Contents
The Product ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 The Proposition .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Benefits to airlines using merlot.aero: .................................................................................................................. 4 Features of merlot.aero: ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Modular Approach ................................................................................................................................................ 6 ‘Cloud based solution’ .......................................................................................................................................... 7 ‘Self-host’ platform ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Mobile technology ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Social network ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Optimization ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Big data ................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Framework ........................................................................................................................................................... 8 Planning (functions that occur in the future): ........................................................................................................ 9 On The Day Following / Tracking (functions that occur ‘today’): ........................................................................ 10 Optimization ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Add-Ons ............................................................................................................................................................. 12 Framework ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 Integration .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Pay and allowance ............................................................................................................................................. 15 Finance and accounting integration ................................................................................................................... 15 Engineering integration ...................................................................................................................................... 15 Messaging gateways .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Flight planning .................................................................................................................................................... 15 Partner Products .................................................................................................................................................... 16 Integration Map .................................................................................................................................................. 17 Product Road Map ................................................................................................................................................. 18 Overview ............................................................................................................................................................ 18 Detailed Road Map ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Aircraft Load and Performance Modules ............................................................................................................ 18 Network planning / Route Profitability ................................................................................................................ 18 Recovery Optimization ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Services ................................................................................................................................................................. 19 Consultancy .................................................................................................................................................. 19 Deployment ................................................................................................................................................... 19 Training.......................................................................................................................................................... 19 Help Centre.................................................................................................................................................... 20 Support .......................................................................................................................................................... 20 Who is using merlot.aero ? .................................................................................................................................... 21 2013 | COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE | Page: 2 of 36
Technical................................................................................................................................................................ 24 ‘Cloud based solution’ ........................................................................................................................................ 25 Self-host platform ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Architecture ........................................................................................................................................................ 26 Database ............................................................................................................................................................ 26 User Interface ..................................................................................................................................................... 26 Security .............................................................................................................................................................. 26 API...................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Development and Testing Methodology ............................................................................................................. 27 Annex 1 - Windows Azure details .......................................................................................................................... 28 Service Level Agreements ................................................................................................................................. 28 Cloud Uptime Performance ................................................................................................................................ 28 Disaster recovery options ................................................................................................................................... 28 Planning for Site Disasters ............................................................................................................................. 28 Types of Cross-Site Availability ...................................................................................................................... 28 Redeploy on Disaster ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Active/Passive Deployment ............................................................................................................................ 29 Active/Active Deployment ............................................................................................................................... 29 Access Control Service (ACS) ........................................................................................................................ 30 Restoration of ACS Namespaces in the Event of a Disaster .......................................................................... 30 Data Recovery ................................................................................................................................................ 30 Notification ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ 30 Annex 2 – Self hosted indicative specifications ..................................................................................................... 31 Rack Mount Server (This is the Merlot Database server) ............................................................................... 31 Rack Mount Server (This is the Merlot Application server) ............................................................................ 31 Database Server ............................................................................................................................................. 32 Rack Mount Server (This is the Merlot CrewPortal server) ............................................................................ 32 Annex 3 - Cloud applications vs. web applications: ............................................................................................... 34 Understanding the differences ........................................................................................................................ 34 Webolution ...................................................................................................................................................... 34 Cloud app ....................................................................................................................................................... 34 Examples of cloud apps ................................................................................................................................. 35 Web apps ....................................................................................................................................................... 35 Examples of web apps ................................................................................................................................... 36 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................................... 36 The information in this document is the property of Merlot Aero Limited and is considered commercially sensitive.
Without the written consent of Merlot Aero Limited, no part of this document may be copied, reprinted or
reproduced by any means, electronically or otherwise, nor must the contents of this document or any method,
procedure or technique described therein be disclosed to any third party.
© 2013 Merlot Aero Limited
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The Product
The Proposition
merlot.aero represents the next generation in airline operations management tools.
merlot.aero has been designed from the ground up by airline people, for airline people. The company’s collective
airline IT operations experience is significant with previous deployments of over 50 airlines coupled with over 15
individual start-ups.
merlot.aero is unique, it is the only truly internet based airline operations management tool on the market.
Benefits to airlines using merlot.aero:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Increase operational efficiencies and integrity through improved utilisation of crew and aircraft resources
Ensure safety through achieving full regulatory and contractual compliance
Improve overall operational quality through better planning for action on events before they become
critical
Enhanced crew relations and morale
Measure integration and reporting of key performance indicators
Integrated business units and processes, and reduced errors through the centralised database structure
Reduce capital outlay with predictable and affordable monthly operating costs
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Features of merlot.aero:
Regulatory ‘Oversight’
Crew Cost Reduction
Scale
Control of Process
Centralized Data
Oversight
Communications
Co-ordination to Schedule
Payroll / Allowances
Time and Attendance
Efficiency
Crew Lifestyle
Timeliness
Compliance to rules
Ensuring crew are qualified to fly (licenses, expiries, certifications)
Ensuring the right crew are on the right aircraft at the right time
Compliance reporting for Regulatory Body and Insurances
Optimised rosters
Fully integrated training program
Rules engine driven pay and allowance
Growing fast, not wanting to grow the associated staff
Management reporting
OTP / OTT
Customer reporting
Quality of data
No re-keying
Timeliness of data, (i.e. MRO, Flight Planning, Finance etc.)
Where are my crew?
Where are my aircraft
Cost reduction
To / from crew
To / from aircraft
To / from management
To / from customers (i.e. Toll, Rio, etc.)
