Proxy server for distributing aircraft software parts

• US 8,930,310 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Rodgers, Michael K., Beck, Walter R., Walker, Olga C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BURKE, JEFF A
• Application Number:
  US12/276,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,234 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/618, 707/626, 707/634, 707/636, 707628-629, 707/172, 707/177, 717/172, 717/177
• US Class Current: 707/617
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for managing aircraft software parts. In one advantageous embodiment, a method includes retrieving a set of aircraft software parts and metadata about the set of aircraft software parts from a library in an aircraft network data processing system to form a set of retrieved aircraft software parts. The set of aircraft software parts is stored in a file system. Metadata is stored in a database. The set of aircraft software parts and the metadata is sent to an onboard electronic distribution system, a communications link between an on ground component interface, and the onboard electronic distribution system. Status information about activity on the communications link is maintained.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing a set of aircraft software parts, the set of aircraft software parts comprising a configuration item, and the computer implemented method comprising:

creating a crate for the configuration item, wherein creating comprises;

receiving an identifier for the configuration item;

receiving, separately from the identifier, metadata about the configuration item;

validating the metadata by determining whether a set of received metadata entries for the metadata meet a set of rules;

validating the configuration item;

storing the configuration item and the metadata in the crate;

storing a public key in the crate;

digitally signing the crate to create a digital signature for the crate;

wherein, upon receipt of the crate, at least one of the public key and the digital signature are usable to determine whether the configuration item and metadata are valid, whether the configuration item and metadata have been originated by a particular source, and whether the crate remains unmodified after creation of the crate;

optimizing a bandwidth on a communications link between an on ground component and an onboard electronic distribution system;

sending the crate to the onboard electronic distribution system over the communications link;

creating and recording an event log during creating the crate or sending the crate; and

using the event log for reporting during an audit to ensure a process is followed for a specific operation.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining status information about activity on the communications link; and

sending the status information to a library in an aircraft network data processing system.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the status information comprises an identification of whether an aircraft software part in the set of aircraft software parts is ready for installation in a line replaceable unit on an aircraft.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of aircraft software parts is a first set of aircraft software parts, the metadata is first metadata, the onboard electronic distribution system is a first onboard electronic distribution system and the communications link is a first communications link and further comprising:

sending a second set of aircraft software parts and second metadata to a second onboard electronic distribution system through a second communications link between the on ground component interface and the second onboard electronic distribution system simultaneously with sending the set of aircraft software parts and the metadata to the onboard electronic distribution system.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a set of commands from the library to form a received set of commands;

sending the received set of commands to a second onboard electronic distribution system through a second communications link between the on ground component interface and the second onboard electronic distribution system.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the set of commands comprises at least one of a delete command and a downlink command.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving downlink data through the second communications link between the on ground component interface and the second onboard electronic distribution system;

storing the downlink data in the file system to form stored downlink data; and

sending the stored downlink data to the library.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein optimizing comprises determining which command to send to an aircraft on which the onboard electronic distribution system is located.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein determining is based on avoiding sending too many uplink or downlink commands to the aircraft simultaneously while using a proxy server between the on ground component and the onboard electronic distribution system, wherein the term “

too many”

is defined as sufficient uplink or downlink commands to the aircraft such that the use of bandwidth is not improved or optimized while the aircraft is communicating with the proxy server.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein optimizing comprises prioritizing among types of commands to be sent to the aircraft.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein optimizing comprises prioritizing among types of aircraft and sending the crate only if the aircraft comprises a particular type of aircraft.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 2 further comprising:

responsive to an interruption in the communication link, re-establishing the communication link, wherein prior to re-establishing the communication link only a first portion of the crate was transmitted to the aircraft; and

responsive to re-establishing the communication link, using the status information to transmit a remaining portion of the crate to the onboard electronic distribution system without restarting an entire transmission of the crate.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein sending further comprises:

sending the crate via a proxy server configured such that the onboard electronic distribution system may communicate with the on ground component without the on ground component having been designed to communicate with the onboard electronic distribution system.

14. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable media storing program code comprising;

program code for creating a crate for the configuration item, wherein the program code for creating comprises;

program code for receiving an identifier for the configuration item;

program code for receiving, separately from the identifier, metadata about the configuration item;

program code for validating the metadata by determining whether a set of received metadata entries for the metadata meet a set of rules;

program code for validating the configuration item;

program code for storing the configuration item and the metadata in the crate;

program code for storing a public key in the crate;

program code for digitally signing the crate to create a digital signature for the crate;

wherein, upon receipt of the crate, at least one of the public key and the digital signature are usable to determine whether the configuration item and metadata are valid, whether the configuration item and metadata have been originated by a particular source, and whether the crate remains unmodified after creation of the crate;

program code for optimizing a bandwidth on a communications link between an on ground component and an onboard electronic distribution system; and

program code for sending the crate to the onboard electronic distribution system over the communications link.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program code further comprises:

program code for maintaining status information about activity on the communications link; and

program code for sending the status information to a library in an aircraft network data processing system.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the status information comprises an identification of whether an aircraft software part in the set of aircraft software parts is ready for installation in a line replaceable unit on an aircraft.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the set of aircraft software parts is a first set of aircraft software parts, the metadata is first metadata, the onboard electronic distribution system is a first onboard electronic distribution system and the communications link is a first communications link and wherein the program code further comprises:

program code for sending a second set of aircraft software parts and second metadata to a second onboard electronic distribution system through a second communications link between the on ground component interface and the second onboard electronic distribution system simultaneously with sending the set of aircraft software parts and the metadata to the onboard electronic distribution system.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program code further comprises:

program code for receiving a set of commands from the library to form a received set of commands;

program code for sending the received set of commands to a second onboard electronic distribution system through a second communications link between the on ground component interface and the second onboard electronic distribution system.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the set of commands comprises at least one of a delete command and a downlink command.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program code further comprises:

program code for receiving downlink data through the second communications link between the on ground component interface and the second onboard electronic distribution system;

program code for storing the downlink data in the file system to form stored downlink data; and

program code for sending the stored downlink data to the library.

21. A data processing system comprising:

a non-transitory processor;

a bus connected to the processor;

a non-transitory memory connected to the bus, the non-transitory memory containing program code which, when executed by the non-transitory processor, performs a computer implemented method for managing a set of aircraft software parts, the set of aircraft software parts comprising a configuration item, and wherein the program code comprises;

program code for creating a crate for the configuration item, wherein the program code for creating comprises;

program code for receiving an identifier for the configuration item;

program code for receiving, separately from the identifier, metadata about the configuration item;

program code for validating the metadata by determining whether a set of received metadata entries for the metadata meet a set of rules;

program code for validating the configuration item;

program code for storing the configuration item and the metadata in the crate;

program code for storing a public key in the crate;

program code for digitally signing the crate to create a digital signature for the crate;

wherein, upon receipt of the crate, at least one of the public key and the digital signature are usable to determine whether the configuration item and metadata are valid, whether the configuration item and metadata have been originated by a particular source, and whether the crate remains unmodified after creation of the crate;

program code for optimizing a bandwidth on a communications link between an on ground component and an onboard electronic distribution system; and

program code for sending the crate to the onboard electronic distribution system over the communications link.

22. The data processing system of claim 21 wherein the program code further comprises:

program code for maintaining status information about activity on the communications link; and

program code for sending the status information to a library in an aircraft network data processing system.

23. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the status information comprises an identification of whether an aircraft software part in the set of aircraft software parts is ready for installation in a line replaceable unit on an aircraft.

24. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the set of aircraft software parts is a first set of aircraft software parts, the metadata is first metadata, the onboard electronic distribution system is a first onboard electronic distribution system and the communications link is a first communications link and wherein the program code further comprises:

program code for sending a second set of aircraft software parts and second metadata to a second onboard electronic distribution system through a second communications link between the on ground component interface and the second onboard electronic distribution system simultaneously with sending the set of aircraft software parts and the metadata to the onboard electronic distribution system.

25. The data processing system of claim 22 wherein the program code further comprises:

program code for receiving a set of commands from the library to form a received set of commands; and

program code for sending the received set of commands to a second onboard electronic distribution system through a second communications link between the on ground component interface and the second onboard electronic distribution system.

26. The data processing system of claim 25, wherein the set of commands comprises at least one of a delete command and a downlink command.