Improved System Operational Availability (AO) through Autonomous Data Transfer and Analysis

A means to improved operational availability (A_o) of fielded Open Architecture (OA) Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) systems is through enhanced transfer of system performance and logistics data and automating subsequent analysis and response processes. The Maintenance Free Operating Period (MFOP) initiative implemented as part of the sonar system deployed on US Navy submarines is leveraging the enhancement and automation. Off-hull data transfer from fielded MFOP sonar systems currently exists. Data is sent back to the system Life Cycle Integrator (LCI) as an e-mail attachment for manual analyses and response. Advancement in Remote Off-Hull Maintenance Support (ROHMS) and Autonomic Logistics (AL) analysis has transformed data transfer, analysis and response to be more automated vs. a manual procedural based approach. ROHMS is a WEB application with communication protocol links to MFOP system agents that retrieve data and transmit it back to the LCI. Data is then analyzed at the LCI by predetermined intelligent agents and logistics process triggers. Data transfer advancements paralleled by autonomic logistics analysis results in optimum support responses for improved System A_o. This concept of maintenance could also be applied to electric ship technologies.