World Meteorological Organization
Joint ET-ETC/ET-GOV/Doc. 5.1(5)
COMMISSION FOR AERONAUTICAL
METEOROLOGY
17.XI.2015
Joint Meeting of ET-ETC and ET-GOV
Wellington, New Zealand
30 November – 3 December 2015
ITEM 5.1
English only
EXPECTED KEY DELIVERABLES
Expert Team on Education, Training and Competency
Exchanging meteorological aeronautical information in XML:
consideration of knowledge required
(Submitted by Steve Foreman, C/DRMM)
Summary and Purpose of Document
TT-AvXML identified roles that would be involved in the introduction and
operation of XML exchange of information, and proposed thematic
areas for development that would be needed to support each role. ETETC is invited to consider how such knowledge development should be
achieved.
ACTION PROPOSED
The meeting is invited to consider how development activities to support introduction of
IWXXM should be coordinated with the other aspects of competence development in aeronautical
meteorology.
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Joint ET-ETC/ET-GOV/Doc. 5.1(5), p. 2
1.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
TT-AvXML has been tasked by the Commission for Basic Systems to develop a
representation of meteorological aeronautical information in XML. International exchange of
OPMET information in XML by bilateral agreement was introduced in Amendment 76 to
Annex 3 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, and Amendment 77 is expected to
require exchange in XML as standard practice in 2018. At its meeting held in September
2015, TT-AvXML identified roles that would be involved in the introduction and operation of
XML exchange of information, and proposed thematic areas for development that would be
needed to support each role. ET-ETC is invited to consider how such knowledge
development should be achieved.
2.
PROGRESS/ACTIVITY REPORT
2.1
Introduction
ICAO is introducing System-wide Information Management (SWIM) to allow greater
flexibility in the use of information with the aim of improving efficiency and effectiveness of
operations. SWIM will allow information from different sources to be combined in ways that
are currently very difficult to achieve, and a first step is representing the information in a
format that is widely used in business applications – XML.
Although SWIM will not be introduced for many years, Amendment 77 is expected to
require meteorological in support of international civil aviation to be exchanged in XML
before the end of 2018. Achieving this will need many working practices and IT systems to
be changed.
At its meeting in September 2015, TT-AvXML (a task team set up by the Commission
for Basic Systems to develop an XML representation of aviation information) identified roles
that would need to participate in the introduction and operation of systems based on XML,
using the standard developed by the team and known by the name IWXXM.
In 2002, the Commission for Basic Systems endorsed a plan to migrate from
traditional alphanumeric codes (of which METAR/SPECI, SIGMET and TAF are examples) to
table driven code forms (BUFR, CREX and GRIB). Despite an extension of the completion
date to November 2014, many WMO Members have still to convert their systems to work
with the new code forms. This is partially due to presenting the change as a technical change
impacting only on international exchange of information, whereas to achieve the migration it
is necessary to implement changes across the whole production chain. Although the
underpinning standard of data exchange in SWIM is industry-standard (XML), and therefore
some of the required technical training is widely available, the key issue of the impact on
processes and system integration also applies to introduction of IWXXM. For that reason,
training to address the needs of a wide range of roles inside and outside meteorological
services is needed.
2.2
Roles associated with implementation of XML
TT-AvXML considered four categories of people (“roles”) that would be impacted by
the implementation of IWXXM, and summarized the main topic areas that would be relevant
to that role.
2.2.1
Aviation Met. Service management, high and intermediate
This group contains high level budget holders who are responsible for delivering the
aviation service. They will be required to ensure that plans are developed, funded and
Joint ET-ASC/ET-ISA/Doc. 5.1(5), p. 3
implemented to change the working practices and information technology systems that
support the production, exchange and use of information in support of international civil
aviation.
Although the tasks of this role rely on generic management competencies for their
execution, specific information is required to ensure that the implementation of XML is given
adequate priority and achieved in an appropriate way. Training and/or communication
activities should concentrate on that information needed to convince the senior managers
that they needed to take action:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Regulatory environment and timescales (including SWIM);
Impacts on technology infrastructures;
Impacts on internal processes;
Implications of non-compliance;
Options for achieving compliance.
Centrally provided documentation and presentation material should be made
available for presentation at meetings on other topics that have the target audience attending
them.
TT-AvXML concluded that there was an urgent need for an information campaign to
ensure that WMO Members and ICAO Contracting States were aware of the implications of
the move to XML.
2.2.2
Technical teams developing, procuring and maintaining software to
prepare and use XML
This role has the greatest need for detailed knowledge of XML and how it is applied in
IWXXM. Training should focus on how to use IWXXM to represent information and the how
this relates to systems used in the production process.
Topics should include:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
A high level introduction to UML (Unified Modelling Language), GML (Geography
Mark-Up Language), SWIM and their relationship to IWXXM;
WMO and ICAO XML models and supporting schematron and tools;
Use of the WMO code registry and local implementation of the registry;
Sources of reference information (manuals, web sites, etc.);
Sources of aeronautical metadata & update procedure to be in place (source of
metadata);
Implications of not complying with regulations;
Options for achieving compliance;
Pre-requisites include the use of XML, schema and the application development tools
being used in their organization.
2.2.3 Technical teams managing the exchange and storage of information, and
the use of information in the production chain (Message Switch
Systems, Regional OPMET Data Bank, Regional Operating Centres)
People in this role will not generally be using the contents of OPMET messages, but
will be managing the flow and storage of these messages. Training should focus on how to
implement IWXXM within the organizations’ processes.
Training should include:
Joint ET-ASC/ET-ISA/Doc. 5.1(5), p. 4
a)
b)
c)
d)
High level view of XML, SWIM;
Changes to file structures, headings and naming;
Implications for storage and communications systems;
Requirements for tools to support user applications.
2.2.4
Users of meteorological information for aviation
A significant difference between IWXXM and the traditional alphanumeric codes is
that (although in character format) IWXXM is not easily interpreted by humans, and
messages in IWXXM are not suitable for including verbatim in products. More so than for the
alphanumeric codes, users will need to be trained in how to interpret the output of the various
systems used to enter or present the information exchanged in IWXXM that they will
encounter. This need for training extends to flight crew as well as meteorological staff.
Training should focus on differences from working with the Traditional Alphanumeric Codes.
This should include:
a)
b)
c)
d)
3.
Context of SWIM;
Greater reliance on technology for preparing and visualizing reports;
Differences in information content;
Implications of stricter validation of information.
ACTION BY ET-ETC
TT-AvXML invites ET-ETC to consider how development activities to support
introduction of IWXXM should be coordinated with the other aspects of competence
development in aeronautical meteorology. Although TT-AvXML could provide assistance on
the technical aspects of any training or development activities that might be required, the
team considered that development of a training programme lay within the skill set of ET-ETC,
and seeks the advice and assistance of ET-ETC.
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