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M-Switch X.400 Military Messaging

M-Switch X.400 is a high performance, highly flexible and robust X.400 Message Transfer Agent (MTA). This page describes military capabilities and conformance of M-Switch X.400. A general description of Isode's military messaging solution can be found here.

MMHS Standards & M-Switch X.400

The primary standards for Military Message Handling Systems (MMHS) are ACP 123 and STANAG 4406, which are technically aligned. Isode’s primary technical reference for MMHS is STANAG 4406 Edition 2, which from an MTA perspective is compatible with the two older references. These specifications are based on X.400.

This document relates to MMHS features in M-Switch X.400 (MTA) that are defined by these documents. The majority of the MMHS MTA features are taken from X.400, and most features needed are standard M-Switch X.400 capabilities. Much of STANAG 4406 relates to message content, and does not directly affect MTA conformance. The MTA has to carry the data.

MTA conformance to STANAG 4406 primarily relates to supporting the required features of X.400. Three parts of STANAG 4406 are relevant to an MTA:

• Annexe A. This defines core MTA behavior, and military extensions to X.400. M-Switch X.400 supports all MTA features defined.
• Annexe C. This sets out in detail the features of X.400 required. M-Switch X.400 conforms to the MTA parts of this annexe, for both X400 P1 and X.400 P3.
• Annexe E. This covers tactical messaging. It is implemented by M-Switch X.400 and described in more detail below.

Priority

STANAG 4406 defines one Message Transport feature, which is to extend the X.400 three level message priority (low; medium; high) to six military levels (deferred; routine; immediate; priority; flash; override). This is supported by M-Switch X.400. Isode management GUIs can all display message priority using the military values.

M-Switch X.400 may be controlled using MConsole to limit message processing by priority, across the whole switch or for selected channels. This control may be used in support of MINIMIZE condition.

M-Switch X.400 allows permanent connections to be scheduled for selected priorities, and can also control setting of the DSCP (Differentiated Service Code Point) values for different connections, to enable message traffic differentiation according to DiffServ (RFC 2474 and RFC 2475).

P772 Content Support

Although STANAG 4406 does not require an MTA to be able to interpret message content, there is benefit in being able to do so. M-Switch can interpret the P772 message format, which enables the following services from M-Switch X.400 that require interpretation of the message content:

• Virus Checking.
• Message Content Checking
• Message Header Transformation

Satellite and HF Radio Networks

Military Messages often need to be transferred over low bandwidth networks such as HF radio, Satellite and other "constrained communication channels". The key military specifications which deal with such a messaging environment are the CCEB (Combined Communications-Electronics Board – AU, CA, NZ, US, UK) developed ACP 142 and NATO's STANAG 4406 Annexe E, and STANAG 5066.

An Isode white paper Military Messaging Over Low Bandwidth Networks explains this technology, describes deployment scenarios, and shows the complete Isode messaging solution for this environment, including directory configuration and management GUIs.

The above diagram shows how this functionality fits into M-Switch X.400. Further details are given in the white paper,The Architecture of Isode's STANAG 4406 Annex E Solution. Key features of Isode’s solution:

• Full Directory based configuration.
• Integrated GUI management, giving a single view of messaging and ACP 142 queues.
• Support of STANAG 5066 for operation over HF Radio.
• Integration with Internet Messaging over the same ACP 142 queue.
• Support of Connection Oriented ACP 142, to optimize for transfers over point to point networks.
• GUI STANAG 5066 Console to help configuration and management of STANAG 5066 deployments, described here.

More general information on this areas is provided in a number of Isode white papers:

• Military Messaging over HF Radio and Satellite using STANAG 4406 Annex E gives descriptions of a number of scenarios, and then reviews protocol architecture, including details for HF Radio and Satellite.
• Packaging Military Messaging for HF Radio and other Low Bandwidth Links gives a more practical view, showing typical hardware and how components are packaged together.
• Military Messaging over HF Radio: A comparison of ACP 127 and STANAG 4406 Annex E compares STANAG 4406 Annex E over HF Radio with the older ACP 127 standard used over HF Radio.
• STANAG 5066: The Standard for Data Applications over HF Radio describes the STANAG 5066 specification, which is central to operation over HF Radio.
• Messaging Protocols for HF Radio describes how Internet Mail support is provided in conjunction with STANAG 4406 over ACP 142, and describes the Connection Oriented ACP 142 extensions, to optimize for transfers over point to point networks.
• Directory Replication by Email and over 'Air Gap' describes how directory is supported over constrained networks.
  

Conformance

• ACP 123, "Common Messaging Strategy and Procedures", August 1997. ACPs (Allied Communications Publications) are issued by the CCEB (Combined Communications Electronics Board).
• STANAG 4406, Edition 1, Version 3. "Military Message Handling System", March 1999. STANAG documents are NATO standardization agreements.
• STANAG 4406, Edition 2. "Military Message Handling System", March 2005
  • Annexe A: "Military Message Handling System Extensions"
  • Annexe C: "Alpha Profile Set"
  • Annexe E: "Tactical MMHS Protocol and Profile Solution"
• ACP 142, Version 1.0, "P_MUL - A PROTOCOL FOR RELIABLE MULTICAST MESSAGING IN BANDWIDTH CONSTRAINED AND DELAYED ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (EMCON) ENVIRONMENTS". December 2001.
• Proposed Changes to ACP 142 version 1.0 (December 2001). NATO MMHS WG 642 (September 2004).
• STANAG 5506 Edition 1 Amendment 1- "Profile for High Frequency (HF) Radio Data Communications", October 2005.
• STANAG 5506 Edition 2 (Draft). "Profile for High Frequency (HF) Radio Data Communications", April 2007.