Sync between what you are selling vs what you are planning to operate
Automation / calculation
Timeliness
Accuracy
Ensuring the right people are at the right place at the right time
Time tracking
Maximising crew utilisation (not over or under staffed)
Minimising soft costs (i.e. allowances, overnights, pax)
Crew base establishment
Manpower planning for growth or fleet changes
Crew choosing preferences for when they like to work (statistically proven
to reduce sick leave)
Communications (CrewMobile)
Being able to make decisions in real time with the most up to date
information
Being able to ‘execute’ these decisions without massive manpower
involvement
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Modular Approach
The product has been architected using a modular approach. Various modules can be used independently or
together to provide a fully-integrated airline operations management system for optimum airline performance. The
Merlot suite of products caters for specific individual department needs and is highlighted below:
The diagram represents an overlay of the Merlot modules that map to the various departmental functions.
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‘Cloud based solution’
A new era in airline technology is upon us. merlot.aero has revolutionised airline
technology to ensure your airline is prepared to embrace the long term as an airline
that is safe, secure, scalable, sustainable, flexible, and profitable while providing
good value to customers.
merlot.aero provides a true cloud-computing combining Software as a Service
(SaaS) principals for real-time data and web service enabled application that can be
then deployed over a public cloud or self-hosted platform.
merlot.aero uses the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform to host their end-user
solutions which provides on-demand infrastructure that scales and adapts to
changing business needs.
‘Self-host’ platform
merlot.aero recognises all airlines needs are different and some customers choose
to self-host. Where an airline chooses to self-host we deploy the products on a local
set of servers within the customer’s WAN environment.
Mobile technology
Crew sickness is inevitable in any airline operation. However, with a mobile
application the process of finding the best possible replacement and activating them
is a breeze. A crew member can notify operations of their inability to work via the
mobile application on their personal mobile device. The Crewing Officer is alerted
immediately to the need to resolve the crew shortage issue. Automated best-fit helps
the crewing officer select the best possible option to recover the situation, and with a
single click can notify the stand-by crew member of their new duty. The replacement
can immediately acknowledge the changes. Benefits to the airline include:
convenience for the crew, time savings, an audit trail and cost effectiveness.
Social network
Keeping all of your stakeholders connected and informed is critical when running an
operation, particularly in a disruption or irregular operations situation. Disruptions are
a problem for airlines big and small, and frequently there are many stakeholders
involved that must make decisions and need to be kept up-to-date on the solutions.
This becomes a problem when there are various methods of communication such as
e-mail, phone, text messaging, and multiple systems all managing different aspects
of the critical information. merlot.aero has drawn inspiration from the best of social
web applications to provide a method that allows your airline to collaborate and
communicate in real-time, keeping every critical stakeholder informed. By providing
access to a wider group than just the traditional operations users, and allowing both
office-based and mobile users to collaborate, we provide greater visibility and
situational awareness to the entire organization.
Benefits to the airline include: convenience, time savings, an audit trail, and cost
effectiveness. In addition, this coordination will lead to higher customer satisfaction.
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Optimization
Optimization describes a mathematical model that allows for the instant evaluation of
many millions of possible solutions to problems with the ‘best’ result provided to the
user.
Traditional methods of problem solving emply a ‘heuristic’ approach which often
does not produce the most ‘optimal’ outcome. This is particularly applicable for
specific planning and operational areas within airlines. Optimization techniques are
appropriate where many possible solutions can be found for a particular problem and
the airline wishes to use the most ‘efficient’ – whether that be lowest cost, or least
crew or other relevant factors. These techniques are also appropriate when a large
rules base is used.
Big data
In this digital age it is essential to be able to see and understand the relationships
within and among all pieces of information. Big data enables merlot.aero to analyze
vast amounts of data about a topic, embrace real-world messiness and identify
correlations between information. The effects of big data are large on a practical
level, as the technology is applied to find solutions for vexing everyday problems.
Merlot.aero can now capture and review more data than ever before enabling
systems to be implemented with new insights.
Framework
Merlot.aero’s Full Service Oriented Architecture includes: database engine, reporting
engine, messaging engine, integration engine and rules engine.
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1
2
Planning (functions that occur in the future):
This covers the planning process all airlines go through for their aircraft and crew. The merlot.aero
planning modules include:
-
NetworkPlan
Develop optimum flight schedules to maximise commercial return with a focus on route
profitability.
-
AircraftSchedule
Automate and improve the development of flight schedules while ensuring operational integrity
and meeting the needs of the customer. This includes a maintenance planning capability.
-
CrewPlan
Plan and monitor all revalidation and qualification checks, medicals, license renewals, annual
leave and administrative needs. Crew shortfalls or surplus information is accurately calculated
by fleet, rank or base and can be aggregated at daily, weekly or monthly levels. This extends to
future establishment planning.
-
CrewBuild and CrewRoster
Develop efficient crew rosters that achieve business goals while meeting the needs of crew
and manage changes that arise after the roster is published.
-
CrewSelect
Allows crew to select or bid for work and lifestyle patterns that suit their preferences.
-
CrewHouse
Manage the complex accommodation and transport requirements of the crew as they go about
achieving their roster.
-
CrewPortal
Allow the timely dissemination of relevant information to crew providing secure and global
access via a standard internet browser.
-
CrewPayroll
Manages complex pay and allowance calculations for crew.
Application Menu
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On The Day Following / Tracking (functions that occur ‘today’):
This covers the real time management of the airlines ‘assets’ (ie aircraft and crew). Our tracking
modules include:
-
AircraftFollow
Provides a 'real time' graphical representation of your airline's live status for the day. Reports
on disruptions such as late running aircraft and provides accurate and timely information to
improve the decision support process. Also includes comprehensive MEL / Maintenance
planning management.
-
AircraftTrack
Track and display actual aircraft information via ATC radar feeds overlaid on terrain maps.
-
AircraftPortal/StationManagement
Capture relevant aircraft data via standard internet browser for distribution to other merlot
systems.
-
AircraftPostFlight
Verify all technical or flight log data and automatically make it available for comprehensive
management reporting to other departments including maintenance and engineering, human
resources, finance and flight operations.
