NAVAIR IETM
Interoperability Architecture
Detailed Report

for the

DoD CALS IDE PROJECT

June 22, 1998

Submitted by
ManTech Advanced Systems International
West Virginia Technology Applications Operations Center
1000 Technology Drive, Suite 3310
Fairmont, West Virginia 26554

In support of
Contract #DASW01-97-D-0006
A Non-CDRL Document

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE
1.0  INTRODUCTION

1.1  Document Scope and Objective
1.2  Background
1.3  The Need for Interoperability of Logistics Information
1.4  Objective of the Architecture
1.5  Document Outline

2.0  OVERVIEW OF ARCHITECTURE

2.1  Assumptions
2.2  Relationship to DoD and Navy Information Technology Standards and Initiatives

2.2.1  Defense Information Infrastructure Common Operating Environment
2.2.2  Defense Information Infrastructure Common Operating Environment Influence on NAVAIR Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Architecture

2.2.3  Navy Information Technology for the 21^st Century Initiative

2.3  Role of the Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Technical Architecture Team
2.4  Architecture Building Blocks

2.4.1  Data Archive
2.4.2  Encapsulated Objects
2.4.3  Intranet Server and Database Interface
2.4.4  Browser Interface
2.4.5  Link Addressing

2.5  Architecture Implementation Types
2.6  Life-cycle Management

2.6.1  Object Delivery
2.6.2  Configuration Management
2.6.3  Legacy Data Migration
2.6.4  Security
2.6.5  Technology Refreshment

2.7  Future (Planned) Capabilities

3.0  OBJECT ENCAPSULATION - WRAPPING THE DATA WITH CONTROLS

3.1  Introduction - Object Models and Objects

3.1.1  Object Models
3.1.2  Encapsulated Objects
3.1.3  Advantages of Object Approach
3.1.4  Role of Component Software

3.2  Object Encapsulation Specification
3.3  Implementation Examples

4.0  WEB SERVER AND DATABASE INTERFACE SPECIFICATION

4.1  Intranet Web Server

4.1.1  FrontPage Extensions
4.1.2  Internet Server Application Programming Interface
4.1.3  Secure Sockets Layer 3.0 Specification
4.1.4  Streaming Media Interface
4.1.5  Text/Keyword Search Engine

4.2  Database Server Interface

4.2.1  SQL-92 Interface
4.2.2  Open Database Connectivity Interface
4.2.3  Java Database Connectivity Interface

5.0  BROWSER REQUIREMENTS

5.1  Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Viewers and Web Browsers
5.2  Commercial Off-The-Shelf Browser Specification

5.2.1  (Thin) Client/Server Model
5.2.2  Security Support
5.2.3  Common Object Model/Distributed Component Object Model Support
5.2.4  Microsoft Windows 32-Bit Environment Support
5.2.5  ActiveX Technology Support
5.2.6  Markup Language Support

5.2.6.1  HyperText Markup Language with Extensibility
5.2.6.2  Inexpensive
5.2.6.3  Portability

5.2.7  Scripting Language Support
5.2.8  Java Virtual Machine Support
5.2.9  DoD Standardized Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Controls Support

5.2.10  NAVAIR Standardized Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Controls Support

5.2.11  NAVAIR Portable Electronic Display Device Policy Support

5.3  Technical Requirements for Supporting Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser
5.4  Implementation Examples

6.0  NAVAIR ADDRESSING MODEL

6.1  Electronic Addressing Specification
6.2  Addressing and Mapping
6.3  Persistent Uniform Resource Locators Based Addressing
6.4  The Future
6.5  Implementation Examples

6.5.1  Domain Name System and Persistent Uniform Resource Locators on an Internet/Intranet

6.5.2  Persistent Uniform Resource Locators on a Standalone PortableElectronic Display Device

6.5.3  The Domain Name System on the Internet/Intranet
6.5.4  The Domain Name System on a Standalone
6.5.5  Domain Name System and Persistent Uniform Resource Locators in the Field

7.0  LIFE-CYCLE MANAGEMENT

7.1  Delivery and Transport of Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Components in the NAVAIR Environment

7.2  Delivering Objects

7.2.1  Data Delivery Supplier to Infrastructure Server
7.2.2  Infrastructure Server to Site Server

7.2.2.1  Site Server Functions
7.2.2.2  Site Server Implementation Examples

7.2.3  Site Server to Client Site

7.2.3.1  Database Replication
7.2.3.2  Granularity of Web Server Updates
7.2.3.3  Verification of Delivery by Government

7.2.4  Relationship to Naval Aviation Logistics Command Management Information System

7.3  Application of Push Technology for Delivery of Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Components


7.3.1  Client/Server Push Technology Alternatives
7.3.2  Push Technology Standardization

7.4  Configuration Management

7.4.1  Interactive Electronic Technical Manual and Weapon System Component Identification

7.4.2  Cataloging Data for Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals and Components

7.5  Security
7.6  Other Infrastructure and Site Server Requirements

7.6.1  Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
7.6.2  Navy Interactive Electronic Technical Manual/Electronic Technical Manual Registry

8.0  SUPPORT OF MOBILE COMPUTING REQUIREMENTS

8.1  Operational Concept
8.2  Mobile Databases and the NAVAIR Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Architecture

