Joint Battlespace Infosphere

1
Joint Battlespace Infosphere

• Wayne Chung
• ENGS 112
• Prof. Cybenko

2
Who Made It?

• A project by the USAF Scientific Advisory Board
  -made public December 1998
• Currently managed by the USAF Research Lab made
  public February 2000

3
What Is It?

• A combat information management system that
  provides users with functional information for
  their specific duties.
• ??? ? Huh ????
• To provide the right information at the right
  time, in the right way, so that people will do
  the right thing before the other guy.

4
Keypoint

• Scalable
• Peer to peer, non centralized
• Dynamic information aggregation and fusion
• Expandable and flexible

5
What Do They Have Now

• Systems are monolithic, not integrated
• Systems not web-enabled
• Limits information access and sharing
• Systems cannot take advantage of web-based
  services
• Numerous tightly-coupled interfaces
• Ad hoc, non-standard information exchange
• Often do not use agreed data formats and
  semantics
• Difficult to add new interfaces
• High maintenance and administrative costs
• Limited interoperability between US and Coalition
  systems
• Must share information to combined operations
• Complicates combined/coalition operations

-MITRE Enabling the JBI
6
An Information Clearinghouse
-MITRE Enabling the JBI, case study using XML
and Server-side processing
7
Whats It Made Up Of

• Users
• Command, Soldiers, Support, and Staff
• Clients
• Computers, PDAs, Machines
• Servers
• Databases, Web Services
• Platforms
• Intelligence, Logistics, Air-Ops
• Processes
• Transformation, Relationships, Fusion

8
All based on Objects

• Examples
• Vehicle Position and Condition Report
• Recorded Video or Voice
• Commanders Intent/Order
• Order of Battle
• Listing of Supplies and Stores

9
Objects

• Act and look just like XML documents
• Not like Objects in Object Oriented Programming
• Do not provide encapsulation, methods, or
  polymorphism.
• How everything is passed in the JBI

10
Object

• Uses XML Schemas for defining attributes and
  values
• DTDs have too many limitations
• Data types available are limited
• Limited Namespace Support
• Does not have XML syntax

11
sidebar

• Schemas
• An Alternative to DTD
• Allow Data type definitions
• lt!ELEMENT InvoiceNo (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT ProductID (PCDATA)gt
• VS
• ltelement name'InvoiceNo' type'positive-integer'/
  gt ltelement name'ProductID' type'ProductCode'/gt
  ltsimpleType name'ProductCode' base'string'gt
  ltpattern value'A-Z1d6'/gt lt/simpleTypegt

12
DTD vs Schema

• DTD
• Element datatypes limited to aggregates or string
  data (PCDATA)
• No type inheritance

• Schema
• Strong data typing
• Can define own datatypes
• Over 40 built-in types
• Can define patterns (e.g., (ddd) ddd-dddd) using
  facets
• Supports type inheritance
• Can extend or restrict a type
• Simple types with facets
• Complex types can contain elements attributes

-MITRE Space XML Study
13
DTD vs Schema

• DTD
• Different syntax used
• No Namespace support

• Schema
• Common file syntax
• Schemas are XML documents
• Same tools can operate on data files and schema
  files
• Supports Namespaces
• Naming disambiguation
• Include or Import elements from other namespaces
• Built-in annotation element
• To document information for humans or other
  applications

-MITRE Space XML Study
14
DTD vs Schema

• Constraint/type checking at data creation is
  cheaper
• Software engineering rule of thumb The earlier
  you find the error, the cheaper to correct it
• Strong data typing allows data integrity checking
  at data creation
• Estimates of 40 or more of source code is
  dedicated to data integrity checking
• With strong data typing, XML validator can do
  much of this
• Complex information objects can be represented
  more naturally
• Through the use of types and inheritance in an
  object-like approach
• Use of namespaces is powerful
• Commercial vendor XML Schema support is
  increasing

-MITRE Space XML Study
15
Objects

• XML easily adaptable for military communications
• Established procedures and protocols
• Limited communications syntax
• Standards for relaying information
• Meta data allow easy relation building

16
Objects

• XML-MTFs
• Objects follow military Message Text Formats
• Allow cross communication with different vendors
  and legacy systems.

