NAV Canada

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  Customer Needs

  • Completely reliable access
  • 100% Visibility
  • No packet loss
  • Flexibility
  • No risk of system failure
  • High Density

  Solution Components

  • Smart Network Access System
  • In-house Air Traffic Management (ATM) Technology Solutions

  Results

  • No impact on the live network
  • Flexibility to expand the number of data monitoring channels needed
  • Use of live data in training systems without interrupting the live network
  • Products were instance-recoverable and power brown-outs didn't affect the operational stream

  About

  • 5,200 employees
  • Extensive network of control towers, area control centres, flight services stations, flight information centres
  • More than 1,000 ground-based navigational aids across Canada
  NAV CANADA is the owner and operator of the country’s civil air navigation system, coordinating the safe and efficient movement of aircraft in Canadian airspace. It provides air traffic control, flight information, weather briefings, and many other services essential to flight navigation.
  
  The company’s 5,200 employees operate an extensive network of control towers, area control centres, flight service stations, flight information centres, and more than 1,000 ground-based navigational aids across the country.
  
  NAV CANADA provides air navigation services for more than 11 million aircraft movements each year. Often there are more than 1,500 flights underway across the country at one time. This level and complexity of traffic requires highly qualified staff and some of the world’s most advanced technologies and systems.
  
  To meet these requirements, NAV CANADA uses powerful, integrated Air Traffic Management (ATM) Technology Solutions, developed in-house by its engineers and air traffic controllers. These systems are operating not only across Canada but globally: they have been selected by other Air Navigation Service providers worldwide to meet their ATM needs.
  
  The company’s ATM system provides fast, reliable access to critical airport, tower and terminal air traffic control information, and enables the integration, manipulation and distribution of data throughout the system. To get the data needed for air traffic management, NAV CANADA chose Network Critical products. These products help its air-traffic surveillance system provide safe recording access to its live network.
  
  The surveillance system produces all the raw target tracking information used by NAV CANADA’s ATM system. In particular, its Radar Target Information System transmits the data from its sensors to its display processing systems. The company relies on Network Critical products to provide the safe recording access to the live network, without introducing the risk of packet loss or system failure.
  
  NAV CANADA chose Network Critical to provide a safe and simple way to access live network traffic and provide it with recording capabilities of live network traffic without introducing the risk of packet loss or system failure.
  
  Network Critical gives NAV CANADA the flexibility to expand the number of data monitoring channels as needed, along with the capability to reconfigure parts of the system using a software switch and try out new configurations without affecting the overall system. It also allows the use of live data in the company’s training systems without impacting the live network.
  
  NAV CANADA found that there was no impact on the live network when performing simulated power module failure testing on Network Critical products. The Company also liked the fact that, with four units in a 1U chassis, if one unit should fail, it could service that unit with minimal impact on other monitored networks. Further, they found that Network Critical products were instance-recoverable and that power brownouts didn’t affect the operational stream. This means NAV CANADA gets the flexibility it needs while minimizing the possibility of network failure – essential when planes in flight are relying on them.
  
  Also, Network Critical’s higher density means that its equipment requires less space -- important where space is at a premium.
  
  Network Critical’s data TAPs provide NAV CANADA with a stable and robust method to record data with minimal risk to its operational network.
  
  Network Critical products give NAV CANADA flexibility and reliability, along with a simple and secure way to deploy its solutions without introducing a failure point into its network.