Net-Centric Assessment and Interoperability Testing

This section provides you with the ability to assess net-centric and interoperability principles within organizations. This chapter provides a set of checklists that have been placed in tables for organizations to figure out how to evaluate net-centric data assessment, net-centric services assessment, information assurance assessment, and communications and transport assessment. It then provides an understanding of interoperability testing to promote net-centric development, which involves stages of testing and the use of SOA-based services. We end with a case study of the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Laboratory that has been a fixture in providing testing support for IPv6 and network testing.

Technology Evolution Assessment for the Future

This next chapter addresses assessment describes the technology evolution process that involves government and corporate firms to perform technology validation and evolution planning. We go ahead and assess key technology areas, and provide a system technology forecast that can be used by a representative organization on the road to net-centric readiness. We then mention the acquisition trade study process and provide an understanding as to how vendor products can be assessed in an objective and documented manner. We end the chapter by providing a case study and information on the Net-Centric Operations Industry Consortium (NCOIC).

Architecture Assessment at the Federal Enterprise Level

This chapter focuses on assessing the maturity of enterprise architecture within our federal government, which is peripherally tied to the net-centric readiness of military and commercial organizations. We provide an overview of federal enterprise architecture guidance and federal reference models to comply with OMB mandates. We define an enterprise architecture transition strategy that allows organizations to move from their current state to a target state. We then go ahead and assess federal agencies based on Clinger-Cohen Act and OMB mandates. We end with discussing enterprise architecture maturity and how to achieve it within a large organization. The purpose of this final section is to focus on the assessment of technology architecture throughout the government and commercial enterprise. This chapter provides a description on the use of enterprise architecture to assess our federal government agencies. Based on federal mandates, enterprise architecture processes have proliferated within the government, and this allows the ability to adhere to new upcoming technologies such as the net-centric concepts proliferation by the defense department and military organizations.

Achieving a Net-Centric Service-Oriented Enterprise

This last chapter focuses on the target state of achieving a Net-Centric Service-Oriented Enterprise (NCSOE). All of our previous discussions led to the point of defining this target state, the transition processes that allow us to get there, and the benefits of the future state. The transition mechanism provides a life cycle methodology that includes a business roadmap, service enablement, and service sustainment. We describe each of these transition processes, their inputs and outputs. We then discuss a number of the technology features that we obtain based on a service oriented enterprise. We provide example net-centric services that can be defined as the common set for the overall enterprise. We then provide a set of benefits of NCSOE to different industry sectors.

Target State for Defense Information Enterprise

As the first chapter on transformational perspectives, this chapter provides you how the DoD and the military are moving toward a target state for the enterprise. The defense information enterprise has a particular set of goals and mission needs that stem from the overall defense transformation. A guest author perspective provides a unique window to the activity. The vision and mission of the business transformation has been stated, along with providing a proper definition of the defense information enterprise. A pictorial depiction of the reference model for the enterprise is then presented, and each element is further described. We provide a transformation perspective on the DoD information enterprise. We then discuss enterprise as it relates to a set of net-centric goals. These net-centric goals branch into a set of priorities that include data and services deployment, secured availability, communications infrastructure readiness, communications readiness and NetOps agility. As we discuss Net Centricity and the ongoing net-centric transformation, we plan to provide perspectives as to how this mindset is affecting our military and civilian enterprise. The first section of this book provided an in-depth understanding of the concept of Net Centricity and defined important concepts such as information interoperability. In this chapter we discuss the Defense Information Enterprise since this provides a tangible product of the DoD transformation activities. The idea is to define the target state of the Defense Enterprise – what are its basic tenets, and how it leads to a greater level of Net Centricity. Based on our earlier discussion on today’s information enterprise and the various information forms and the decision making capabilities, we now branch into how this is configured for our nation’s defense. We also provide a guest author perspective on the transformation and the defense information enterprise.

Transition to IPv6-Based Networks

This chapter addresses how the transition to the IPv6 protocol is part of the upcoming network and communications upgrade for enabling a net-centric environment. We discuss limitations of current IPv4 protocol, features of the IPv6 protocol and discuss IPv6 network basics. We then discuss IPv6 support for net centricity, and the federal mandate for IPv6 transition. DoD has developed a set of IPv6 guidance that provides IPv6-capable definition, IPv6 base requirements and IPv6 product classes. We discuss transition strategies from IPv4 to IPv6 and long term strategy challenges such as security implications. We provide data can be secured using the IPSec protocol and we go ahead and provide a review of mobile IPv6 networking.

