Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS): Affordable - PDF document

Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS): Affordable Net-Enabling of Joint Service Combat and Weapon Systems Alan Thomas Senior Scientist Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren The Bottom Line Up Front Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) is a configurable software technology that automatically exposes legacy system data and services to the Global Information Grid (GIG) and obtains GIG data and services in near real-time ! Prototyped and demonstrated ! Planned beta version release: FY10 Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 2

DoD Vision: Net-Centric Operations " National Defense Strategy: – “We will conduct network-centric operations...” " National Military Strategy: – “…a collaborative information environment that facilitates information sharing, effective synergistic planning, and execution of simultaneous, overlapping operations...” " ASD(NII) / DoD CIO: – Access to information – Sharing of information – Support of collaboration Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 3 Realizing the DoD Net-Centric Vision " Requires compliance with net-centric (enterprise) technical standards # Data formats # Software services # Software Architecture " Large number of legacy systems in DoD – Not designed for net-centric standards – Significant cost, schedule and risk to comply – Legacy software constitutes a major area of risk Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 4

Some Key Net-Centric Standards " Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) " eXtensible Markup Language (XML) " eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) " Web Services Description Language (WSDL) " Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) " Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 5 Legacy System Challenges " Legacy Software Architectures " Legacy Data Access " Legacy Data Formats " Legacy Point-to-Point Interfaces " Software Architecture Constraints: – Safety – Mission Criticality – Security – Real-time Processing Combat and Weapon Systems across the joint services have the most significant constraints Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 6

Net-Centric Adapter Concept Legacy System Software Components X Global • Legacy Software NCALS Information Interfaces Software • Legacy Data and Grid Services • Enterprise Data Y • Enterprise Services Configure Common . . . System 1 System 2 System N NCALS Domain A Domain B Domain Z Software Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 7 NCALS Technical Challenges " Transparency – Minimize legacy software changes – Minimize legacy performance impacts " Performance and Scalability – Provide adequate data throughput and latency – Providing a scalable software architecture " Configurability – Configure a common software component for many different legacy system applications " Dynamic Data Association – Provide the capability to dynamically “mix-n-match” data to/from multiple legacy interfaces Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 8

NCALS Prototype Design " Implemented in Java " Supports eXtensible Markup Language (XML) " Supports XML or customized data transforms: – eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) – Custom transforms (class-based) " Supports variety of software interface types: – Web Services – Socket-based Application Program Interfaces (APIs) – Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) – Java Messaging Service (JMS) – Files (triggered on changes) – Custom interfaces (class-based) Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 9 NCALS Prototype Demonstration (Navy Strike Warfare Domain) Strike Coordinator Enterprise Data Simulated Formats GIG Joint C2 Simulator System Enterprise Required only a router configuration Required only a router configuration Data change to the legacy system! Formats change to the legacy system! CORBA Legacy Interfaces NCALS Strike Warfare Prototype Legacy System Data Formats Firing Unit Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 10

Example Demonstration Sequence (Navy Strike Warfare Domain) Strike Coordinator Subscribe to Firing Unit Status Simulated GIG Firing Unit Status Joint C2 Simulator System Publish Strike Tasking Web Web Services Server XML Data Legacy Data Publish Firing Unit Status Formats Legacy Subscribe to Strike Warfare NCALS Strike Tasking Simulation Legacy Strike Tasking Software Interfaces Firing Unit (DDG-72) Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 11 Dynamic Data Association Legacy System Component 1 X and Data X Enterprise Data X Legacy System NCALS Y Z Component 3 Software and Data Z Z Legacy System Y Component 2 and Data Y Dynamically access and repackage Dynamically access and repackage legacy data from multiple software interfaces legacy data from multiple software interfaces Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 12

Near-Term Plans for NCALS Prototype " Fiscal Year (FY) 2009: – Enhance configuration tool – Implement Dynamic Data Association capability – Mature core prototype capabilities – Measure prototype performance " Fiscal Year (FY) 2010: – Release prototype Software Development Kit (SDK) Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 13 Summary " NCALS . . . – Is a net-centric software technology for legacy systems – Meets a critical need to move legacy systems into a net-centric operating environment – Can be applied widely – Has been prototyped and demonstrated – Is being matured – Will be ready for prototype applications in FY10 Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 14

Questions ? Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 15 For More Information Contact: Systems Engineering Branch Strike Systems Division Strategic and Strike Systems Department Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren (540)653-7678 Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 16

Backup Slides Integration with Legacy Systems " Assumptions: – Physical connectivity to GIG – Compatible legacy software interfaces – Data and service engineering completed " Describe legacy software interfaces " Describe data and service transforms required " Add NCALS software to legacy network – Add hardware if required " Configure NCALS to provide transformations Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 18

NCALS Coupled with Secure Guard Classification Level B Classification Level A Global Web Secure Legacy Information NCALS Application Guard System Grid Server Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 19 Additional NCALS Applications " Legacy software integration – Use to integrate legacy and new software components " Near real-time data format translation – Use to translate between data formats " Service discovery (extension) – Use to discover services on the GIG (or the network) – Leverage Semantic Web technologies Net-Centric Adapter for Legacy Systems (NCALS) Page 20