The TAK Client feed in ArcGIS Velocity connects to a Team Awareness Kit (TAK) server to receive Cursor on Target (CoT) events. CoT is a messaging protocol developed in 2002 by MITRE and the U.S. Air Force Electronic Systems Center (ESC) to share target-related information. CoT focuses on the time-sensitive position or W3 (what, where, and when) of a specific event to exchange meaningful and actionable event data using a standardized XML format.
Examples
The following are example use cases for the feed:
- An analyst configures the TAK Client feed to ingest data from personnel equipped with iTAK and ATAK mobile apps. The feed is used in a real-time analytic to send a Microsoft Teams message when personnel move outside designated areas or when specific conditions are met.
- An emergency response agency uses the TAK Client feed to ingest location data from law enforcement, emergency medical service, and multiple local governments during a wildfire. In addition to the TAK Client feed, the agency integrates other Internet of Things (IoT) sensor feeds to create a Common Operating Picture (COP). A COP is a display of relevant information across organizations and locations, allowing you to make accurate and informed decisions based on situational awareness.
Usage notes
Keep the following in mind when working with the feed:
- CoT is a messaging protocol used to share real-time information about the location of targets, points of interest, or other critical markers. The TAK Client feed connects to an existing TAK server to receive CoT events.
- The TAK Client feed supports the ingestion of CoT events in XML format only.
- When configuring the TAK Client feed, the schema is automatically derived from sample values returned by the TAK server. The feed schema consists of the CoT base schema, which includes attributes such as lat, lon, type, and UID.
Note:
The lat, lon, hae, ce, and le attributes in the original CoT base schema are automatically mapped to the following fields in the TAK Client feed: point_lat, point_lon, point_hae, point_ce, and point_le.
- The TAK server supports custom data to be stored in the <detail> element of a CoT event. When Velocity derives the feed schema, it uses sample messages returned by the TAK server over a 30-second period. If any of the sample messages include values within the <detail> element, those values are parsed and added to the feed schema. You can also manually provide sample messages to derive a valid schema.
- The Cursor on Target Type filter parameter allows you to input a comma-delimited string to filter incoming CoT events based on type. The CoT type attribute defines the object being represented. For example, choosing a-f-G, a-f-A as type values will filter CoT events to return only friendly ground and friendly air events.
- The Velocity subscription levels have limits on how much data can be ingested by a feed. If feeds exceed the ingestion limit of your license level, a message is written to the logs and an email is sent notifying you that the limit has been reached. If ingestion of data remains above the limit for more than an hour, the feed is stopped. Work with your Esri representative or Esri Technical Support to explore Velocity license levels that support your workflows, if necessary. License levels are as follows:
- Standard—Ingest and process data at 25 KB per second (approximately 100 events per second).
- Advanced—Ingest and process data at 250 KB per second (approximately 1,000 events per second).
- Dedicated—Ingest and process data at 2,500 KB per second (approximately 10,000 events per second).
Parameters
The following are the parameters for the feed:
| Parameter | Description | Data type |
|---|---|---|
| TAK Server URL | The full URL or IP address required to establish a connection with the TAK server. | String |
| Port | The port number used to initiate a connection with the TAK server. | Integer |
| Authentication Type | Specifies the type of authentication used to access the TAK server. Options are None and Certificate. If None is chosen, no authentication is performed. | String |
| Certificate URL | The URL location of the client certificate used to access the TAK server. This parameter only applies when the Authentication Type parameter is set to Certificate. | String |
| Password | The password for the client certificate if one has been set. This parameter only applies when the Authentication Type parameter is set to Certificate. | Password |
| Cursor on Target Type (optional) | Filters CoT events based on type values. For more information, refer to the Usage notes section above. | String |
Considerations and limitations
Consider the following when using the feed:
- The TAK server must be externally accessible on the internet.
- If you are using the Certificate option for the Authentication Type parameter, the client certificate must also be externally accessible on the internet. This client certificate can be secured with a password.
- The TAK Client feed supports the ingestion of CoT events in XML format only. This feed cannot be used to ingest CoT events in Protocol Buffers (Protobuf) format.