TECHNOLOGY
OPTIMISING WORKFLOWS WITH
REMOTE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY
Increased redundancy and eiciency are just two of the benefits of moving computing
resources away from operator workstations
John Hickey, senior director of R&D and KVM systems for the Black Box Technology Product Solutions business unit
Keyboard, video, and mouse
technology gives users the capability
to move computing resources away
from operator workstations and to establish
remote access to those resources, whether
they are located elsewhere in the same
building, across a campus, or even in a
different city.
This capability is useful not only for
improving ergonomics and reducing desktop
clutter at the controller’s or operator’s workposition,
but also for eliminating heat, noise,
and power requirements in the work area. By
shifting mission critical computing resources
out of work areas, KVM technology also can
add a greater element of security, and
support more robust redundancy.
In one form or another, keyboard, video,
and mouse (KVM) technology has been
leveraged in air traffic control (ATC) towers
for the past 15 or 20 years. The traditional
model incorporated KVM technology to
facilitate point-to-point extension, where one
receiver connects to one physical computer
to enable remote access. Over the past
several years deployment in ATC
applications has migrated towards allowing
for more flexible work environments and to
build in more redundancy.
KVM technology has grown popular as a
solution for airport operations because of its
inherent scalability and cost advantages.
Modern KVM technology integrates
smoothly into IP infrastructure and
interoperates seamlessly with standard
administrative tools such as the active
directory used for centralized authentication,
or the smart cards that often are substituted
for usernames and password. The technology
is used across airports in many different
ways, from check-in, baggage handling, and
information kiosks to controller working
98 AIR TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2020
positions (CWP) within the ATC tower or
other monitoring and control facilities.
Reducing cost and complexity
In ATC and air traffic management (ATM),
air traffic controllers require absolute
concentration as they manage the flow of
aircraft landing and taking off, and it is
critical that the CWP be designed so that
operators can be as efficient as possible, with
the likelihood of errors minimized.
In a typical tower configuration, KVM
switching and extension will allow each
operator to look at multiple systems, both on
desktop displays and on video walls. Sources
might include ATM and scheduling systems,
ground control management systems,
ground transportation systems, radar
tracking and weather systems.
The operator’s workspace typically
includes one or more high-resolution