Building of the real-time data transfer system for Siberian NOAA image database

Tohoku University (TU) in Sendai Japan and the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science (SBRAS) in Novosibirsk Russia are jointly participating in an academic exchange program. One of the main themes is to build the NOAA Image Database by using data received in Siberia because there is about 5,000 km distance between them. To send NOAA data on real-time, we have together constructed the direct computer network named VSAT system between Novosibirsk and Sendai by using Russian communication satellite in 1998. The speed of data transfer is 64 kbps each other. This system automatically receives NOAA data in Novosibirsk and automatically sends them after compression. We report the results of the communication system for transferring data. The authors describe the efficiency of the network. The operating ratio is 90% or more through one year. The Siberian NOAA Image Database and a Mongolian NOAA Image database use the VSAT system.