The 1st International Conference on Information Science and Engineering (ICISE2009)

Architecture of Airport Operation Database System

Shen Yang
College of Economics & Management
Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics
Jiangsu, China
[email protected]

Abstract—This paper describes the architechture of an airport In general, the AIIS is developed by different developers,
operation database system (AODBS), which is the most the data of other systems is almost all created from the
important part of airport information integration system (AIIS) AODBS. The core of the application server of the AODBS is
developed by the author. This airport operation database system written in C#, the client modules are written in Delphi and the
is a distributed computing system with a multi-layer structure web modules written in Java. This situation provides an
and connected to the rest of the AIIS through web service and excellent occasion to test the cooperation between diffident
message queue interface. The application modules of AODBS are programming languages (furthermore, between diffident
written in C#, web modules written in Java and client modules developers) based web service and Microsoft message queue
written in Delphi, the modules communicate with others through
standard.
web service. In the system, an object-oriented (OO) model of
airport operation is developed and object relational mapping In particular, the application server is written in C# to see
(ORM) technique is used to connect the OO model and database. whether the speed of Microsoft .NET framework
The airport operation database system consists of a database implementations is able to cope with the tasks arising in such
server, three application servers, a web server and about 100 complex applications. In addition, NHiberante is used in the
clients. The Architechture of AODBS described in this paper is system to connect the object-oriented application layer and the
proved to be reasonable and efficient by actual operation in the relational database layer. We have decided to use NHiberante
airport. as ORM tool because it is an open software tool for which we
Keywords-airport operation database; architecture of
had the source code. This approach has one reason that in very
information system; multi-layer structur; web service; object complex and multi-platform systems we consider the absolute
relational mapping control over the development process provided by source code
as inevitable for any high quality software.
I. INTRODUCTION The paper is organized as follows: in Sec. II, architecture,
design specification and basic features of the AODBS system
This paper describes an Airport Operation Database System
are descirbed; then we conclude with some notes and
(AODBS) which is a part of Airport Information Integration
experiences drawn from this work.
System (AIIS). AIIS is a distributed environment which is
usually composed of several subsystems: AODBS, Flight
Information Display System (FIDS), Auto-Broadcasting II. AIRPORT OPERATION DATABASE SYSTEM
System (ABS) and Generic Query System (GQS). AODBS is The information stored in the airport operation database
the most important part of AIIS, in AODBS, almost all of the system can be structured to several groups. In the AODBS
information about airport operation is processed and airport model architecture the following data have been
transmitted to other systems. considered for inclusion to the external world model: (1) Flight
The aim of AODBS software module is to construct an information, (2) Resource assignment (assignment of gates,
working environment of processing the airport operation checkin counters and boarding gates) information, and (3)
information, such as flight schedule and its changes, Some charts and statistical report forms [1]. These information
assignment of gates and its changes, assignment of checkin groups are implemented in the AODBS module through
counters and its changes, assignment of boarding gates and its relational database model, application servers and clients. The
changes, and information issuing of flight arriving, flight relational database stores the information about the data in the
takeoff and its changes. structured way. The application server layer is responsible for
mapping the structured data to object-oriented model,
The AODBS module is designed to contain a relational controlling the business logic, providing a web service
database subsystem to handle large data sets and a three level interface for clients and encapsulating the result dataset in
architecture (Oracle 9i, application servers and clients) to XML streams. There are four main clients in the system [2]:
achieve high level of flexibility. Another aspect of AODBS
module design is a wide area network operation emphasis, 1) Flight schedule client is responsible for inputting flight
which is leading to the architecture centered on the web service schedule information and assigning the gates of flights.
technique. 2) Flight data list (FDL) client is responsible for the FDL
processing.

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 3) Checkin counter management client is responsible for multi-layered system structure based on web service, and
assigning and changing checkin counters for departure flights. message queue mechanism.
4) Information service client is responsible for answering
the questions of flight information of passengers. B. OO Model of AODBS
Relating to structured method (which is process-oriented),
A. Architecture object-oriented analysis and design method has become the
Today's computing environment enforces definitively the mainstream of information systems design. Object-oriented
server/client architecture. The AODBS has three-layer analysis and design method will not achieve the function
architecture: (1) clients, (2) application servers, (3) Database problem, which says, if a function problem can’t be solved by
server. The main reasons of building three-layer system are structured method, it is impossible to be achieved by object-
flexibility, scalability and reusability. Moreover, by some oriented method. Moreover, the use of object-oriented analysis
reasons the AODBS modules are written in different languages and design method often means abandoning some of the
(C, Delphi and Java), web service technique is used to connect traditional techniques. But OOA&D method has the advantages
the heterogeneous subsystems. Figure 1 shows the structure of from structured method, in this paper we use the OOA&D
the AODBS developed by the author. method, that primarily due to two reasons:
As showed in the Figure1, in the technical structure we 1) The use of object-oriented method has enabled us to
design, the logical level doesn’t connect with the database have a more profound understanding of the essence of airport
directly, but read/write data in relational database through management system. A key of OOA&D method is to find the
ORM technique. The APS level is mainly composed by two
core elements and the relationship between these core
parts: object model and logical proxy. Much business logic has
been encapsulated in the object model: resource assignment, elements of system. The author believes that the core elements
plane replacement of flight, chain-like information issue and so can reveal the nature of system better, and the functions are
on. And the logical proxy provides the interface for the client simply reflections of the interaction between these elements.
side applications or the web applications to access business 2) Object-oriented method can get a more stable domain
logic. In this paper, the logical proxy is implemented through model of problem. Here, "more stable" means that the system
web service technique, furthermore, initiative information needs less adjustment when environment changes. Any system
transmissions between the client side applications (the initiative which has strong vitality will inevitably have a stable
information transmission means that after a data update has structure. In airport information systems, object model is more
carried on at an information point, other correlated information stable than business model [3]. Although main business
points would be informed initiatively by the system) and
included in the airport is similar, but each specific business
information transmissions from AODBS to other systems in
AIIS are realized through the message queue mechanism. The processes are often different. However, the core objects of
following text will describe the technical characteristics of airport are still flight, aircraft, gates and so on.
AODBS through 4 aspects: OO model of AODBS, ORM, the Figure 2 shows the domain model of AODBS developed
in the paper.

