TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Sensors, Human Systems

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: ACAT III, IV; PEOs Space, C4I, IWS; PMWs 160, 150, 790, 760; SPAWAR 056

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a tactical, self-organizing, self-healing, low-bandwidth Mobile Ad Hoc Mesh Network (MANET) that can provide voice, video, data and application-sharing in a many-to-many collaborative environment.
Use a model-driven, simulation-based, architectural framework (simulation architecture framework) to integrate the routing and video transmission protocols. Integrate state-of-the-art simulation languages with the simulation architecture framework to allow operational views to be fully articulated and boundary conditions fully described, so that the views can be derived and applied to all phases of integration through test and evaluation in system design and development. Application of the simulation architecture framework results to test and evaluation and exercises will provide a validation mechanism for the entire model.

DESCRIPTION: Every node must be able to both add information to and search for information from the network. No special nodes (such as servers) are required that operate in a substantially different manner from other nodes in the network. The solution must be able to run on extremely low bandwidth networks that have the potential for high packet loss, such as very-high-frequency (VHF) radio, long range/mesh WiFi/WiMax and VSAT. The solution must also be able to link people on Internet and MANET (where the two networks are segmented except a bridging node). The combined routing and video transmission protocol solution will be iteratively designed and simulated (for eventual inclusion in a Battlegroup Experiment) with architecture processes and tools (discrete event simulation languages, such as: EXTEND, SIMPROCESS, and SIMSCRIPT III.

PHASE I: Demonstrate/evaluate the feasability of the conceptual framework for a scalable, self-organizing, collaborative, distributed, MANET database that can push and pull video, voice, text and application sharing to a large number of nodes (MANET video network). Provide a scenario to be used for Phase II in conjunction with Navy operational personnel participation. Develop a scenario environment that consists of: afloat and ashore receivers and control units; a large number of low and high bandwidth nodes; and the communication of situational awareness data consisting of voice, acoustic, radar, video, text and/or a desk-top applications that can be shared among mobile units/nodes that self-organize and self-heal. Deliver a network, capability specification that describes the components that must be brought together to provide this combined functionality. This will include a simulation that mimics the operational environment with fixed and mobile nodes with varying bandwidth. The proposed solution must define the approach, processes, and tools required to complete the development. An initial demonstration of components of the design will be required.

PHASE II: Prototype the self-organizing database and develop a simulation that mimics the operational environment as closely as possible. Evaluate the composability of the network. Composability should consider layers or different routing equations that are parameterized in terms of security, latency, speed, capacity, and user priority. Develop the architecture framework, products and the visual templates that present the simulation environment. The interactions should result in the Architecture Framework becoming the Human Machine Interface (HMI) to the simulation.

PHASE III: Deploy the prototype for experimental verification and validation in an operational experiment or demonstration. Instrument the experiment to test the dynamics of the network. Instrumentation will measure, at a minimum, dropped packets, latency, information assurance, maximum load and the ability to respond to disruption of the network. Instrumentation will test the recoverability of the data, text, voice, video and applications shared. The experiment and scenario will cause deliberate disruptions to the network. Develop and test the ability to pass control seamlessly. Test the recoverability of compressed data (text, voice, video and application sharing). Measure the scalability of the system as a function of available bandwidth, network topology, and number of participants. Demonstrate the composability and robustness of the network to information assurance (red teams to include jamming) and intrusion detection capability. Build integration and production templates from the simulation architecture framework so that it can be applied commercially, especially where there is potential of providing a large reuse opportunity in design, test and training.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: If the collaborative environment remains successful under stress, it will be applicable to tactical edge battlegroup circumstances, emergency response (hastily formed networks) and all mobile networks, wireless networks, wired and wireless networks and training/mentoring/apprentice circumstances, including remote medicine. Remaining successful under stress means that the collaborative environment can: self-organize and self-heal with a large number of nodes; preserve video Quality of Service (QoS) over several hops in the network; and preserve application-sharing over several hops in the network. If the model-driven, simulation-based approach can be proven by its application to the synthesis of the routing and video transmission protocols, it will have applicability to all enterprise architectures that are based upon the Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) paradigm. For example, it would be used in any enterprise such as homeland security/defense, emergency response finance, banking, airline scheduling and reservations and education networks. The approach will also significantly shorten the development time of all enterprise architectures.

REFERENCES:
1. Len Bass, et al., Software Architecture in Practice 2ed., Addison Wesley, 2003 Simulation Modeling and Analysis (3rd ed.)

2. Averill M. Law and W. David Kelton, McGraw-Hill Higher Education - December 30, 1999, ISBN: 0-07-059292-6

3. N. Nirmalakhandan, Modeling Tools for Environmental Engineers and Scientists, CRC Press - December 20, 2001
ISBN: 1566769957

4. Harrington, H James and Tumay, Kerim, Simulation Modeling Methods: To Reduce Risks and Increase Performance

5. K. Finn, A. Sellen, and S. Wilbur. Video-Mediated Communication, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997.

6. S. McCanne, E. Brewer, R. Katz, L. Rowe, E. Amir, Y. Chawathe, A. Coopersmith, K. Patel, S. Raman, A. Schuett, D. Simpson, A. Swan, T. Tung, D. Wu, and B. Smith. Toward a Common Infrastructure for Multimedia-Networking Middleware. Proceedings of International Workshop on Network and Operating System Support for Digital Audio and Video, 1997.

7. A. Watson and A. Sasse. Evaluating Audio and Video Quality in Low-cost Multimedia Conferencing Systems. Interacting with Computers, pages 255-275, 1996.

KEYWORDS: High throughput; low-bandwidth; self-organizing; self-healing; application sharing; video transmission; ad hoc mesh network

TPOC: Jeff Besser
Phone: (858)537-0122
Fax:
Email: [email protected]
2nd TPOC: Jerry Wilson
Phone: (619)524-7668
Fax: (619)524-7635
Email: [email protected]

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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