Whitepapers

Military Messaging

Whitepapers with a special relevance to those building military messaging solutions, together with whitepapers of a more general relevance to military solutions.

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HF Radio & Network Centric Warfare
Modern military communications are a key component of Network Centric Warfare. HF Radios are used extensively for military communications, and, although very slow, provide effective long distance communication in a wide range of situations. This paper looks at how HF Radio fits with Network Centric Warfare, and looks at approaches for integrating HF Radios to maximize their effectiveness.
(9th April 2008)

Instant Messaging & Presence for Secure Environments
Instant Messaging (IM) and Presence applications are used widely. This paper considers their application in secure environments, such as Government and Military, where security is of paramount concern.
(2nd April 2008)

Military Messaging over HF Radio and Satellite using STANAG 4406 Annex E
Military Messages often need to be transferred over low bandwidth networks, in particular HF Radio and Satellite Networks. The two military specifications for this type of messaging environment are NATO's STANAG 4406 Annex E and ACP 142 developed by the CCEB (Combined Communications-Electronics Board – AU, CA, NZ, US, UK). This paper describes scenarios that require these special technologies, and then gives an overview of the technologies and how they address the technical problems.
(14th Feb 2008)

The Architecture of Isode's STANAG 4406 Annex E Solution
Military Messages often need to be transferred over low bandwidth networks, in particular HF Radio and Satellite Networks. Isode provides ACP 142 and STANAG 4406 Annex E as a part of its M-Switch X.400 product. This paper describes Isode's approach to implementing these protocols, and how this addresses basic and advanced operational problems, management approaches and integration with other components as part of a larger solution.
(14th Feb 2008)

STANAG 5066: The Standard for Data Applications over HF Radio
STANAG 5066 is a NATO specification for running data applications over HF Radio. STANAG 5066 operates over an HF modem, and provides an interface for data applications to use and share an HF modem. STANAG 5066 provides core services to enable applications to operate efficiently over HF radio, and specifies a protocol that enables a clean separation between applications and modem/radio level. This paper describes STANAG 5066, and shows why it is key to deploying applications over HF Radio.
(14th Feb 2008)

Why IP over HF Radio should be Avoided
HF Radios are important for military communications. IP is widely used and is the basis for most network communication. This paper looks at use of IP over HF Radio and the efficiency of different types of application over IP and concludes that applications intended for regular use over HF Radio should not use IP and should instead be directly integrated with STANAG 5066.
(14th Feb 2008)

Military Messaging over HF Radio: A comparison of ACP 127 and STANAG 4406 Annex E
ACP 127 is the older NATO standard for formal military messaging that is being replaced by STANAG 4406. Both standards are used over HF Radio, and for STANAG 4406, this is specified in Annex E. This paper looks at how both standards work, and shows the benefits of the newer technologies.
(14th Feb 2008)

Access Control using Security Labels & Security Clearance
Security Labels provide an important mechanism for controlling access to information in many high security environments, and are also useful in environments with lower security requirements. This paper provides a reasonably detailed description of how security labels and clearances work, while attempting to avoid the high level of technical complexity seen in many papers in this area.
(31st Jan 2008)

Testing STANAG 4406 Military Messaging over IP Differentiated Services
IP Differentiated Services (DiffServ) is a standardized Internet approach for dealing with different classes of traffic. We have added support for differentiated services to M-Switch X.400, so that its priority handling (which supports standard X.400 three level priority, and the STANAG 4406 military messaging six level priority) can utilize differentiated services at the IP level. Isode and NATO staff put together a setup to test military messaging in conjunction with DiffServ, and ran tests on two days in August and November 2007. This paper describes the tests that were done and analyses the results.
(20th Dec 2007)

Military Messaging Over Low Bandwidth Networks
Military Messages often need to be transferred over low bandwidth networks such as HF radio and other "constrained communication channels". The two military specifications which have evolved to deal with such a messaging environment are ACP 142 and NATO's STANAG 4406 Annexe E. This paper describes scenarios that require these special technologies, gives an overview of the technologies describes Isode's approach to implementing them.
(22nd June 2006)

Why use a P7 Message Store? Getting X.400 messages to and from end-users
The goal of this paper is to give an understanding of what an X.400 Message Store, such as Isode's M-Store X.400 does, and where and how it should be used. In order to do this, the paper looks at general requirements for sending and receiving (X.400) messages, and looks at various approaches that can be taken.
(19th June 2007)

M-Store X.400 Benchmarks
This paper provides performance benchmarks for Isode's M-Store X.400 product (R14) in a number of common usage scenarios including core P3 and P7 operations, throughput tests and handling of large messages.
(31st May 2007)