AODBS

Oracle 9i

ORM:NHibernate

Logic encapsulation:OO Model

Service Request
Message Reading To Other
To Other Logic proxy: Message Systems
Systems Service Response WebService Controller

Service
HT

Service Message Reading

TP

Request Response Web Browser

Clients
Local
Clients
Message Reading

Figure 1. Three-level architecture for Airport Operation Database System

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 Airline FlightGoingState

FlightNature
FlightPlan
MorrowFlightQueue

FlightReason
AircraftType Aircraft Flight

BoardingGate

Airways FlightService

FlightState FlightType ParkingPosition Airport Check-inCounter

PositionDistributionRules BuggageBelt FlightPair

Figure 2. Domain OO model of AODBS

developing process from PC to C/S or B/S, then to multi-layer.

C. Object Relational Mapping The author believes that, the difference of hierarchical
In the present application, the relational database system is
still the majority choice. So there exist some contradictions
between object-oriented model of system and the data stored
by type of relationship. The ORM technique maps the field of
database in the corresponding attribute of object; it has solved
the conflict between object model and the relational database.
Comparing with the traditional manual method, the benefits of
using ORM can be described in two aspects:
1) ORM technique releases the developers from the
technical details of interacting with the database, so that they
can focus their attention on business logic.
2) ORM system can be used to eliminate the dependence
on specific database products. Thus, when database of system
need to be replaced, we could only update ORM Figure 3. Process of ORM with NHibernate
configuration, and needn’t to make any changes to the existing
structure essentially is the difference of the location of logic,
programming codes. It enhances the portability of the system and there are mainly three kinds of logic in the information
greatly. system: data logic, business logic and present logic. Data logic
In the project this paper introduces, we choose the manifests the information organization form, it is reflected by
NHibernate as ORM tool [4]. The practice shows that ORM is the pattern in relational database; Business logic is the mapping
effective in reducing the workload of the code related to of business management flow and the rules in the information
handling database, while the implementation of ORM has laid system; And present logic refers to the way of information
a good foundation for system migration. Figure 3 describes the display which the user requests. In the multi-layer structure
process of object rational mapping. designed in this article, we extract the business logic to the
logic level, while the present logic is still retained in the client
D. Multi-layer Structure Based on Web Service side. This approach not only strengthens the system’s
In the developing process of information technology, the maintainability and expansion ability, but the loads of client
hierarchical structure of software system has also experienced side and APS are also balanced effectively. In addition, the
airport business management requires that the flight

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information should be displayed in pair form (one arrival flight information nodes without any delay and omission, so the
and one departure flight), but in the C/S structure, the information node which receives message can only update the
conversion of flight information to pair form is quite difficult, data what need to be updated [6,7]. The author also embeds the
it often needs to design redundant temporary tables in the log handling into message queue mechanism, thus solves the
database, but temporary tables possibly result in data uniform responsibility problem of management. Figure 4 describes the
problems. In our project, the scheduled flight information is process of data update in the message queue mechanism.
packed to pair form in the APS and then APS sends the paired
scheduled flight information to the clients. With regard to the III. CONCLUSIONS
clients, they always don’t know that the scheduled flight
information is saved in database by non-paired form. In the Concerning the software engineering and airport
project, we use the web service technique to implement the management point of view there are four main conclusions
multi-layer architecture of AODBS. Web service is an open /experiences from the article:
technique which has no specific requirements of developing • An accurate object model is the base of building the
language and operating system, so it can be effectively used to information system of airport which has high
integrate heterogeneous systems. Comparing with other maintainability, scalability, and portability.
technique, web service is relatively easy to achieve, and it also
has advantage of using XML as data exchange standard [5]. • ORM technique can be used to reduce the difficulty of
Moreover, in a multi-layer system based on web service, when system development using OO method, and it will
server can not be used temporarily, the information in clients improve the portability of system.
will be maintained (i.e. client sides will not loss their data when
• A multi-layer structure based on web service can help
the server or network has a short breakdown), it greatly
developers to achieve the integration of heterogeneous
enhance the usability of the system, which is important to
systems, and it improves the maintainability and
achieve reliable operation of the business in the airport.
scalability of system.
E. Message Queue Mechanism • Message queue mechanism is a supplementary method
The airport business management requires real-time for integrating heterogeneous systems, and message
information to achieve its goal of operation and service. When queue technique can be used to significantly improve
the data update is happened at an information node, the efficiency of data update.
information of all relevant nodes should be updated in a short
time, and this requirement may be extended to different
systems. Polling technique is often used in the traditional
information systems to update data of information nodes, but it REFERENCES
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Figure 4. Process of data update in message queue mechanism

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