A protocol standard for heterogeneous telescope networks
A. Allan, F. V. Hessman, K. Bischoff, Martin Jörg Burgdorf, B. Cavanagh, Damian J. Christian, N. Clay, Rob Dickens, Frossie Economou, Mehri Fadavi, Stephen N. Fraser, T. Granzer, Sandy Grosvenor, Tim Jenness, Anuradha P. Koratkar, M. J. Lehner, C. J. Mottram, Tim Naylor, E. S. Saunders, Nikolaos H. Solomos · Astronomische Nachrichten · 2006
Abstract The scientific need for a standard protocol permitting the exchange of generic observing services is rapidly escalating as more observatories adopt service observing as a standard operating mode and as more remote or robotic telescopes are brought on‐line. To respond to this need, we present the results of the first interoperability workshop for Heterogeneous Telescope Networks (HTN) held in Exeter. We present a draft protocol, designed to be independent of the specific instrumentation and software that controls the remote and/or robotic telescopes, allowing these telescopes to appear to the user with a unified interface despite any underlying architectural differences. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)