Online Operations

AGI recommends that you use STK with an internet connection to ensure that you have access to the latest data and that you can receive software updates as soon as they become available. For information on managing STK internet connectivity, see the Online preferences section of this topic.

This topic provides information about the ways in which STK accesses the internet and how to ensure that it can remain connected, depending on your network environment.

STK uses online resources by default. The following features need internet access:

• Bing™ Maps
• STK Terrain Server
• Satellite Database TLE Source
• Online STK Object Databases
• On-demand home licensing
• Product version updates

For URLs accessed and ports used by a particular STK data, licensing, or online service, refer to the STK Network Connections for Online Services section of this topic.

Connectivity information

The internet-based options of STK are often blocked on your network until exceptions are put in place by a network administrator. If you are having trouble connecting to the online resources in STK, there are several common problems worth reviewing. Refer to the ports and URLs for the data services used by STK (listed below) and review the troubleshooting topic.

Online preferences

You can manage the settings of your internet connections in STK by clicking the Edit menu, selecting Preferences, and opening the Online page. At the top of the page, you can choose to keep the Allow Online Operations check box selected, or you can clear the check box. When selected, you can then specify the settings described in the following subsections.

HTTP Proxy

A proxy server is a computer on your LAN that enables you to connect to the internet without compromising the security of your internal network. If you want to access AGI web services and your organization uses a proxy server to connect to the internet, you will need to provide information about the proxy server to STK. If you are unsure how your internet connection is configured, please consult your system administrator.

Select System Proxy if connectivity to services is through a default system proxy. You cannot select this and also Custom Proxy.

Select Custom Proxy to specify the Server and Port information for your proxy server and, if necessary, your user name and password for it. Select the Bypass proxy server for local addresses check box to connect directly to resources that Windows recognizes as local.

STK supports NTLM + SSPI proxy authentication and Basic proxy authentication. STK supports PAC (Proxy Autoconfiguration) scripts.

If there are addresses that you do not want to use the proxy to connect with, such as local resources that Windows fails to properly identify as local, enter those addresses in the Exceptions field.

Some proxy configurations do not work with online operations in STK.

Connection

Select theUse HTTP Persistent Connections check box to use the same TCP connection to send and receive all HTTP requests/responses; clear it to have STK open a new connection for each request/response pair.

Select the Use Secure HTTP Connection (HTTP/SSL) check box to use secure HTTP when communicating over the internet, where applicable. Not all services support HTTPS protocol, but the ones that do will use the HTTPS protocol if you select this option.

Version

Select the Check for Software Updates When Starting STK check box to enable STK to check the web for the latest STK version.

Select the Prompt me to update every: check box to receive notifications from STK to remind you to check for a software update. If you select this, choose a frequency for the reminders from the shortcut menu.

Disabling or enabling online operations for a scenario

If you have a scenario currently loaded in STK and you change the Allow Online Operations setting, then you will need to save and reload the scenario to complete the process of disabling or enabling online operations.

Disabling

If you disable online operations in a scenario that was previously saved with them enabled, STK will then automatically update the scenario to disable online operations wherever they were being used.

The Allow Online Operations setting is an application setting, but the selection that is active when a scenario is saved is included in that scenario's data. Therefore, if you save a scenario with online operations disabled and then share it with someone who has online operations enabled, the scenario will retain the disabled selection that it was saved with.

Enabling

If you are enabling online operations from a scenario that was previously saved with them disabled, you will have to manually update the scenario to use these online features:

1. Terrain Server - Open the scenario properties, select Terrain, and select the Use terrain server for analysis check box.
2. Bing™ Maps - In the 3D Graphics window toolbar, click the Globe Manager icon. In Globe Manager, click the Add Terrain/Imagery icon and select Add Terrain/Imagery. In the Open Terrain and Imagery Data dialog box, change the selection on the left to Bing™ Maps, choose a type, and click Add.
3. TLE or Catalog Source - If you are using a propagator that requires a TLE or catalog source (e.g., SGP4, GPS), open the Properties Browser for the object and, on the Orbit properties page, select AGI Server in the TLE Source or Catalog Source field.