Progressing Toward a Net-Centric DoD: Leveraging Lessons Learned from Distributed Simulation Experiences Topics: C2 Concepts & Organizations, Lessons Learned, C2 Experimentation

Programs, such as Net-Enabled Command Capability (NECC), implementing net-centric operational concepts require distributed and concurrent software development and integration/testing capabilities. Their new systems, often integrated with legacy software, have to interact with distributed external environments and users, and must execute in real time. In the commercial sector, eBay and Amazon are pioneering sandbox methods to test and debug real time performance and security-related problems. These methods need to be extended to meet DoD’s unique multi-level security needs and real-time requirements. Fortunately, a decade of DoD distributed simulation experience can potentially be applied to find an acceptable approach. Distributed and concurrent software development, testing and legacy software migration problems were overcome with a growth of techniques, processes and experiences. At the highest level, the lessons learned by the simulation community include: (1) continuously improve the systems engineering process, (2) evolve middleware standards, and (3) support the process with specialized distributed test and integration tools. This paper provides a historical perspective for the development of the distributed simulation capability, related middleware evolution and the Federated Development and Engineering Process (FEDEP). FEDEP outlines the systems engineering steps to plan, develop, integrate and test a distributed simulation.