A Conceptual Model for Interoperable Command and Control Acquisition

Abstract

Interoperability is a hard problem and there has been no shortage of searches for quick fixes. Comparatively easy problems are fixed as “proofs of concept,” which then wither when unable to scale up to the huge size of the DoD enterprise. In order to perform a meaningful analysis of individual interoperability tools, we developed a methodology (the Rosen-Parenti Model) and analyzed the domain against which the tools were to be evaluated. We next mapped the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System against that domain. The results were and are instructive. The research team determined that in many cases, the tools themselves were driving processes. In our view, tools should be developed to support processes, not drive processes. First, we will describe the methodology developed and then move into the domain analysis. Although we will briefly report the results of our tool analysis, we stress that our findings indicate that the tools themselves are not terribly important. What is important is the domain model itself. The domain model provides an effective means of developing useful DoD Architecture Framework-compliant architectures. Most importantly, the domain model addresses the very real differences in perspective when implementing a DoDAF-compliant architecture.