TABLE OF CONTENTS

   

LIST OF FIGURES

      

LIST OF TABLES

      

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

      

This Concept of Operations document identifies the Purpose, Mission Need, Background, Solution, and Concept of Operations for the DCN/ICN. Three perspectives to this operations concept are presented: a user or subscriber perspective, an information technology perspective, and a management perspective. These perspectives describe the DCN/ICN services from their respective points of view. Two final chapters provide a discussion of the supporting organization and facilities as well as some preliminary discussion of implementation issues and related costs of operation.

While the DCN/ICN concept leverages the existing world wide Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) to provide services and CALS specific information content to its customers, it does not provide access to the Internet. Access to the Internet is left as a choice for the individual or organization. Similarly, subscriber software and hardware may be acquired through the subscriber's acquisition organization or optionally, the DCN/ICN shall offer this service.

The DCN/ICN is a collection of cooperating organizations that includes the International CALS Congress as an advisory board; the DoD CALS Network; the International CALS Network; and other national, regional, or alliance networks that exchange CALS information and provide services to their customers. Figure ES-1 provides a top level view of the DCN/ICN relationships and the supporting organizations.

Each organization network is a subset of the Internet that provides CALS related collaboration and information services to its constituents. Supporting each network is a Local Operations Control Center (LOCC) that provides administrative, help-desk, collaboration, and CALS related information services. The Management Operations Control Center (MOCC) provides the same services on a global scale and exchanges global/local directory and information repository index information with each of the LOCCs. The sizes of each of the regional or national networks and the specific services that they may provide depends on the needs of the potential subscribers, the commitments by sponsoring organizations, as well as available resources (equipment, facilities, and personnel).

This Concept of Operation and the associated implementation plan identify the subscriber software and hardware needed to obtain the appropriate level of service. Many potential CALS users have already made this choice through their associated organization or as individuals who subscribe via an Internet Access Provider and obtain basic client software packages such as a Web browser, electronic-mail package, communication package, and file transfer package. Related DCN/ICN documents that articulate the DCN/ICN Concept of Operations, the Business Strategy, Security Considerations, and Service Agreements may be found in the Reference and Notes section of this plan.

Related documents include Security Considerations for the DCN/ICN Environment [DCN/ICN 96a], DCN/ICN Business Plan for the CALS Integrated Data Environment (IDE) Project, [DCN/ICN, 96b], DCN/ICN Model Agreements Report [DCN/ICN, 96c], and a DCN/ICN Implementation Plan [DCN/ICN, 96d]. The security considerations white paper discusses the risks, security policies, as well as tools, practices, and related issues to the implementation of security in the Internet environment. The business plan discusses the management structure, as well as the marketing and financial aspects of starting and operating the DCN/ICN services. The model agreements report presents draft agreements for subscribers, information content providers, and advertisers for the DCN/ICN. The implementation plan describes the DCN/ICN goals and objectives, the management structure, and the implementation strategy for realizing the participation and collaboration of individual, organization, and associations in the DCN/ICN.

1.0  PURPOSE

      

The purpose of the DCN/ICN is to provide an electronic communication, collaboration, and information services capability with a common, easy­to­use interface to the International CALS Community.

2.0  MISSION NEED

      

The DoD, the CALS Industry Steering Group members, and the International CALS community have a mission critical need to share information; to collaborate; and to coordinate on the design, development, operations, and maintenance of common systems; and leverage easy­to­use information services world­wide. This collaboration must be available to the International CALS community, whether they are working at their customary places of business or while on travel. CALS community users must be able to correspond, collaborate, gather, sift, and filter any CALS information. If not, they need to be able to request any digital information services to which they are authorized, no matter where it is located, as long as it is accessible through the Internet.

3.0  BACKGROUND

      

Information Technology (IT) has supported the acquisition, design, development, operations, and support of defense systems since the 1960s. IT has evolved from large, centralized, proprietary computer systems to open, portable, client-server and peer­to­peer systems. Similarly, communication networks connecting computer systems have evolved from proprietary systems supporting a single communication architecture (and protocol) to open, interoperable systems connecting heterogeneous computing platforms and providing electronic mail, file sharing, and other information services to users. The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) implemented in the late 1960s, was one of the earliest implementations of network communications among diverse heterogeneous computer systems connecting university, research, and defense organizations. The ARPANET has evolved to the world-wide Internet connecting over 20 million users and 3 million computers from commercial as well as academic, defense, and civil organizations. The commercial expansion of the Internet is one of the fastest growing segments of digital communications world-wide.