-
AircraftPerformance
Manage the Aircraft Performance process for take-off and landing. Track, manage and control
weight and balance of the aircraft, optimize fuel pick-up and tankering opportunities to minimize
fuel burn. Standardize processes, save fuel, reduce messy paper trails and reduce turnaround
times.
-
MEL/Maintenance Tracking
Real time management of aircraft MELs in a controlled environment.
Unified aircraft management
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Integrated station management
Optimization
-
TailAssignment
Automated allocation of tails based on rules like FIFO, LIFO, etc. taking into consideration
maintenance planning aspects.
-
PairingCreation
Automated creation of work patterns (also called pairings or ‘tours of duty’) taking into
consideration airline rules, cost objectives, crew bases and other requirements.
-
RosterAssignment
Automated creation of roster patterns which taking into account appropriate rules, desired
balancing, previous duties, training plans, etc.
These can also be provided by our bureau service.
Dashboard
CrewSelect
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Add-Ons
-
FlightLog
Captures sector timings APU on/off, doors closed/open, out/off/on/in times, crew recency (i.e.
landings, approaches, etc.), fuel uplift and delay information.
-
BarControl
Allows accurate and timely capture of bar stock and sales information for distribution to other
corporate systems.
-
FatigueManagement
A tool to systematically identify threats, help manage the risks and contribute to a safer work
place.
-
Weight&Balance
Maximize load and minimize fuel burn while improving safety through reducing the potential for
human error. Offers the opportunity to standardize processes, reduce turnaround times and
optimize fuel tankerage opportunities.
-
CrewAssessment
Captures crew proficiency and SIM check information electronically.
-
CrewMobile
Allows crew to view and actively manage details of their duty and receive messages via
personal mobile. Native support is for Windows Mobile, Android, iPhone / iPad and BlackBerry.
-
AircraftMobile
Enables the distribution, management and remote update of aircraft based information for
direct input into the database thereby doing away with paper forms and data entry by an
operator. i.e. OOOI times, delays, SSR, bay/gate, etc. Native support is for Windows Mobile,
Android, iPhone / iPad and BlackBerry.
Merlot.aero mobile applications’ operating system is an agnostic platform and will support any iOS devices
(iPhone, iPad and iPod). Merlot.aero mobile applications are available from the following portals:
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Flexible crew management
Framework
As part of our Full Service Oriented Architecture, we include:
-
DatabaseEngine
At the core of Merlot.aero is a relational multi-tenanted SQL Server 2008 database.
-
ReportingEngine
Allows accurate, timely, targeted and informative reporting.
-
MessagingEngine
A flexible and configurable message switch allowing for the import and export of common
airline based message formats (ie IATA SSIM, MVT, ASM, ACARS etc) and other messaging
formats – ie SMS Text, email etc
-
IntegrationEngine
Integrate with other partner products to provide an overall airline solution. Includes
Reservations, Finance / Payroll and MRO.
-
RulesEngine
A flexible and graphical rules environment that allows rapid rule creation based on Airline
business policies. This includes regulatory rules, contractual rules, fatigue and also payroll
rules.
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Reporting
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Integration
Pay and allowance
This covers the creation and management of pay and allowance information which can be exported to 3rd party
pay / HR systems. We do not intend to actually pay airline staff but we can provide the necessary information for
that to occur.
Finance and accounting integration
This covers the export / import of relevant information to 3rd party systems. For instance, P&L information which
is captured directly in Merlot.aero such as fuel uplift, ATC / Airways costs, overnight crew costs (ie
accommodation, allowances, ground transport etc).
Engineering integration
This covers the export / import of relevant information to 3rd party systems. For instance, aircraft cycle / hour
information, engine trend information, MEL/maintenance item requirements, scheduled ‘check’ requirements etc.
Messaging gateways
This covers the sending and receiving of messages from merlot.aero via industry standard and accepted
technologies including smtp, sms (text), Type B and VoIP messaging service. This message exchange is key to
ensuring that airline functions such as flight operations, passenger services, aircraft maintenance and catering
run efficiently and effectively.
SMTP – airlines can send email messages the merlot.aero SMTP gateway or via the airline’s own
SMS – send text messages to mobile phones via merlot.aero using standardized communications protocols
Type B – messaging switching service that enables customers to exchange electronic messages with
business partners worldwide through one connection.
VoIP – deliver and receive voice communications over Internet Protocol (IP) networks
Flight planning
This covers the export / import of relevant information to 3rd party systems. For instance, flight plan data, flight
level data, NOTAMs, weather, fuel uplift, weight and balance etc.
The following schematic outlines the current and future integration items with our systems.
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Partner Products
The following products are fully integrated into the merlot suite but are provided via our partner network.
In these cases, merlot acts as prime vendor and manages all data communication and interfacing:
Area
Partner / Product
Link
Learning
Management
Comply365 – LMS
http://www.comply365.com/LMS.aspx
Document
Manager
Comply365 – Document and
Communication Manager
http://www.comply365.com/DCM.aspx
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Integration Map
The following diagram illustrates current state, and indicative future requirements of the merlot.aero suite of
products.
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Product Road Map
Overview
merlot.aero has a defined development road-map, ensuring customer investment is future-proofed.
Detailed Road Map
The key areas of focus in the Road Map moving forward are:
•
•
•
Aircraft load, fuel and performance modules
Network planning / Route Profitability
Recovery Optimisation
These will all be provided as options to the user base at an additional subscription cost per month and are
detailed below:
Aircraft Load and Performance Modules
This covers the specific requirements associated with the loading of the aircraft. This includes fuel, passengers
and baggage / cargo. This extends to the balance of the aircraft and subsequently the aircraft’s performance.
