Network-centric Infrastructure for Command, Control, and Intelligence (NICCI) Potential New DARPA ITO Program — Enabling a Global Grid that Works John Salasin DARPA/ITO

INFORMATION PLACEFORM ++ TIME The Problem Mission accomplishment requires Manipulating massive amounts of increasingly complex information–fast and predictably

“Habitats” – A Solution Habitats specialize the information processing space

What’s New Operationally Infrastructure automatically provides context information “Business rules” included as integral part of system Better and faster decisions Technically Simultaneously organize and manage the information processing space along multiple dimensions Dynamic capabilities Combines concerns about process integration (event sequences) and application integration (Application Program Interfaces (APIs))

Technical Characteristics – Dynamic Command Structure

Core Computing Services Authority/Accountability Dynamic information management infrastructure Policy specification, execution, and rule consistency services Context management and reconfiguration services

Core Computing Services – Authority/Accountability Authority/Accountability –Functionality – schedule and monitor tasks; enforce rules/policies –Have now – operating system level monitors, enforcement mechanisms –Need – task specific capabilities

Core Computing Services – Dynamic Information Management Infrastructure Dynamic information management infrastructure –Functionality – interoperability with multiple COTS infrastructures (e.g.,.NET); connectivity protocols, and InfoSec; information exchange, correlation, and coordination –Have now – CoAbs grid provides many functions –Need – expansion to support distributed rule/process definition and enforcement, and to monitor and share context

Core Computing Services – Policy Services Policy specification, execution, and rule consistency services –Functionality – distributed (peer to peer) rule/process specification/execution; habitat rule/policy negotiation and deconfliction; operational responsibility tracking and coordination –Have now – much work, particularly in security area. Negotiation (over resources) in agents community. Process execution efforts being applied to coordinate agents/robots –Need – expansion to handle multiple concerns (e.g., quality of service, performance, resource use; more integration; efficient negotiation; and use of distributed/decentralized mechanisms. Inclusion of authority and accountability

Core Computing Services – Context Services Context management and reconfiguration services –Functionality – mission/task context tracking; event/task coordination; context-relevant resource management –Have now – run-time reconfiguration to provide dynamic customization of heterogeneous systems (DASADA) –Need – automated recognizing, locating, and providing of needed services/resources in a decentralized environment

Benefits Habitats enable systems that Interact predictably in a network-centric world Can find and predictably recruit resources needed for task Safely use commercial infrastructure Provide run-time dynamic reconfiguration to optimize performance

Benefits – Accelerate C 2 Going up and down the chain of command delays operations and makes some impossible Habitats can enable new operational concepts (e.g., command by negation) by removing roadblocks to their expression

Benefits – Adapt System to Context Important JSTARS/AOC operations are dependent on context Information sources (for verification) not under OPCON Threat Condition, Rules of Engagement (ROE), and ROE flexibility Available assets (and tasking rules) Infosec requirements

Benefits – Improved Application Performance Habitats improve application performance Component access to business rules and context information enables: –Controlled/constrained horizontal sharing (shorten chain of command) –Improved coordination within constraints Potential for major reductions in latency

Benefits – Wedge for “De-rigidifying” Doctrine Habitats provide wedge for “de-rigidifying” doctrine Provide flexibility to operate efficiently within doctrinal constraints

Benefits – Terrorism/CBW Asymmetric threat –Currently can’t configure command center or assets for response until threat emerges –(Semi) dormant habitats tailored to local environments (e.g., Indianapolis) could maintain information on resources, deployment plans (for different situations), etc. Coalitions to fight terrorism will include Governments, NGOs, and (perhaps) rebel and religious groups with different roles/responsibilities/rules of engagement, e.g., –Military operations –Financial transactions –Intelligence Contextual information packaging and dissemination is key

Major theme: Increasing speed and precision of command –(Human or automated) decision agent has all (more) relevant information –System includes (easily evolvable) rules about actions to be taken based on level of uncertainty –Rules can be understood and written by military personnel direct background information identification, collection, and filtering ensure that specified processes are followed Reduced time for decisions –Reduced time for decisions –Increased speed of dissemination (while controlled with respect to both scope and content disseminated) –Reduced effort/time/error in building and evolving capabilities Success Criteria – Measures of Effectiveness

Major theme: Infrastructure provides improved support for –Dynamic membership model –Dynamic trust management operating across organizational/ operational trust boundaries –Dynamic policy management –Notification services operating on global scale –Peer-to-peer connectivity on demand with managed quality of service –Uniform and seamless model for access to resources and service Success Criteria – Measures of Performance NOT DOABLE NOT FEASIBLE IN DECENTRALIZED MODE

Why Now? Flowering of COTS infrastructure technologies for integration and interoperability –eXtensible Markup Language (XML) –Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) –Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) –DARPA Agent Markup Language (DAML) –E-Services (HP) – Platform and language independent middleware for services –.NET (Microsoft) –Others

Why Now – Next Step in Coordination and Synchronization “Chat rooms” are today’s advanced State of Practice Missing elements – Specified, enforceable rules/processes – Pro-active context sensing and awareness – Ability to recruit resources within defined constraints

Why DARPA? DISA/C3I standards-based, flat world view won’t work Automated specialization of function based on context is critical to major Service initiatives (currently working Services on requirements) Early technical leadership needed to avoid fragmented solutions

NICCI Technical Challenges Distributed, dynamic operation with decentralized mechanisms to provide Rule specification – in multiple domains and form usable by operational forces Efficient rule consistency management and enforcement Negotiation capabilities Service deployment and reconfiguration