This evolution of information technology in both computer systems and communication systems has left a large base of legacy systems that support specific functions such as engineering design, logistics cataloging, inventory control, warehouse distribution, and procurement. These legacy systems had their own data dictionaries, user interfaces, and data access methods and may be viewed as functional "islands of automation" that met a specific need without the perspective of other needs of related functions or users in the product's life cycle.

IT research and development activities have provided new technologies to include digital libraries, electronic mail and mail list managers, computer supported collaborative workgroups, multi-media conferencing, hypermedia object linking, computer-based training, and graphical user interfaces. The Internet provides world­wide access to the talents and expertise of managers, product system developers and maintainers, and information technology specialists to advance the state­of­the art in support of common goals such as common systems development through virtual enterprises.

4.0  SOLUTION

      

The DCN/ICN using a common user interface to the Internet and secure technology will provide the communication media and security for providing authorized end­users computer-supported collaboration and information services supporting the acquisition, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, test, operations, and support of common systems through virtual enterprises.

The DCN/ICN will leverage the DoD Technical Reference Model to provide user services and the supporting infrastructure as shown in Figure 4.0­1. The world­wide Internet will provide external communications to other CALS organizations and information service producers. A World Wide Web Graphical User Interface (GUI) will provide the common user interface to end­user services provided by both local and remote producers of information. World Wide Web servers, together with search engines and common gateway interfaces to database applications, will provide the end­user access to a wide spectrum of CALS information.

5.0  CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

      

This Concept of Operations (CONOPS) describes the scope, objective, assumptions, and the DCN/ICN functions to support the acquisition, development, operations, and maintenance of weapon systems using the Internet and secure technology as the information highway for virtual enterprises.

5.1  Scope

The CONOPS addresses the DCN/ICN for the period 1996-2001.

5.2  Objective

The objectives of this CONOPS are as follows:

• Define the DCN/ICN assumptions, responsibilities, and functions,
• Address resources and identify basic tools needed to implement the operational concept, and
• Form the basis for other DCN/ICN implementation documents.

5.3  Assumptions

The following assumptions underlie the DCN/ICN CONOPS:

• All information processing devices including office automation, business process, video, and application specific systems will be locally networked, and selected components will be regionally or internationally networked via the Internet.

• All network devices will incorporate network management technology to collect network health and status information and provide remote diagnostic and repair capabilities.

• A DCN/ICN Network Management Operation Control Center (MOCC) will provide much of the logistics and administrative support to the DCN/ICN through remote access.

• The DCN/ICN MOCC will not replicate existing Internet logistics and administrative support unless the DCN/ICN becomes a WAN separate from the Internet.

• The DCN/ICN will provide one method for authorized users to access Integrated Data Environment(s) of Virtual Corporations contracted to develop or maintain weapon systems.

• The DCN/ICN MOCC will report to the International CALS Industry Steering Group (ISG).

5.4  General

Building the DCN/ICN can begin today using existing Internet resources and technologies. The DCN/ICN will provide distributed information sharing, collaborative workgroup support, and information services to end users including electronic mail; electronic-mail discussion groups; user, organization, and CALS initiative directory look­ups; repository and standards access; and optional access to authorized Integrated Data Environment(s).

The DCN/ICN will provide distributed points of contact for fault, security, configuration, performance, and accounting management of networks and network resources. Many administrative support and information service functions will become automated. The DCN/ICN will eliminate customer support unit dispatch for on­site customer hardware and applications support to the extent possible. The DCN/ICN will force a fundamental rethinking and reorganization of customer support.

5.5  DCN/ICN Responsibilities

The International CALS Industry Steering Group will provide overall strategic direction, guidance, and policy for the DCN/ICN.

A DCN/ICN secretariat will perform the administrative functions associated with the operations and sustainment of the DCN/ICN.

A DCN/ICN Engineering Task Force (DICNETF) modeled after the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) will provide engineering and sustainment of technical issues associated with the evolution and operation of the DCN/ICN. The DICNETF will collaborate with the IETF on common issues.

The DCN/ICN MOCC performs fault, configuration, performance, accounting, and security monitoring of all regional and global networks. Networks consist of physical devices (routers, multiplexors, modems, terminals, etc.), bandwidth, and distributed software applications. Local system administrators and managers will perform similar functions for each CALS DCN/ICN node and local area networks. If a separate global network evolves from the Internet, the MOCC will provide a regional and global network management function.

5.6  DCN/ICN Functions

The DCN/ICN functions provide end­users with electronic collaboration, information sharing, and information services as summarized in Table 5.6­1, DCN/ICN Services Description. Chapter 6 describes these services from the user's perspective, while Chapter 7 describes how these services will be provided from the information technology point of view. Chapter 8 describes the management point of view and identifies management tasks to support the DCN/ICN. Finally, a summary of DCN/ICN technical and management issues is identified for further discussion and resolution.