Service-Oriented Architecture and Net-Centric Principles

This chapter introduces Service-Oriented Architecture and puts it in the context of the net-centric future. We discuss key service-oriented architecture concepts as it applies to the information industry and provide a set of open technical standards that everyone needs to adhere. We then define a set of SOA terminology and provide a description of each of the elements that make up a SOA within a large enterprise. We discuss the benefits of SOA adoption, how it helps application configuration and interoperability, and what points the enterprise needs to consider. Then we provide a set of DoD stated net-centric goals that helps to move forward from the current view of the enterprise to the future view. We discuss the netcentric SOA principles and SOA governance activities as it relates to large organizations.

Healthcare Transformation in a Net-Centric Environment

As a transformative perspective, this chapter discusses a specific area of DoD that is undergoing a large transformation to provide healthcare to today’s military and engage with the Department of Veterans Affairs to take care of veterans. We provide an overview of military medicine and veteran care, and discuss the important concept of the patient care continuum. We then discuss a continuum of care scenario for wounded warriors from DoD to VA. We describe the type of transformation that is being conducted in the Military Health System, and then provide a case study of a military health program known as Theater Medical Information Program (TMIP). We end with a transformation perspective on net-centric medicine provided by a retired DoD medical officer. In this chapter, as part of our section objective to address net-centric transformation perspectives, we provide a synopsis that specifically caters to the healthcare for our military warfighters and veterans. This then leads to the discussion of DoD Military Health System which is currently trying to transform itself to address Net Centricity. As part of this discussion, we describe the DoD Continuum of Care that happens for a warfighter from the point of injury in the battlefield all the way to him receiving veteran care. We use the Theater Medical Information Program (TMIP) as a net-centric example case study to address military healthcare requirements and the Net-Centric Key Performance Parameter mandates. The chapter then provides a guest author perspective on the DoD and VA healthcare transformation.

Adhering to Open Technology Standards

This chapter lets you understand why open technical standards are necessary. We then provide a case study of an organization who is working toward getting various entities and international officials together to coordinate the growing need for common standards. We bring up the topic of technology standards organizations that prepare and maintain technical standards for the greater society. Each technical standard has a set of stages through their life that includes development, draft, available, and sunset. We provide an example technology classification model that can be used as a reference for representing technical standards within an organization. After this we provide an understanding of the DoD Technical Reference Model and a representative system technical standards profile. The standards profile is comprehensive in nature, and provides a common set of technical standards that are in use at any organization.

Net-Centric Military to Civilian Transformation

This chapter focuses broadly on the technology effects of the net-centric transformation on our industry and civilian market. We start by discussing aspects of command and control principles, how it has run its course within the military and how the hierarchical nature is changing to embrace a matrixed decision making process. We then discuss the evolution of net-centric principles and how the government contracting and civilian industry is being affected by this transformation. We then discuss specific details on DoD to civilian technology transfer. A broad set of industry topics are then discussed and is categorized based on net-centric needs. Then we provide a glimpse into upcoming industry technology areas that have shown promise. We end with a perspective from a guest author, who provides an industry perspective on the use of net-centric concepts and proliferation of net-centric computing. This chapter continues on our transformation perspectives, and steps through the net-centric future from a system perspective. We first review the current nature of the DoD that has worked based on a command and control structure. This then is giving way to the net-centric mechanisms for systems operations. We examine the net-centric transformation from the military to the civilian community and commercial marketplace. It is important to look at defense to commercial technology transfer principles. Then examine how current command and control systems run by government contractors are shifting their focus to net-centric principles. It is also important to figure out how commercial entities are taking advantage of net-centric concepts within the computer and communications industry. There has been an emergence of “Net-Centric Computing” as a concept that we further explore. The types of technologies that are involved in the computing and communications infrastructure are discussed. We then provide a guest author perspective as an industry subject matter expert on the net-centric transformation and industry initiatives.