Network planning / Route Profitability
This covers the front end planning for the airline. It is all related to which routes the airline can fly to, what is the
best equipment to use, what is the expected demand for that route and what is the expected profitability for that
route. This information is provided based on actual airline cost data which then drives back to an airline operating
cost to work out viability. Once this is established, this forms the backbone for an operating schedule.
Recovery Optimization
This captures various inputs and leverages on our capabilities for Pairing / Roster creation to provide the operator
the best method of ‘recovery’ of an operation given certain drivers.
For instance equipment breakdown, port closure, weather events etc.
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Services
Our bureau service offering is utilised where airlines ‘outsource’ standard planning functions to us. These initially
include the Pairing creation and Roster build process.
Consultancy
Merlot.aero also provides a comprehensive and experienced consultancy service.
Merlot is able to provide recommendations on organisational structure and associated business processes
throughout the consultancy process prior to implementation.
Based on a thorough knowledge of the product and experience across a wide range of different airline
operations, these recommendations combine with the software to provide a sound platform for cost efficient and
cost-effective operation.
Deployment
Standard deployment is via secure internet browser session eliminating the need for the Airline to purchase any
additional hardware or software. Merlot.aero has the ability to provide customers their own version of the
Merlot.aero software. This would be on a specific case by case basis and appropriate commercial terms would
need to be negotiated.
Training
Our training philosophy is to implement a comprehensive and fully customized training program for each airline
customer allowing users to use, control and manage their software to optimum effect.
We recommend and prefer to undertake training at a customer’s own offices using the customer’s data.
We utilize the concept of ‘Super Users’. Super Users are trained and certified in all applications, these users then
become the first point of call for each airline. We do assume that Super Users are proficient and knowledgeable
with the complete operational flow of their environment.
Training for users and super users is performed by our specialist team who have an in-depth understanding of all
the Merlot.aero applications. Through clear guidance, advice and tuition, we assist users to fully utilize the power,
performance and flexibility of the Merlot.aero solution in order to:
•
Efficiently operate and maintain the product
•
Understand the most efficient and effective ways of using the product through its extensive features and
functionality
•
Implement industry best practice methods to improve Crew Management and Operations Control using
the product
•
Enhance the use of the product throughout the airline business via on-going product customisation as
required.
The detailed training plans are agreed upon by the project managers of both parties.
Training is augmented by the merlot.aero Help Centre.
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Help Centre
Merlot.aero places significant focus on the skills of the end users. As part of this philosophy, we provide
comprehensive user help at the following levels:
•
How Do I? - Step by Step documentation on common user scenarios. Also referred to as Frequently
Asked Questions.
•
Using Merlot.aero in your business – common business processes and how our product deals with
these
•
Comprehensive user guide
Our Help Centre is also utilised by our internal support staff to ensure that the latest information is available to
users.
Our Help Centre also provides access to our support infrastructure where users can:
•
log jobs
•
review previously logged jobs
•
close jobs / log new information on open jobs
•
report on job closure rates
Support
Our core support philosophy is ‘fanatical customer support’. We have this in the forefront in all aspects of how we
deal with our customers
For each customer we provide a complete support package through our tailored Customer Support Plan (CSP).
We have a 2-tier CSP program – Standard and Premium.
The Standard CSP plan covers:
•
bug-fixes (any fix required to be made to the Merlot.aero software or the database structure to allow
operation as designed),
•
software maintenance (services as may be reasonably required to ensure conformity with the
design),
•
new version updates (means any update or upgrade of any of the modules subscribed to by the
customer),
•
user group membership,
•
comprehensive account management and
•
access to internet based self service Help Centre 24 hour, 365 day per year help-desk
The Premium CSP plan covers:
•
all items above in the Standard plan
•
access to business hours live CHAT support
Additionally, we provide a ‘pay for use’ telephone support desk for the most critical issues.
Merlot.aero utilizes the concept of a business manager or super user. This persons role is to own the internal
running of the Merlot.aero products within the customers business. This role is also the main coordination point
and is the internal escalation point for all issues.
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Who is using merlot.aero ?
The following airlines have made the move to smart airline solutions with merlot.aero.
Malaysia-based AirAsia is a pioneer of low-fare and no-frills
aviation. As the world's most franchised airline operation, it
operates from its main hub in Kulala Lumpur and franchisee
hubs in Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Japan.
The group operates scheduled domestic hub-spoke and
international long haul flights to over 400 destinations in 25
countries. It operates over 100 aircraft and has orders with
Airbus to grow its fleet to over 200. AirAsia won the Skytrax
World's best low-cost award in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Established in 2007, AirAsia X focuses on the low-cost, longhaul segment to provide high-frequency and point-to-point
networks throughout Australia and Greater Asia. AirAsia X’s
cost efficiencies are derived from maintaining a simple aircraft
fleet and a route network based on low-cost airports, without
complex code-sharing and other legacy overheads. These
savings are passed on to guests who enjoy low fares.
Regional Express (Rex), Australia's largest independent
regional airline operates a fleet of more than 40 Saab 340
aircraft on some 1,300 weekly flights to 35 destinations
throughout New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South
Australia and Queensland.
Now in its forty-sixth year, Skywest Airlines operates a
comprehensive regional network in Western Australia. Services
are also provided to Bali and Darwin. The airline carries
400,000 passengers annually across Western Australia and
operates a fleet of 15 high capacity airliners.
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Mandala Airlines is based in Jakarta, Indonesia and operates a
fleet of A320 Airbuses to scheduled domestic and international
destinations including Singapore, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
Mandala Airlines is part of the Singapore based Tiger Airways
group which establishes airlines in markets where they believe
their low-fare, low-cost business model has exceptional
potential for sustainable profitability.
Skytrans, a Queensland owned company with 20 years
operating history has a fleet of Dash-8 aircraft and flies to 23
ports around Queensland on scheduled services. Skytrans also
offers extensive charter services throughout Australia and the
South West Pacific from their bases in Cairns, Darwin, Brisbane
and Perth.
