KEYWORDS: Information operations, Data storage, Fuzzy logic, Prototyping, Space operations, Control systems, Analytical research, Intelligence systems, Optical discs, Free space
Information Management (IM) services need lifecycle management, i.e., determining how long persistent information is
retained locally and when it is moved to accommodate new information. This is important when bridging IM services
from enterprise to tactical environments, which can have limited onboard storage and be in highly dynamic situations
with varying information needs. In this paper, we describe an approach to Value Function based Information Lifecycle
Management (VFILM) that balances the value of existing information to current and future missions with constraints on
available storage. VFILM operates in parallel with IM services in dynamic situations where missions and their information
needs, the types of information being managed, and the criticality of information to current missions and operations
are changing. In contrast to current solutions that simply move the oldest or least frequently accessed information when
space is needed, VFILM manages information lifecycle based on a combination of inputs including attributes of the information
(its age, size, type, and other observable attributes), ongoing operations and missions, and the relationships
between different pieces of information. VFILM has three primary innovative features: (1) a fuzzy logic function that
calculates a ordering of information value based on multiple relative valued attributes; (2) mission/task awareness that
considers current and upcoming missions in information valuation and storage requirements; and (3) information grouping
that treats related information collectively. This paper describes the VFILM architecture, a VFILM prototype that
works with Air Force Research Laboratory IM services, and the results of experiments showing VFILM's effectiveness and efficiency.
Net-Centric Information Management (IM) and sharing in tactical environments promises to revolutionize forward
command and control capabilities by providing ubiquitous shared situational awareness to the warfighter. This vision
can be realized by leveraging the tactical and Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANET) which provide the underlying communications
infrastructure, but, significant technical challenges remain. Enabling information management in these highly
dynamic environments will require multiple support services and protocols which are affected by, and highly dependent
on, the underlying capabilities and dynamics of the tactical network infrastructure.
In this paper we investigate, discuss, and evaluate the effects of realistic tactical and mobile communications network
environments on mission-critical information management systems. We motivate our discussion by introducing the Advanced
Information Management System (AIMS) which is targeted for deployment in tactical sensor systems. We
present some operational requirements for AIMS and highlight how critical IM support services such as discovery,
transport, federation, and Quality of Service (QoS) management are necessary to meet these requirements.
Our goal is to provide a qualitative analysis of the impact of underlying assumptions of availability and performance of
some of the critical services supporting tactical information management. We will also propose and describe a number
of technologies and capabilities that have been developed to address these challenges, providing alternative approaches
for transport, service discovery, and federation services for tactical networks.
KEYWORDS: Data storage, Sensors, Control systems, Defense and security, Information operations, Image sensors, Web services, Analytical research, Data modeling, Information security
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has developed a reference set of Information Management (IM) Services
that will provide an essential piece of the envisioned final Net-Centric IM solution for the Department of Defense (DoD).
These IM Services will provide mission critical functionality to enable seamless interoperability between existing and
future DoD systems and services while maintaining a highly available IM capability across the wide spectrum of
differing scalability and performance requirements.
AFRL designed this set of IM Services for integration with other DoD and commercial SOA environments. The services
developed will provide capabilities for information submission, information brokering and discovery, repository, query,
type management, dissemination, session management, authorization, service brokering and event notification. In
addition, the IM services support common information models that facilitate the management and dissemination of
information consistent with client needs and established policy. The services support flexible and extensible definitions
of session, service, and channel contexts that enable the application of Quality of Service (QoS) and security policies at
many levels within the SOA.
KEYWORDS: Databases, Data storage, Information security, Analytical research, Modeling and simulation, Network security, Computer simulations, Performance modeling, Prototyping, Information assurance
Net-centric information systems such as the Air Force's Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI) require a secure, scalable, object repository to support the vision of a globally accessible, secure, distributed information “space.” Peer-to-peer (P2P) technology holds significant promise for these large-scale information repositories because of its demonstrated scalability and robustness. The development of a P2P object repository poses significant challenges: distributed query processing and security. This paper presents and discusses ORIS, a peer-to-peer object repository that not only stores objects but also supports database-type queries. The ORIS P2P technology ensures resilience and scalability and also employs secret sharing techniques and access control to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of objects even if a number of peers are physically or clandestinely compromised by an enemy attack. The Air Force Research Laboratory has developed the Distributed Information Enterprise Modeling and Simulation (DIEMS) framework that efficiently supports the modeling and simulation of large globally distributed computer networks. DIEMS has been used to model prototypes of the JBI and is currently being used to assess the system performance, scalability, and survivability of ORIS. Preliminary results indicate query performance to be acceptable given an adequate network configuration. We also present the results of this modeling and simulation assessment.
Effects based operations (EBO) are proving to be a vital part of current concepts of operations in military missions and consequently need to be an integral part of current generation wargames. EBO is an approach to planning, executing and assessing military operations that focuses on obtaining a desired strategic outcome or “effect” on the adversary instead of merely attacking targets or simply dealing with objectives. Alternatively, the emphasis of conventional wargames is focused on attrition based modeling and is incapable of assessing effects and their contribution to the overall mission objectives. The focus of this paper is the integration of an EBO modeling scheme [1] within a force-on-force simulator. In this paper, the authors review the EBO modeling capability and describe its’ integration within the wargame; including the integration of center of gravity (COG) models, the realization of indirect and cascading effects, the impact of the COG models on simulation control files, and the use of COG models to link the simulation commander with assets. A simple scenario demonstrating indirect and cascading effects is described and the results are presented.
KEYWORDS: Computer architecture, Analytical research, Computer simulations, Information operations, Modeling and simulation, Protactinium, Data processing, Information architecture, Computer networks, Sensors
A Distributed Information Enterprise Modeling and Simulation (DIEMS) framework, presently under development, is applied to the analysis of a Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI) Pub/Sub architecture's infrastructural requirements. This analysis is an example of one methodology that can be employed utilizing the DIEMS framework. This analysis capability permits the information systems engineer to ensure that the planned JBI architecture deployment will provide the required information exchange performance on the infrastructure provided. This paper describes the DIEMS framework including its application in constrained and unconstrained resource utilization modes. A JBI architecture is evaluated in the context of a representative operational scenario on one infrastructure. The simulator's unconstrained resource mode is employed to identify the architecture's ideal operational requirements and in turn identify potential resource limitations. The constrained simulation mode is employed to evaluate the potential choke points in relation to the
architecture's performance. The results identify the infrastructure changes required so that the specific JBI architecture will achieve the required operational performance.
The Air Force is developing a Distributed Information Enterprise Modeling and Simulation (DIEMS) framework under sponsorship of the High Performance Computer Modernization Office Common High Performance Computing Software Support Initiative (HPCMO/CHSSI). The DIEMS framework provides a design analysis environment for deployable distributed information management systems. DIEMS establishes the necessary analysis capability allowing developers to identify and mitigate programmatic risk early within the development cycle to allow successful deployment of the associated systems. The enterprise-modeling framework builds upon the Synchronous Parallel Environment for Emulation and Discrete-Event Simulation (SPEEDES) foundation. This simulation framework will utilize 'Challenge Problem' class resources to address more than five million information objects and hundreds of thousands of clients comprising the future information based force structure. The simulation framework will be capable of assessing deployment aspects such as security, quality of service, and fault tolerance. SPEEDES provides an ideal foundation to support simulation of distributed information systems on a multiprocessor platform. SPEEDES allows the simulation builder to perform optimistic parallel processing on high performance computers, networks of workstations, or combinations of networked computers and HPC platforms.
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