAA CENTER for WEATHER and CLIMATE PREDICTION (NCWCP)
Network Infrastructure Planning
INTRODUCTION
decision/analysis partners LLC (d/ap) was part of a team selected to assist the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in planning the design and migration of electrical, mechanical, telecommunications and audio-visual systems for the NCWCP. The NCWCP is a new building located in College Park, MD that was in the initial design phase. It is replacing the World Weather Building, an older facility in Camp Springs, MD. d/ap was responsible for Wide Area Networking and coordination with other areas.
SITUATION
The initial objective of the project was to migrate the existing wide area networks from the World Weather Building in Camp Springs to the new NCWCP building in College Park, MD. After an initial review, it became apparent that the existing networks were a combination of point solutions implemented over time and did not provide an optimal networking solution from a technical, cost, throughput or reliability standpoint. Based on our recommendations, NOAA agreed to proceed with an Enterprise-Wide approach to their requirements.
APPROACH
To gain an understanding of the existing requirements, decision/analysis partners reviewed documentation describing existing communications systems and interviewed user representatives in all affected areas. Current and projected network throughput information was also obtained. Network availability requirements were also investigated. It was learned that network bottlenecks and unplanned outages had recently been encountered and had caused significant difficulties for the organization. d/ap also worked closely with team members responsible for local area networking as well as voice, audio/visual systems and structured cabling. In addition, d/ap collaborated with carriers who had fiber in the areas where services were required.
RESULTS
- Designed an Enterprise-Wide dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) Network (WAN) using fiber optics and carrier-grade equipment to connect NOAA Headquarters, the NOAA Satellite Operations Center, the World Weather Building and the NCWCP (all in the metropolitan Washington, DC area) with NOAA’s remotely-located supercomputer sites in Maryland and West Virginia. The initial network provided 10 gigabit Ethernet services in a protected ring with full diversity and no single point of failure. This service is expandable to 160 gigabits using the same fiber. It has been operational for over three years without a single service affecting outage. The recommended network was provided by Qwest (since acquired by Century Link).
- Also designed a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) based Wide Area Network connecting major NOAA locations with NOAA field offices and other government Departments and Agencies to distribute NOAA’s forecasts and other data products. This included the National Hurricane Center, the Aviation Weather Center, the Storm Prediction Center, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Network diversity was also added, providing all locations with diverse local loops connecting them to the backbone network for the first time. The recommended network was provided by Qwest (since acquired by Century Link).
CPC enlisted decision/analysis partners (d/ap) to provide an independent evaluation of its postal automation software development effort, which includes twelve projects involving internal as well as external providers.
decision/analysis partners offers practical operations management advice and assistance to postal organizations, ranging from posts with few sort center to large organizations requiring sophisticated automation and mechanization.
decision/analysis partners offers a complete set of postal operations transformation services and tools. The route verifier ™ application uses state-of-the-art technology to help validate and edit address databases and ensure efficient route and sequencing operations.
Point of Call (POC) delivery sequencing enables the automated development and management of delivery routes, and automation of the “last mile” sort that was otherwise performed by delivery carriers. Canada Post Corporation (CPC) enlisted us to audit the database and identify gaps in the processes used for managing the address database to ensure its accuracy.
SITUATION
All disasters are local. Recovery after a disaster isn’t complete until individuals and families recover from their personal losses. To facilitate recovery, Governments play a critical role in disaster avoidance, preparation, and response.
In addition to customary natural and man-made disaster risks,Romaniais subject to severe earthquakes, floods and flash floods. Recently, the Government of Romania began a program to strengthen their ability to assist citizens in emergency situations. This includes the implementation of an Emergency Management Information System (EMIS) to support emergency planning and response at the national, county and local levels.
Reliable communications is essential for warning the public of impending severe weather and floods, dispatching first responders, and coordination of relief resources and supplies. The USTDA provided a Technical Assistance grant to help the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (GIES) assess what weather, hydrology and earthquake information was needed from other government agencies. The project also assessed whether their planned data communications network would effectively support their operational requirements during emergencies. GIES selected decision/analysis partners (d/ap) to conduct the project.