Sriwijaya Air operates from its hub at Soekarno Hatta
International Airport, Indonesia to more than 40 destinations
including popular international tourism spots Singapore and
Penang. It operates a growing fleet of Boeing 737 series
aircraft, providing passenger and freight services.
South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) is the Philippines’ premier
leisure airline. Established in 1995, SEAIR is the second-oldest
airline in the Philippines and has been flying passengers to
come of the most beautiful destinations in the world. SEAIR
operates a growing fleet of Airbus aircraft from Clark
International Airport.
WestJet Encore is a Canadian regional airline based at Calgary
International Airport and is a wholly owned subsidiary of
WestJet. The airline is scheduled to begin operations in 2013
using a fleet of up to 45 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s.
Merpati is an Indonesian airline operating scheduled services to
more than 25 destinations in Indonesia, as well as scheduled
international services to East Timor and Malaysia. Merpati is
based in Jakarta.
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Sky Regional provides regional carrier service for Air Canada
Express operating scheduled flights between Toronto City
Airport and Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International
Airport. The service operates up to 30 flights per day.
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Technical
Our solution ensures a comprehensive portfolio of service-based solutions built on integration, scalability,
flexibility and performance to help airlines gain freedom from their constraining IT infrastructures to conduct
business in today’s world, the way they want and to be prepared for the future.
merlot.aero is made up of a series of modules which can be used independently or together to provide a fullyintegrated airline operation management system for optimum airline performance. The merlot.aero suite of
products caters for specific individual departments needs … more information
Airlines today are faced with ever-increasing amounts of data from numerous sources that need to be shared
across a variety of devices and departments. Meeting these needs requires constant investment in servers,
operating systems, storage and networking. The merlot.aero database powered by Microsoft Azure is at the core
of merlot.aero and provides an improved way to respond to these challenges with enhanced manageability and
scalability. While the database(s) are deployed via shared infrastructure approach, each customer has its own
‘SQL database’ to ensure all data is segmented and secured between users. This inturn offers peace of mind
along with a robust and cost-effective solution.
The Merlot.aero application has been designed as a complete online system. It is based on Web 2.0 philosophies
and has been written conforming to the Microsoft .NET coding standards.
Merlot.aero utilizes the suite of Microsoft development tools including:
•
Visual Studio .NET 2008
•
ASP.NET 2.0
•
Internet Information Server 7.0
•
SQL Server 2008
•
Silverlight 3.0 / 4.0
•
Windows Server 2008
•
MSTest (Microsoft’s Unit Testing Framework)
•
Expression Blend 3 (for rich application design)
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‘Cloud based solution’
merlot.aero provides a true cloud-computing combining Software as a Service
(SaaS) principals for real-time data and web service enabled application that can be
then deployed over a public cloud platform or self-host.
merlot.aero offers three distinct technology advantages:
•
A superior cloud-computing environment
•
Flexible applications designed and engineered specifically to meet the needs of
the airline industry
•
Multi-tenant architecture for integration and real time data access.
The Microsoft Azure platform is the cloud computing platform used by merlot.aero
to host their end-user solutions. There are a number of benefits of the Azure
platform including:
•
Highly scalable and scalability on demand - the platform will grow dynamically as
the customer's needs arise. This means the platform can take advantage of many
processors, disk and memory over a number of different machines as the need
arises in peak periods.
•
Highly reliable - managed by Microsoft, the Azure platform is many many
thousand servers in a number of different data centres all over the world. All data
centres adhere to both ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certification standards SAS 70 type I
and II. The ISO certification and SAS 70 attestations demonstrate Microsoft’s
commitment to delivering a trustworthy cloud computing infrastructure.
•
Reduction in customer on-premise costs in terms of both hardware and
personnel. Most importantly our applications are deployed via industry standard
web browser so there are no additional costs, bandwidth overheads or
management overheads for ‘terminal server’ type environments such as Citrix or
Remote Desktop.
Windows Azure provides merlot.aero with on-demand infrastructure that scales and adapts to changing business
needs.
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Self-host platform
merlot.aero recognises all airlines needs are different and some customers choose to self-host. Where an airline
chooses to self-host we deploy the products on a local set of servers within the customer’s WAN environment.
Minimum hardware specs and a network topology are included in Annex 1.
Architecture
The merlot.aero design uses a Service Orientated Architecture with the User interface implemented as a Rich
Internet Application. This design ensures flexibility, maximises code reuse and allows for fast and efficient
development and testing to occur.
Database
At the core of Merlot.aero is a relational multi-tenanted SQL Server 2008 database.
The database(s) are deployed via a shared infrastructure approach. Each customer has its own ‘SQL database’
which ensures that all data is segmented and secure between users.
User Interface
ASP.NET 2.0 and Silverlight 3.0 / 4.0 are used as the application platform. These technologies combined offer
the power, flexibility and security allowing us to build a complex web-based product. Silverlight allows for rich
user interaction. Silverlight also allows us to simplify the deployment process and to ensure that every user has
the most up to date software at all times.
Security
Merlot.aero servers have Comodo (www.comodo.com) issued security certificates so all data transferred
between the Airline’s users and the Merlot.aero servers is encrypted.
However, the internet is not in itself a secure environment. Users should only enter, or instruct the importation of,
data to the database within a secure environment. This means that the User’s browser must support the
encryption security used in connection with the Merlot.aero Servers. We recommend Microsoft Explorer
browsers.
The SSL certificates used are 2048 bit industry standard certificates which are trusted by all popular browsers.
The SSL Certificates are compatible with 99.3% of browsers. These certificates use 256 bit encryption when
supported via the browser or 128bit strong encryption security.
API
Merlot.aero can provide an open API to customers. This will allow a number of things:
•
Airline customers direct access to reporting information which will allow the creation of their own reports,
or export to their own / 3rd party data warehouse.
