KEYWORDS: Information operations, Data modeling, Satellites, Satellite communications, Radar, Networks, Analytical research, Control systems, Solid state lighting, Prototyping
Information Management (IM) services support the discovery, brokering, and dissemination of mission-critical information
based on the information's content and characteristics. IM services support the dissemination of future information
(through subscriptions) and past information (through queries) regardless of its source. To be useful across enterprise
and tactical environments, IM services need mission-driven Quality of Service (QoS) features as part of their core functionality.
We have developed QoS management features, QoS Enabled Dissemination (QED), that extend an Air Force
Research Laboratory (AFRL) developed set of IM services, Phoenix. This paper describes the results of a joint services
experiment evaluating QED and Phoenix in a US Navy scenario involving multiple ships connected by a Disconnected,
Intermittent, Limited (DIL) satellite network. Experiments evaluate QED and Phoenix's ability to (1) provide IM in the
Wide Area Network (WAN) context of the satellite communications, which includes long latencies and background traffic
not under QED control; (2) control and utilize active-precedence and queue management features provided by the
WAN; (3) handle severe network overload, network disruptions, and dynamic changes in policies; and (4) successfully
enforce deadlines and information replacement policies.
This paper will discuss and evaluate the advantages provided by the DEBON-Air simulation environment for effecting
communications between UAV airframes in flight. DEBON-Air provides a realistic multi-vehicle simulation
environment which models communications complexities. By simulating various operational factors (e.g., bandwidth
and reliability), and environmental factors (e.g., weather, altitude, range, and attitude), evaluators can establish the
functional and performance characteristics of an Information Management System (IMS) in a simulated tactical
environment. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Apollo IMS will be used in concert with the DEBON-Air
simulation environment for the purposes of these evaluations.
KEYWORDS: Prototyping, Java, Analytical research, Information operations, Systems modeling, Space operations, Document management, Performance modeling, Telecommunications, Control systems
Net-centric information spaces have become a necessary concept to support information exchange for tactical warfighting
missions using a publish-subscribe-query paradigm. To support dynamic, mission-critical and time-critical operations,
information spaces require quality of service (QoS)-enabled dissemination (QED) of information. This paper describes
the results of research we are conducting to provide QED information exchange in tactical environments. We
have developed a prototype QoS-enabled publish-subscribe-query information broker that provides timely delivery of
information needed by tactical warfighters in mobile scenarios with time-critical emergent targets. This broker enables
tailoring and prioritizing of information based on mission needs and responds rapidly to priority shifts and unfolding
situations. This paper describes the QED architecture, prototype implementation, testing infrastructure, and empirical
evaluations we have conducted based on our prototype.
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.
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