APPROACH
d/ap cast a wide net to learn as much as possible aboutRomania’s existing weather, hydrology and seismic monitoring and forecasting systems and the information products available. The team also studied similar systems in other countries to determine best practices and lessons learned. Recommendations were made for the delivery and use of environmental information in support ofRomania’s Emergency Management operations.
Plans for the EMIS application and its supporting network were also studied. Existing and planned network facilities were reviewed with service providers. The consulting team also performed a detailed traffic analysis based on forecasted data volumes to predict network utilization and system response times. It was determined that the capacity of one critical network component was undersized while others had excess capacity. Recommendations for added network diversity were also made.
RESULTS
d/ap presented recommendations for upgraded environmental information products, enhanced use of GIS technology, and recommended network modifications. An analysis of Cell Broadcast technology and its ability to enhance GIES’ public warning capabilities was also provided.
INTRODUCTION
decision/analysis partners LLC was awarded a USTDA-financed contract to prepare a technical design and roadmap for the development and deployment of the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure for the new city of Rawabi. Rawabi, located about 25 km North of Jerusalem in the West Bank, will eventually house about 40,000 people. It will include a shopping mall, schools, a library, businesses of all sizes, medical and dental clinics and community services.
SITUATION
When decision/analysis partners began working on this project, it became clear that the client, Bayti Real Estate Investment Company, had little experience with the development of infrastructure needed to support telecommunications services and its related equipment and systems. This was a major shortcoming since it was Bayti’s vision for Rawabi to be a high-tech city, attractive and affordable for young, highly educated Palestinians.
APPROACH
decision/analysis partners and its subcontractors provided:
> An assessment and forecast of telecommunications requirements
> A high-level technical design and architecture
> An economic and financial analysis of options
> An analysis of business model alternatives
> Detailed requirements
> Legal and regulatory assessment
> Structuring of procurement activities
> A preliminary environmental impact analysis
The site itself added to the project’s challenges. Formerly an olive tree farm, most of the terrain consists of solid rock with thin topsoil and has a slope of up to 23°.
RESULTS
A comprehensive set of design recommendations was made for Rawabi’s IT infrastructure, gigabit passive optical network (GPON) telecommunications technology, and the operations support systems required to operate the network. As a result, architectural modifications were made to accommodate equipment and cabling throughout the city. Potential business models were also developed. Overall capital and expense budget estimates were made including the systems and operations required to operate Rawabi’s telecom network. A comprehensive review of potential U.S. manufacturers was developed, along with a legal and regulatory analysis.
“Rawabi’s ICT infrastructure is a critical factor in building its knowledge base economy”, said Amir Dajani, Deputy Managing Director of Bayti Real Estate Investment Company, “Providing Rawabi with an advanced ICT environment will have ripple effects throughout Palestine, expanding economic activities, creating jobs, introducing new technologies in building and trade, and engaging more broadly with the global economy”. Bayti has retained decision/analysis partners to continue to assist with the design of detailed implementation plans.
d/ap provided training support to Canada Post Corporation staff in order to transition ownership of a simulation model developed by d/ap. The model consisted of testing dispatch scenarios to minimize bottlenecks on the tray handling system and to reduce labor requirements during this critical phase of the mail processing operations. The training included assistance in the installation and configuration of the modeling environment.
decision/analysis partners led a study for Canada Post consisting of modeling detailed mail processes to profile the 24-hour mail flows through the Ottawa mail processing center of Canada Post Corporation. Flow profiles were aggregated to container levels in order to assess the space requirements at various times of day, for each product type, and at all work centers (manual and automated).
A driving objective of the study was to develop a set of guidelines that will be future-proof, i.e. that will protect CPC from future changes in mail mix or business strategy, as well as introduce to CPC the latest thinking in terms of mail processing strategies inside the plant to minimize operating costs and maximize asset utilization (i.e., utilization of stacakers, tray, and containers), but also by reducing the total number of stackers and sorters.
Working hand in hand with the Industrial Engineering staff at CPC, our team provided a comprehensive and detailed set of analyses at the work center level for time-based flows and space requirements. These ‘Detailed Work Center Design’ documents served plant engineering as their blueprint to configure the layout of the plant.