•
Integration with other Airline systems on a real-time basis. This “will integrate” philosophy ensures a
proactive approach to operational, planning, management and business processes. These other
systems could include Reservations, HR, Finance, Engineering etc
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Development and Testing Methodology
Our development methodology uses an Agile approach with emphasis on Test Driven Design. These 2
combined, allows us to deploy a robust product in a shorter amount of time.
The Agile approach to software development is, in essence, where items are developed in small increments
(iterations) with minimal planning, rather than long-term planning. Iterations are short time frames (also known as
'timeboxes') which typically last from one to four weeks. Each iteration is worked on by a team through a full
software development cycle, including planning, requirements analysis, design, coding, unit testing and
acceptance testing when a working product is demonstrated to stakeholders. This helps to minimize the overall
risk, and allows the project to adapt to changes more quickly. Documentation is produced as required by
stakeholders. An iteration may not add enough functionality to warrant releasing the product to market, but the
goal is to have an available release (with minimal bugs) at the end of each iteration. Multiple iterations may be
required to release a product or new features.
Our core philosophy for testing is to ensure that 90-95% of all of our code is covered by automated unit test. This
is especially important with regards to Business Rules to ensure that we can stand by our regulatory and
contractual compliance claims. As such, our staff and contractors use a Test Driven Development methodology.
More details of this methodology can be obtained from Appendix 2.
Following from the development methodology, we utilise automated testing tools to run the unit tests whenever
code has changed. This ensures that all code is tested in and of itself before it makes it to a production
environment.
This flows into our quality policy which is to achieve and maintain a high standard of quality in all aspects of our
operation and products, and to continually satisfy the expectations of our customers in respect of all the services
offered.
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Annex 1 - Windows Azure details
Service Level Agreements
Please refer to the attached link which outlines the Azure Cloud service level targets:
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/support/legal/sla/
Cloud Uptime Performance
Please refer to the attached link which outlines the historical and current Azure Cloud
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/support/service-dashboard/
Use the Show Historical Status link middle right of page
availability :
Disaster recovery options
(The following is based on remote hosting by Microsoft Azure)
Planning for Site Disasters
Windows Azure greatly reduces what you need to worry about to ensure high availability within a single data
center. However, even the most well designed data center could be rendered inaccessible in the case of a true
disaster. To plan for such disasters, you must think through both the technical and procedural steps required to
provide the level of cross-site availability you require. Much of this is application specific and as the application
owner you must make trade-off decisions between availability and complexity or cost.
Types of Cross-Site Availability
There are some basic steps that all but the most trivial of applications should take to know that they can be
deployed in a different data center in the event of a site disaster. For many applications, redeployment from
scratch is an acceptable solution. For those that need a quicker and more predictable recovery a second
deployment must be ready and waiting in a second data center. For an even smaller set of applications, true
multi-site high-availability is required. We will look at each of these classes of applications in order from the least
complex and costly to the most complex and costly. Cross-site availability is a lot like insurance – you pay for
protection that you hope you will never have to use. No two applications have precisely the same business
requirements or technical design points, so these classes of applications are meant as general guidance that
should be adapted to your specific needs.
For an application to become available in a secondary data center, three requirements must be met:
1.
The customer’s application and dependent services must be deployed.
2.
The necessary data must be available to the application (typically in the same data center).
3.
Any external traffic must be routed to the application.
Each of these three requirements can be accomplished at the time of a disaster or ahead of time, and each can
be accomplished manually or automatically. Every application is different, so it’s possible there are other
application-specific requirements, such as availability of a dependent service. In the rest of this section, we’ll
describe several common patterns for recovering availability in the case of a disaster.
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Redeploy on Disaster
The simplest form of disaster recovery is to redeploy your application and dependent services, such as Windows
Azure Cache and Windows Azure Service Bus, when a disaster occurs. Redeployment of applications is
accomplished using the same method used when the application was originally created. This can be done
manually via the Windows Azure Portal or can be automated using the Windows Azure Service Management
interface.
To mitigate data loss, the redeployment strategy should be coupled with data backup or synchronization to make
sure the data exists and is usable from a backup storage account or database. Because the data for the new
deployment is in a different account, the application must be designed with configurable connection strings. This
way, on redeploy, only the application’s configuration must be changed.
To meet the third requirement (traffic routing to the new deployment), a custom domain name must be used (not
<name>.cloudapp.net). In the case of a disaster, the custom domain name can be configured to route to the new
application name after the new deployment is completed. A CNAME record is sufficient to accomplish this, but
you should be sure you know the process for making the necessary changes with your DNS provider.
Because no compute resources are reserved for recovery this is the least expensive solution. However, low cost
comes at the expense of increased risk and increased recovery time. In the event of a large-scale disaster,
resources in other data centers are allocated based on real-time availability.
Active/Passive Deployment
The redeployment strategy described previously takes time and has risks. Some customers need faster and
more predictable recovery and may want to reserve standby resources in an alternate data center. The
active/passive pattern means keeping an always-ready (potentially smaller) deployment of the application in a
secondary data center. At the time of a disaster, the secondary deployment can be activated and scaled.
Here, the first requirement (deployment of the app) is taken care of ahead of time. The second requirement (data
availability) is typically handled one of the data replication methods discussed above. The third requirement
(routing traffic) is handled by the same way as with the redeploy pattern (DNS change at the time of disaster). In
this pattern, however, the process can be fully automated using Windows Azure Traffic manager (CTP) or other
similar DNS management solutions, which can be configured to reroute traffic to a secondary deployment only
when the first deployment stops responding.
When using a warm standby, it is important to carefully think through data consistency implications at the time of
the failover. You need to plan for any steps that must be taken before your application is brought online in an
alternate location as well as how and when to return to the original deployment when it becomes available again.