X.400 Bridgehead for Microsoft Exchange: Technical Architecture and Back-end Features
X.400 Bridgehead for Microsoft Exchange ("X.400 Bridgehead") is a new product from Boldon James, produced in collaboration with Isode. It's primary goal is to provide X.400 protocol connectivity for Microsoft Exchange 2007, this capability was provided as a part of Exchange 2003 and earlier versions, but is not included with Exchange 2007. This paper describes the architecture of X.400 Bridgehead, and summarizes it's key features. It is particularly oriented towards understanding the capabilities of X.400 Bridgehead in the context of older versions of Exchange and full X.400 Message Transfer Agents (MTAs).
(11th May 2007)

Sending FLASH Messages Quickly: Techniques for Low Latency Message Switching and Precedence Handling
Military Messaging systems, and other messaging systems with time critical operational requirements such as Aviation (AMHS), require that high precedence messages are submitted, transferred and delivered very quickly. In this paper we look at how messages can be handled to achieve message switching times of a few hundred milli-seconds, for both low and high volumes of traffic. The importance of Permanent Associations as a way of avoiding delays in opening a connection is described and consideration is given to Precedence Handling, describing techniques that ensure high precedence traffic gets optimum (low) latency.
(9th May 2007)

Packaging Military Messaging for HF Radio and other Low Bandwidth Links
The general requirements and protocol architecture for military messaging over low bandwidth communications were described in the Isode White Paper Military Messaging Over Low Bandwidth Networks. This paper looks in more detail at how various server components are packaged together, looking at both software and hardware combinations, and showing how users and user agents fit into the system. The paper looks in detail at single user systems, from both hardware and software perspective.
(15th Feb 2007)

M-Switch X.400 Benchmarks
This paper gives performance benchmarks for Isode's M-Switch X.400, a high-performance X.400 Message Transfer Agent. M-Switch X.400 is deployed by Isode customers in a number of solutions areas and these benchmarks re-enforce our belief that M-Switch X.400 is substantially faster than any other X.400 MTA.
(20th Nov 2007)

Why X.400 is good for high reliability messaging
X.400 was specified in the 1980s, with the expectation that it would be the universal standard for email. While this did not happen, X.400 is still used for many applications, particularly where high reliability is required. This paper summarizes the key features of X.400 that make it good for applications needing high reliability, with particular focus on capabilities not available with Internet email.
(11th May 2006)

Providing Reliable Message Transport using X.400
For many commercial and personal applications, Internet mail is sufficiently reliable to be trusted and treated as if it were 100% reliable. For some applications, such as aviation, military, and key government communications this is not good enough. This paper looks at what is needed to provide highly reliable message transport: reliably taking a message from its originator and delivering to the recipient(s).
(8th Feb 2005)

General

SNMP and Isode Servers
This white paper looks at the role of SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) in managing systems using Isode messaging and directory servers. It explains why SNMP support is provided, the sub-agent architecture used by Isode products, and approaches to deploying SNMP monitoring.
(29th May 2007)

Offline Editing, Testing and Version Management of Messaging Configurations
Isode's messaging configuration is held in the directory, providing a number of benefits, including client/server GUI management of configuration and the ability to share configuration data between multiple servers. This paper explains how this core architecture, as well as providing a means of editing and manaing a live configuration, is extended to support offline configuration development and review, configuration testing and configuration version management.
(1st Dec 2006)

Operational Monitoring and Control of Systems using Isode Servers
Isode server products are deployed in a wide variety of situations, and usually there is a high service reliance placed on them. Isode’s approach to server design and management is that the products are building blocks, with maximum use of open standard protocols for interconnection. Management is almost entirely client/server. This combination of building block + client/server means that the approach to operational management needs to be considered as part of the overall system design. This paper explains the approach Isode has taken and the options provided, that can be used to build an operational system.
(1st March 2006)

Monitoring and Managing Messaging Deployments with Very High Service Requirements: Isode Servers and Sentra
In order to provide a very high grade messaging service, it is critical to monitor the service and be able to take action where problems are detected. This white paper looks at various approaches to monitoring systems containing the Isode servers, and in particular looks at use of the Sentra product from Insider Technologies.
(2nd Nov 2004)

Isode Management Architecture: Client/Server and Directory
Isode's core business is messaging and directory servers. Isode products are designed for service oriented environments, such as ISPs, military, government and aviation. These are environments where there are stringent management requirements. This white paper sets out the approaches that Isode takes to address management requirements.
(21st Sept 2004)

MIXER: X.400 and Internet Mail Conversion
This article by Steve Kille, published in Messaging Magazine, describes MIXER (MIME Internet X.400 Enhanced Relay), the Internet Standard for conversion between X.400 Messaging and Internet mail.