8.3  Commercial Products

8.3.1  CA-OpenIngres/Desktop
8.3.2  Personal Oracle
8.3.3  Personal Oracle Lite
8.3.4  Sybase SQL Anywhere Professional

9.0  COMPLIANCE

9.1  Compliance:  Delivery Compliance of Objects

9.1.1  Compliance:  Delivery Compliance of Objects: Information Maintenance, and Updates

9.1.2  Compliance:  Delivery Compliance of Objects: Media and Information Distribution and Access

9.1.3  Delivery Compliance of Objects: End User

9.2  Compliance:  Reference Implementations

10.0  MIGRATION AND INTEGRATION OF ELECTRONIC LEGACY SYSTEMS

10.1  Technical Considerations
10.2  From Standalone Application to ActiveX Control

10.2.1  Conversion of Windows 3.x Programs
10.2.2  Linear Address Space
10.2.3  Separation of Processes
10.2.4  User Input
10.2.5  Microsoft-Disk Operating System and Hardware Specific Calls
10.2.6  Undocumented Windows Calls
10.2.7  File Handling

10.3  Impact on Data Formats and Authoring Systems

11.0  OPEN ISSUES

11.1  Data Archive Specification
11.2  Object Encapsulation Specification
11.3  Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals and Mobile Computing
11.4  Migration and Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Electronic Legacy Systems

11.5  Life-cycle Management
11.6  Integration with Other Legacy Applications and Databases

12.0  NOTES

12.1  Referenced Documents
12.2  Acronyms
12.3  Glossary of IETM Architecture Terms

APPENDIX A:  NAVY ISSUES ON THE NAVAIR INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC TECHNICAL MANUAL ARCHITECTURE

TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 2.4-1  Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Architecture Building Blocks
Figure 2.4.3-1  Two-Tier Web Client Server Architecture
Figure 2.4.3-2  Three-Tier Web Client Server and Database Architecture
Figure 2.6.2-1  Weapon System Configuration Breakdown
Figure 2.6.2-2  Weapon System Life-cycle Chart and Participating Organizations
Figure 3.1.2-1  Encapsulated Objects are Packaged to Form an Application
Figure 5.1-1  Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Presentation System
Figure 5.1-2  World Wide Web Presentation System
Figure 5.1-3  Browser-based Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Presentation System
Figure 5.2.6.1-1  Java Applet for Technical Graphics
Figure 6.2-1  Addressing Model Requires Custom Name Servers for Proprietary Data Structures

Figure 7.1-1  Concept of Operations for NAVAIR Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Authoring and Delivery

Figure 7.2-1  Delivery Concept for the Dissemination of Electronic Technical Manual/ Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals in the NAVAIR Environment

Figure 7.2.1-1  Import, Exchange, and Archive Definitions for Authoring
Figure 7.4.1-1  Identification Cross-Reference Model from Weapon System to Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Components

Figure 8.1-1  Site Server and Portable Electronic Display Device
Figure 8.2-1  Utilization of Mobile Database(s)
Figure 8.2-2  Web-enabled Mobile Database
Figure 8.3.4-1  Mobile Database Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Implementation Using Sybase Products

Figure 9.2-1  NIA 2000 Laboratory Implementation

LIST OF TABLES

Table P-1  Cross-Reference of Web-Based Architecture For Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Interoperability Report to Detailed Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Interoperability Architecture Report

Table 1.3-1  Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Architecture Support of Navy Logistics Information Goals

Table 2.2.1-1  Common Operating Equipment Universal Desktop Alternatives and Navy Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Approach

Table 2.5-1  Proposed Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Architectural Implementation Types

Table 2.6.3-1  Legacy Data Types
Table 3.2-1  Candidate Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Objects and Methods
Table 4.1.1-1  FrontPage 98 Server Extensions and Compatible Web Servers
Table 7.4.2-1  Generic Catalog Metadata for Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals
Table 7.4.2-2  Technical Manual Specific Catalog Metadata
Table 10.2.2-1  Application Programming Interface Changes Needed to Migrate from 16-Bit to 32-Bit Applications

Table 10.2.5-1  Win32 Application Programming Interfaces Replacements for 16-Bit Int21h Calls

PREFACE

This detailed report describes NAVAIR IETM Architecture (NIA), and its building blocks for achieving Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) interoperability in the Naval Aviation environment. The report provides a detailed description of the architecture and provides preliminary specifications for some of the key components of that architecture. It identifies a number of key issues related to the architecture implementation and life-cycle management of the IETMs in the context of a weapon system product (end-item) life-cycle, as well as the management and delivery of the technical information to the end user. Some of these issues are addressed in this report. Other issues like the Data Archive, or Data Delivery to Stand-Alone IETM systems (both legacy and planned) are being addressed by a related Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) contractor and the IETM Tri-Service Technology Working Group, respectively.

During the preparation of this document, the IETM Tri-Service Technology Working Group has identified a number of related issues covering the potential application of the NIA to a Joint or Tri-Service Environment. A subsequent report will address those issues.

For the convenience of the reader, we have provided a cross reference (Table P-1) of the topics in this report to the Proposed Web-Based Architecture for IETM Interoperability of Naval Aviation IETMs (February 1998) document.

For the ManTech IETM Team,

R.S. Kidwell
Senior Technical Director
CALS/IDE Project

June 22, 1998, Fairmont, WV

Table P-1  Cross-Reference of Web-Based Architecture For Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Interoperability Report to Detailed Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Interoperability Architecture Report