Because the application is not designed to function simultaneously in multiple data centers, returning service to
the primary location should follow a similar procedure to the one you follow in the case of a failover.
Active/Active Deployment
The active/active pattern is very similar to the active/passive deployment pattern, but the third requirement (traffic
routed to the deployment) is always satisfied because both deployments now handle incoming traffic at all times.
As in the active/passive configuration, this can be accomplished with Windows Azure Traffic Manager (CTP) or
similar solutions, but now using a performance policy, which routes traffic from a user to whichever data center
provides them the lowest latency or a load-balancing policy, which distributes load evenly to each site. This
solution is the most difficult to implement, as it requires the application to be designed to handle simultaneous
requests across multiple instances of the application that reside in distinct data centers. However, it is more
efficient than the active/passive solution in that all compute resources are utilized all the time.
To achieve full, multi-site high availability without downtime, another common pattern is the active/active
deployment, so named because two deployments in two data centers are both active. This meets the first
requirement (that the app is deployed). In this model, a full copy of the data is in both locations, and they are
continually synchronized. This meets the second requirement (that the data is available).
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Access Control Service (ACS)
Windows Azure Access Control Service (ACS) is a cloud-based service that provides an easy way of
authenticating and authorizing users to gain access to your web applications and services while allowing the
features of authentication and authorization to be factored out of your code. Instead of implementing an
authentication system with user accounts that are specific to your application, you can let ACS orchestrate the
authentication and much of the authorization of your users. ACS integrates with standards-based identity
providers, including enterprise directories such as Active Directory, and web identities such as Windows Live ID,
Google, Yahoo!, and Facebook.
Restoration of ACS Namespaces in the Event of a Disaster
Being built on the Azure platform, ACS is a highly available system and resilient to failures within a single data
center. However in the event of a disaster rendering a full data center inoperable, there is the potential for data
loss. Should such a disaster occur, all Windows Azure services will make best efforts to restore you to a predisaster state as quickly as possible.
Data Recovery
The ability to restore an ACS subscription is dependent on the version of ACS that you subscribe to.
ACS currently consists of two versions (version 1.0 and version 2.0) with different disaster recovery and data
restoration capabilities. There are two ways to determine the version of an ACS namespace:
1.
See the “ACS Version” column in the Service Bus, Access Control, & Caching section of the Windows
Azure portal. This column is present for all Access Control and Service Bus namespaces, the latter of
which includes a built-in ACS namespace.
2.
You can also determine the ACS version by trying to connect to the ACS 2.0 management portal in a
web browser. The URL to the ACS 2.0 management portal is https://<
tenant>.accesscontol.windows.net/ where <tenant> should be replaced by your actual ACS namespace
name. If you can successfully access the portal or are prompted to sign in, then the ACS version is 2.0.
If you get an HTTP status code 404 or error message “Page cannot be found”, then the ACS version is
1.0.
Notification
In the event of a disaster, information will be posted at the Windows Azure Service Dashboard describing the
current status of all Windows Azure services globally. The dashboard will be updated regularly with information
about the disaster. If you want to receive notifications for interruptions to any the services, you can subscribe to
the service’s RSS feed on the Service Dashboard. In addition, you can contact customer support by visiting the
Support options for Windows Azure web page and follow the instructions to get technical support for your
service(s).
Summary
Meeting your availability and recovery requirements using Windows Azure is a partnership between you and
Microsoft. Windows Azure greatly reduces the things you need to deal with by providing application resiliency and
data durability to survive individual server, device and network connection failures. Windows Azure also provides
many services for implementing backup and recovery strategies and for designing highly-available applications
using world-class data-centers in diverse geographies. Ultimately, only you know your application requirements
and architecture well enough to ensure that you have an availability and recovery plan that meets your
requirements.
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Annex 2 – Self hosted indicative specifications
(Please note this is an indicative structure that what have to scoped, this does not take into account additional
hardware required for disaster recovery)
Rack Mount Server (This is the Merlot Database server)
TPM Motherboard for R710, Westmere CPU 1
Intel(R) Xeon(R) X5677 3.46GHz, 12M cache, 6.4 GT/s QPI, Turbo, HT 4C 1
Integrated Two Broadcom 5709C dual-port Gigabit Ethernet with TOE enabled 1
3.5-Inch Chassis for PowerEdge R710 1
Riser with 2 PCIe x8 + 2 PCIe x4 Slot 1
Electronic Instruction Manual (No hardcopy) 1
Ship Mod for PowerEdge(TM) R710 (APCC) 1
Memory Info for 1 CPU config 1
2 CHANNEL memory used 1
32GB Memory (4x8GB), 1333MHz, Dual Ranked RDIMMs for 1 Processors 1
No Additional Processor 1
Heat Sink for 1 Processor 1
146GB 15K RPM SAS 3.5 " Hot Plug Hard Drive 6
1x6 Backplane for 3.5-inch Hard Drives 1
PERC H700 Integrated RAID Controller, 512MB NV Cache 1
DVD+/-RW ROM, SATA, Internal for Ms 2008 R2 1
High Output Power Supply, Redundant, 870W
Rack Mount Server (This is the Merlot Application server)
Intel(R) Quad Core E5530 Xeon(R) CPU, 2.40GHz, 8M Cache, 5.86 GT/s QPI, Turbo 1
One Broadcom 5716 dual-port Gigabit Ethernet without TOE enabled 1
BMC Info Mod 1
Chassis for Hotplug Hard Drives & TPM Motherboard - R410, Westmere CPU 1
Electronic Instruction Manual (No hardcopy) 1
Ship Mod for PowerEdge(TM) R410 (APCC) 1
16GB Memory (4x4GB) 1333MHz Dual Ranked RDIMMs for 2 Processors 1
2nd Intel(R) Quad Core E5530 Xeon(R) CPU, 2.4GHz, 8M Cache, 5.86 GT/s QPI, Turbo 1
Rack Mount Server Heat Sink for 2 Processors 1
