Print version

Coalition Theatre Logistics (CTL) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) architecture overview

• Download this publication

Abstract

This paper gives a basic background to the Coalition Theatre Logistics (CTL) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program and details the proposed information sharing architecture to be used therein. Outlined are the main components of the CTL architecture and how each component interacts with the others. Although the architecture outlined in this document has been developed specifically for the logistics space, it could also be adapted for use within distributed distributed information sharing projects. The architecture addresses issues with releasing data into coalition environments, transferring and transforming data between national environments and providing coalition planning and information services.

Executive Summary

Many issues arise when transferring data within coalition environments containing multiple nations. These include: • Data formats • Data release • Legacy applications • Coalition applications • Coalition data requirements • Application and data ownership CTL ACTD aims to develop a prototype system that solves these issues. First a coalition environment needs to be created by using coalition networks. This creates two environments, the national space and the Coalition Information Environment (CIE). Between these two environments a security gateway and release mechanism stops unsolicited data moving from the national system into the coalition environment without being released by a foreign disclosure officer. The security gateway also stops any malicious entities on the coalition network from accessing the national network. Once the data is within the coalition space it must be managed and transferred to the required user. To facilitate data management and application access within the coalition space a number of components have been identified: • National Release Point (NRP) (including national application server) • Information Manager • Coalition Application Server • Coalition Data Schema • Coalition Information Database (CID) • File System • Coalition Portal Server Each NRP is owned and maintained by its deploying nation and provides a gateway between the national and coalition environments. Here data being imported to or exported from the national domain is transformed between the national and coalition data formats. The NRP also contains an application server allowing nations to provide applications and services that can be used in the coalition environment but that have not yet become an agreed coalition tool. Agreed coalition tools are stored and run from within the coalition application server. Data within the CIE can be stored either within the national NRPs or within the CID. The Information Manager controls the distributed data within the CIE. All communication within the CIE is handled with platform-neutral Web Services. Applications within the CIE are accessed via the Coalition Portal Server using Internet-based technologies. The architecture outlined in this document can support applications developed in either Microsoft’s .NET or Java J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition). As it uses open standards for communicating and developing applications the end solution is not tied to any particular vendor implementation, allowing for flexibility for the implementing nation. Outlined in the latter part of this document are five case studies discussing how the architecture operates within different scenarios. These define the accepted scenarios to use this architecture for sharing and accessing of coalition data. The architecture is very flexible in its application. It is postulated that it could be used for multiple purposes where coalitions require sharing of information, albeit that it was initially designed for logistics operations. CTL ACTD is implementing this architecture gradually over the next couple of years, producing a number of demonstrations of varying capability and completeness.

Back to the top