17
MetaData

• Describe the Object rather then real world entity
• Common examples
• Version
• Publisher
• Date and Time
• Subject Keywords
• Language
• Geospatial Reference

18
MetaData

• Provide a simple way of referencing all objects
• Using set library of keywords provide extensive
  and complete search
• Different Tags help specialize data to minimize
  search and hits to relevant data

19
Relations

• Relations between data and information is dealt
  with on many levels using Meta data
• Fuselets determine relevant meta data for their
  specific function
• Platforms also provide known relations of objects
  based on meta data

20
Relationship Brokering

• Self brokering
• an application searches for advertised
  information services in a registry and executes a
  direct request to the service
• Mediated brokering
• application registers information needs
  (subscriptions)
• a mediator matches subscriptions to advertised
  services
• instructs both parties on how to connect
• may monitor and optimise future requests
• Distributed brokering
• fulfils subscribers information needs by
  combining multiple brokering services
• provides added value through advanced searching,
  transformations, aggregations, calculations, ...

-MITRE Enabling the JBI
21
Users

• Command Control
• (THEATRE WIDE)
• Overall Image
• Forces available
• Reconnaissance
• Battle Conditions
• Resources available

• In The Field
• (LOCAL)
• Mission goals
• Immediate Battle Conditions
• Troop locations
• Current Supplies
• Resources available

22
Clients

• Can be planes, satellites, PDAs, computers or
  Sensors
• FUSELETS
• BROWSERS
• LEGACY system
• DATA FEEDS

23
Fuselets

• Subscribe and Publish data to Infosphere
• Automate relevant data acquisition
• Assist in Data Fusion
• Gather relevant information for decision making
• Manipulate information for specific user
• Ties the JBI together.

24
Browers

• Provide simple Web like interface to information
• Allow Coalition partners access to information
• Takes advantage of current commercially available
  technology and standards

25
Browers
26
Legacy Systems

• Air Force systems consist of machines from many
  different vendors and decades
• Must provide support for all existing systems
• Provide Seamless integration to modern clients
• Called Wrappers

27
Data Feeds

• Not all clients are intelligent or processing
  systems
• Some are simple feeds from sensors or raw feeds
  from in the field.
• Allows all systems to access necessary data and
  process for individual needs.

28
Servers and Platforms

• Distributed System of machines and programs
• Assist in subscribing, publishing and querying of
  data and information.
• Allow Drill-down for more information
• Access Control
• Run Server Fuslets

29
Platforms

• JBI Query Broker
• JBI Repository and Library
• JBI Subscription Broker
• JBI Management Services

30
Subscribing

• Sets rules for pertinent data
• Can set value to adjust amount of data necessary
• Works with clients subscription to insure data
  delivery

31
Publishing

• Update and delete objects.
• Sets Attribute and Value pairs
• Acts as UDDI for JBI
• Archive all available data for redundancy

32
Querying

• Allows client to search for data
• Can be individualized for need or capabilities
• Returns unprocessed objects
• Provides advanced, specific searches, beyond
  fuselet

33
Drill-Down

• Command often needs more detail
• Assist fuselet acquire necessary information
• Provide cupfuls of data, prevent information
  overload

34
Access Control

• Add Security to the Infosphere
• Verify validity of JBI client
• Assist in providing different levels of
  information for different classifications
• Prevent unauthorized publishing or subscribing.

35
Joint Battlespace Infosphere

• A Total Combat Information Management Service.
• A powerful Command and Control level tool
• A powerful soldiers aid for up-to-date
  information and battle plans

36
References

• Cherinka, R. MITRE -Enabling the JBI A case
  study using XML and Server-side Processing, paper
  and power point
• Cherinka,R, Mille,B. MITRE - Using XML-Based Web
  Services to Enhance Information Interoperability
  in the Department of
• Pulvermacher, M. - Space XML Study for the SNDC2
  SPO
• Sylvester, P. MITRE ngJBI Registry Design
• USAF Scientific Advisory Board- Report on
  Building the JBI, Vol 1 and Vol 2
• USAF Scientific Advisory Board- Report on
  Information Management to Support the Warriors

37
Questions ?