austere network conditions

08/25/06 - Friday
Sortie Plan
2508 – Point Loma, Data Collection – 2508
Sortie Lead - Myles Sutherland, ESRI, Tom Patterson, ESRI

The Plan– Visit a variety of sites in the Point Loma area. Make local contacts and collect simulated patient data on a variety of GPS enabled handheld devices such as; PDA, Cell phone, laptops. Transmit data to a data center via the Internet using various communication channels including – 1) Cellular Data Network, 2) Wi-Fi using the EVDO/Wi-Fi Bridge.

Data Flow using the EVDO/Wi-Fi Bridge

GPS enabled handheld w/ Wi-Fi >> Entree Wireless battery powered EVDO/Wi-Fi gateway>> Verizon EVDO Data Service >> Internet >> ESRI data center >> Internet >> ESRI Strong Angel Common Operating Picture >> Virtual Agility Strong Angel III Situational Awareness

Met with Tod Williams, director of technology, Loma Linda University Medical Center and talked about ways to extend the reach of their MTV (METERV) Communications and Command Vehicle. Designed to respond to emergency and disaster situations, the MTV brings the expertise of a critical care center to patients that may be cut off from access to any hospital or medical care.

Tod has been testing a new mobile video head set that broadcasts audio and video over Wi-Fi.

The plan was to utilize the Entree Wireless Mobile Wi-Fi Gateway to extend the reach of the MTV by having Tod and team venture down the beach interviewing patients.

08/23 1900 Wednesday

The Good News- A Work Ticket as been submitted for my Gateway Port assignemennt.

The Bad News. - It is late and I am going home.

Tomorrow will be the day - Keep Smiling

08/21 1130 Monday

We brought 3 products to Strong Angel III – Battery Powered Mobile Wi-Fi Router, Solar powered Wi-Fi Video camera and a Solar powered sensor net.

The Mobile Wi-Fi Router is a slam dunk. Just turn it on and in 30 seconds you have Wi-Fi Internet any time and any place (that is if EVDO/1xRTT is enabled). Case in point, the Mobile Wi-Fi router provided Internet service on the Sunday pre-event briefing. The Mobile Wi-Fi camera has some challenges when being deployed in a ‘dynamic’ (read going up/down often) wireless network.

My plan was to socialize the Mobile Wi-Fi Router with potential users and work through the camera issues on Monday PM after the wireless network was up. I got good traction socializing the Mobile Wi-Fi router but the camera was not easy.

08/21 0930 Monday
During the morning briefing they asked for 8 volunteers to help the with the power setup. I volunteered, not knowing exactly what I was getting into.

We assembled to the rear of 557 (main Strong Angel building) and waited for the GE Power systems 100KVA generators to show up. The lead from GE power talked us through the deployment of power to the second floor and the roof. Rich and I headed for the roof with an all too short rope and a 30 lbs. breaker panel. After a short delay because a door was locked and the key was missing we arrived at the roof. We did a quick look-see and moments later the generator arrived, we dangle the rope (it was just fine) and they attached a 1” diameter power cable. We hauled away and it took two of us as it was heavy. Minutes later we had hooked up the power distribution panel were headed down to the second floor. Now the real work started. Hauling those 1” cables down a 150’ hall way filled with ceiling tiles and fiberglass insulation is no picnic. Undaunted the team connect the power cable to intermediate distribution boxes and for there ran strings of power drop boxes down the rows of tables. The GE team did a final check and we flipped on the power – In less than 1.5 hours we were up and running. Bravo GE A flawless job well done! As they say at Staples – ‘That was easy’ - Keep Smiling

08/21 - 0800 - Monday
More that 250 participants filled the bleachers at building 557, the temporary home of Strong Angel III, and anxiously chatted about the days to come.

Eric Rasmussen lead the briefing covering many of the points from Sunday and emphasizing the value and importance of the Strong Angel III demonstration, the lessons learned and the bonds and friendships that will develop. The bottom line – We need to improve our efficiencies and capabilities because in a disaster response and crisis management, inefficiencies cost lives.

We also heard from Dave Warner on the ShadowLite plans which focus on collecting data from the community through multiple daily sorties and also will offer some seminars including ICS/NIMS training and certification.

8/20, 1000 -
Sunday morning the Strong Angel III participants gathered at 10:00 for a pre-event briefing by Dr. Eric Rasmussen, Strong Angel III Director, Dr. Eric Frost, Regional Coordinator, Dave Warner, Shadow Lite Director and Nigel Snoad, Demonstration Design.

Eric R. talked about the world wide representation of technologists, service agencies and humanitarians that have gathered for this integrated disaster response demonstration. He emphasized that this event is not a scripted exercise but a Jazz like impromptu gathering of people prepared to adventure beyond their normal limits and explore the boundaries of what can be accomplished when mere mortals simply agree to collaborate in a honest and sincere manner. Above all, when frustration builds and tempers get short – Keep Smiling.

I've been in San Diego this week at something called Strong Angel III, a project/demonstration/exercise designed to improve responses to emergencies and catastrophes, both those which are natural and caused by humans. Several hundred smart folks looking at technology and its applications in this kind of situation, and as with the last Strong Angel exercise (which took place two years ago on a lava bed in Hawaii), this one is proving immensely educational.

I have nothing but sympathy for the networking folks here at Strong Angel. They've worked incredibly hard on providing Internet access but have encountered a classic tragedy of the commons.

Which is fascinating, when you think about it. Because this is an exercise filled with smart-to-brilliant technology folks, who all surely realized that when everyone banged on the available wifi network at the same time, it would not hold up.

Yesterday, Eric Rasmussen finally put down the hammer on the access problem. He ordered everyone off the system and told the network guys to make it work. It got up, sort of, by late yesterday afternoon.

After not having wireless for, well, all day, the network is now up. I am now connected by wireless, and this blog entry is going through the ether.

I will get off the wireless and go back on the LAN for connectivity whenever possible.