146GB 15K RPM SAS 3.5 " Hot Plug Hard Drive 4
PERC H700 Adapter, RAID Controller 512MB Cache 1
Optical Cable for R410 and R510 x4 Chassis 1
SATA 8X DVD + /-RW Drive for Ms 2008 R2 1
Power Supply, Redundant, 500W
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Database Server
SQLSvrStd 2008R2 SNGL OLP NL 1Proc
Rack Mount Server (This is the Merlot CrewPortal server)
Intel(R) Quad Core E5530 Xeon(R) CPU, 2.40GHz, 8M Cache, 5.86 GT/s QPI, Turbo 1
One Broadcom 5716 dual-port Gigabit Ethernet without TOE enabled 1
BMC Info Mod 1
Chassis for Hotplug Hard Drives & TPM Motherboard - R410, Westmere CPU 1
Electronic Instruction Manual (No hardcopy) 1
Ship Mod for PowerEdge(TM) R410 (APCC) 1
16GB Memory (4x4GB) 1333MHz Dual Ranked RDIMMs for 2 Processors 1
2nd Intel(R) Quad Core E5530 Xeon(R) CPU, 2.4GHz, 8M Cache, 5.86 GT/s QPI, Turbo 1
Rack Mount Server Heat Sink for 2 Processors 1
146GB 15K RPM SAS 3.5 " Hot Plug Hard Drive 4
PERC H700 Adapter, RAID Controller 512MB Cache 1
Optical Cable for R410 and R510 x4 Chassis 1
SATA 8X DVD + /-RW Drive for Ms 2008 R2 1
Power Supply, Redundant, 500W
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Annex 3 - Cloud applications vs. web applications:
Understanding the differences
“Software vendors often bundle web apps to sell as “cloud” apps simply because it’s the latest buzzword technology, but web apps do not offer the same richness in functionality and customization you’ll
get from cloud apps. So, buyer beware!”
By Tajudeen Abubakr
April 10, 2012, 1:44 PM PDT
Takeaway: Are the terms cloud app and web app interchangeable? Not really, although they are very similar.
Tajudeen Abubakr explains the difference.
The line between a cloud app and a web app remains as blurry as ever. This of course stems from the natural
similarities that exist between them. I’m of the opinion, however, that there are noteworthy differences, especially
when looking to leverage cloud apps for richer user customization experience and seamless integration with
resilient and scalable back-end infrastructure, which often characterizes public cloud services.
Webolution
Just how different, similar or even blurry are these concepts? How is this of any concern to cloud consumers?
And what should application service providers do to revolutionize their web apps for the cloud?
Cloud app
For me, a cloud app is the evolved web app. It’s equally used to access online services over the Internet like web
apps but not always exclusively dependent on web browsers to work. It’s possible for a customizable, multitenancy cloud app to be solely available over the web browser from service providers, but quite often the webinterface is used as alternative access methods to the custom built cloud app for online services.
Cloud apps are usually characterized by advanced features such as:
•
•
•
•
•
Data is stored in a cloud / cloud-like infrastructure
Data can be cached locally for full-offline mode
Support for different user requirements, e.g., data backup cloud app with different features such as data
compression, security, backup schedule
Can be used from web browser and/or custom built apps installed on Internet connected devices such
as desktops, mobile phones
Can be used to access a wider range of services such as on-demand computing cycle, storage,
application development platforms
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Examples of cloud apps
Some common examples include Mozy, Evernote, Sugar Sync, Salesforce, Dropbox, NetSuite, and Zoho.com.
Other qualifying examples such as web email (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Hotmail, etc.) may not be so obvious,
but they depend on cloud technology and are available off-line if consumers so choose to have them configured
as such.
There are numerous websites where you can find useful information on cloud apps. I found www.getapp.com to
be particularly informative. It includes cloud app reviews and ratings to evaluate the apps.
Web apps
Web apps on the other hand are almost exclusively designed to be used from a web browser. A combination of
server-side script (ASP, PHP etc) and client-side script (HTML, JavaScript, Adobe Flash) are commonly used to
develop the web application. The web browser (thin client) relies on the web server components installed on
backend infrastructure systems for the heavy lifting in providing its core functional web services.
The obvious benefit that this computing model provides over the traditional desktop app is that it is accessible
from anywhere via the web browser. Cloud apps can also be accessed this way.
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Examples of web apps
For many, including myself, web services such as WebEx, electronic banking, online shopping applications, and
eBay fall into this category in as much as they are exclusively web-based with limited options for consumer
customization.
In another example, I would include Facebook and similar types of web applications. I’m sure some will disagree
with this, but I don’t think Facebook exactly offers customized services. It’s simply used as it is provided.
Conclusion
Application service providers have been quick to exploit advantages brought about by pioneering web app
building framework technologies for greater customer reach. However these technologies are not necessarily
optimized for building new apps for the cloud era.
Cloud apps are web apps in the sense that they can be used through web browsers but not all web apps are
cloud apps. Software vendors often bundle web apps to sell as “cloud” apps simply because it’s the latest buzzword technology, but web apps do not offer the same richness in functionality and customization you’ll get from
cloud apps. So, buyer beware!
Some software application vendors also falsely think that just because their application runs on the web, this
automatically qualifies it to be a cloud app. This is not always the case. For your web app to evolve into a cloud
app, it should exhibit certain properties such as
•
•
True multi-tenancy to support various requirements & needs for consumers
Support for virtualization technology, which plays a starring role for cloud era apps. Web applications
should either be built to support this or re-engineered to do so
The good news is that vendors looking to move into this cloud app space now have rich development platforms
and frameworks to choose from. Whether migrating from an existing web app or even starting from scratch.
These new age cloud app development platforms are affordable and agile, reducing time to market and software
development complexities.
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