The NASA Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) specification cites a plan for an application repository, similar to an “app store,” but with a wide variety of licensing restrictions on access to different applications, and even different parts of an application package (for instance, wide access to descriptive documentation but limited access to source code). A method is needed to coordinate application artifact storage, license terms, and user access rights.
A relational database entity relationship model has been designed that allows identification of software packages made up of items, identification of groups made up of users, and identification of license documents that allow certain users to have certain access to certain items. The database design is represented in a UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagram, along with a data dictionary spreadsheet. A prototype implementation exists in mySQL, along with mySQL stored procedures for adding entries and determining allowed access.
The database design represents license terms individually for fine-grained access control. The design also stores only location information about where items are stored (such as URLs), allowing the access control database to be separate from the physical data storage, or even for dispersed physical data storage at many locations (or in “the cloud”). As a result, the design is quite flexible for application to different environments.
This work is applicable to the NASA STRS standard development, and to the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed on the International Space Station [also known as the Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT) project]. In principle, any organization that needs to track license terms and control user access to licensed items could apply the database design.
This work was done by Kenneth J. Peters of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The software used in this innovation is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Dan Broderick at
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
Database Design for Storing Software Entity Metadata, User Identification, and License Terms
(reference NPO-48860) is currently available for download from the TSP library.
Don't have an account?
Overview
The document is a Technical Support Package from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) that focuses on the design of a database for storing software entity metadata, user identification, and license terms. It is part of NASA's efforts to make aerospace-related developments accessible for broader technological, scientific, and commercial applications.
The primary objective of the document is to outline the development of portable software-defined radio (SDR) and Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) applications. The report details the second year of a two-year task aimed at creating utility applications for SDRs, specifically a memory test application and a signal generator application compliant with STRS standards. These applications are designed to enhance testing capabilities for both ground and in-flight operations, ensuring that they are portable and reusable across multiple projects.
The significance of the results emphasizes the importance of STRS-compatible verification for computer memory health, which is crucial for various NASA projects, including the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed on the International Space Station (ISS). The memory test application developed is applicable not only to JPL's radios but also to those produced by other manufacturers, such as General Dynamics and Harris.
The document also discusses the database design's flexibility, which allows for fine-grained access control and the ability to store only location information about where items are stored. This design can be applied to various environments, making it suitable for organizations that need to manage license terms and user access to licensed items, including software and entertainment companies.
Additionally, the report highlights the development of a portable memory testing application that meets NASA's STRS specifications, which can be adjusted for different memory environments and includes various test patterns. The database has been utilized to store information about the memory test application and other applications developed under the Waveform Development Strategic Initiative, demonstrating its practical application as a real-world STRS repository.
Overall, the document serves as a comprehensive overview of the advancements in SDR and STRS applications, the significance of memory testing in aerospace projects, and the innovative database design that supports these initiatives.
