Technical Challenges Workshop,

Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF)

Don Brutzman and Michael ZydaNaval Postgraduate School

Mark Pullen, George Mason University (GMU)

Katherine L. Morse, SAIC

Science ApplicationsInternational CorporationAn Employee-Owned Company

Monterey California USA, 19-20 August 2002

19-20 August 2002 2

XMSF Technical Workshop

XMSF executive summaryProblems, motivation, strategy

Workshop organization and details

Administrative stuff

Further technical discussion

19-20 August 2002 3

Executive summary

Web-based technologies can provide an extensible modeling and simulation architecture, to support a new generation of interoperable applications

Simulation support is needed for operational warfighting capabilities

XML-based architecture can provide a bridge between emerging rehearsal/reality/replay requirements and open/commercial Web standards

Web = best tech strategy + best business case

19-20 August 2002 4

Problems

Current approaches are not compatible with effective use of emerging Web technologies

Military modeling & simulation has little or no apparent impact on warfighters’ daily tactical operations

Diverse simulations do not scalably interoperate with warfighting systems

Global systems are not yet possible without connection to common interoperable framework

physical and logical “stovepipes” prevent this

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Motivation

Transformational technologies are needed to scale up defense modeling/simulation to meet real-world needs

Can we use Web technologies as common framework?

Dynamic capabilities, open standards, Web business model provide lift to support government and commercial success

Easy use and open extensibility for developers and users, fueling rapid growth of interoperable simulations

Bring defense modeling/simulation/tactical support into mainstream of enterprise-wide best-business practices

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Planning for change/quick start

Technical opportunities workshopNPS, August 19-20 – welcome!MOVES Open House, August 20-22

Strategic opportunities symposiumGeorge Mason University, September 6 Immediately precedes SIW for good participationBroader feedback: right track? what else is needed?

Exemplar demonstration I/ITSEC demos, Orlando Florida December 2-5

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Project strategyOutline large-scale framework for next-generation Web-compatible simulation interoperability

Enumerate technical components, languages, and specifications Workshop of key researchers to refine requirements Seek broad feedback for consensus, focus, progress

Demonstrate rapidly how these new capabilities might help Current war effort against terrorism Homeland defense Science, commerce, education, etc.

Multi-year initiative for simulation using Web technologies? Workshop and symposium produce strategy and white paper Conceptual suite of applications demo at I/ITSEC in December NPS, GMU and SAIC have started, shared strategies welcome Further workshop in fall among existing programs??

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Workshop Details

19-20 August 2002 9

Workshop strategy 1

How to solve big problems? Divide & conquer.

Three perspectivesWeb technologies, XMLNetworking and InternetModeling and simulation (M&S)

White paper lays out initial basic frameworkplease use, extend, correct, disagree

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Workshop strategy 2

How to solve big problems? Divide & conquer.

Triage approach for all three technical areas:What do we agree on: determine consensusWhat do we disagree on: more work neededWhat are most important directions for further work

Document workshop and symposium resultsMost important outcomes may be education, direction

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Web/XML group: Root 200C conference room

Moderator:

Don Brutzman, NPS

Erik Chaum NUWC Rob Glidden Sun Jack Jackson,

TRAC Monterey David Kwak, MITRE

Recorders:

Steve Fouskarinis SAIC, Curt Blais NPS

Dr. Francisco Loaiza, IDA Dr. Edward Sims, Vcom3D Dr. Chenghui Luo,

Fraunhofer CRCG Phil Zimmerman, DMSO

19-20 August 2002 12

Internet/networking group: Spanagel 254 conference room

Moderator: Mark Pullen, GMU

Rusty Baldwin, AFIT Scott Bradner, IESG,

Harvard Suleyman Guleyupoglu, NRL Sue Numrich, DMSO

Recorders: Don McGregor, NPS Dave Laflam, AMSO Denny Moen

Steve Carson, GSC Assoc. Norbert Schiffner, CRCG Marcelo Zuffo, University

Sao Paolo

two last-minute drops: Sandeep Singhal Reefedge, Mikel Petty ODU

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Modeling & simulation group: Engineers’ auditorium

Moderator: Katherine Morse, SAIC

Mike Bailey USMC TECOM Paul Diefenbach,

OpenWorlds Dr. Niki Deliman Goerger,

USA ERDC Alan Hudson, Yumetech

Recorders: Joerg Wellbrink, NPS Simon Goerger, NPS

Kalyan S. Perumalla, Georgia Inst. of Technology

Dick Puk, Intelligraphics Cristina Russo dos Santos,

Eurecom, University Toulon Dr. Andreas Tolk, ODU Dr. Sanjeev Trika, Intel

19-20 August 2002 14

Monday Agenda

0830 XMSF Technical Workshop Overview0930 Tasks: triage consensus on XMSF challenges1000 Break at auditorium1030 Break out, present positions 10 minutes each1200 Lunch break on own. Thai Hut, coffee bar,

Hermann Hall basement or Randy’s Sandwiches1300 Group breakouts, discussions, triage1500 Break at auditorium1700 Plenary progress quicklook: 15 minutes/group1900 Dinner El Palomar, $18 buffet, will have maps

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Tuesday Agenda

0815 Working groups resume, complete contributions1000 Break at auditorium1030 Plenary results session: 20-min. group reports1130 Final discussion: conclusions and next steps1200 Workshop complete!

Lunch break on own. Thai Hut, coffee bar, Hermann Hall basement or Randy’s Sandwiches

1300 MOVES Open House (right back here)

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XMSF website, report

Position papers and slides available athttp://www.movesInstitute.org/xmsf

Recorders can upload during sessions, or else send mail to Don (why not, everyone else does)

Participants can improve/amend contributions

Report revision dates: September 1 and 8

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Position paper revisions

Feel free to reconsider points you’re makingbut little need for duplicationclarity is key lots of references and URLs, please

Do we want consistent formatting template?

Will provide position papers with final report.

19-20 August 2002 18

Administratospheria

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Registration

$50 needed for XMSF breaks

$150 needed for MOVES open house breaks

Rachel Davis is handling registration details.

Telephone for messages: +1.831.656.1126

Thanks one and all for cheerful professionalism!

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Travel claims

Thanks to many of you for letting us make reservations, despite SATO ticket hassles. Government rates saves us a bunch of money.

Cecelia Childers will provide forms to fill out.

Please save your receipts!

Cecelia is in MOVES lab Spanagel 256, x3818mailto:cmchilde@nps.navy.mil

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Handouts

XMSF workshop folder

MOVES open-house brochure

Web3D Consortium’s X3D SDK CDs

MOVES open-house DVD

MOVES open house highlightsTuesday afternoon: our web-based work, receptionWednesday evening: demos in lab, hors d’oeuvresThursday morning: AmericasArmy.com

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Further technical discussion

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Application Domains

Discrete-event and constructive simulations

Virtual worlds and continuous simulations

Multi-agent systems

Interactive, man-in-the-loop, equipment-in-loop systems

Live and virtual entities, mixed seamlessly

Distance learning for interaction among participants Audio and video (both needed for WAN testing anyway) Multiformat whiteboard; recording and playback Teaching and training compatibility via ADL SCORM Maybe inclusion is too far a reach? Be clear what is/isn’t

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Top-Level Requirements 1

Ability to interact directly and scalably over the network

Compatible with Web architecture and technologies Highly distributed

Use by humans and software agents equally important

Support for composable, reusable model components Root data-structure representations specified using XML

schema

Representations in other languages autogenerated directly

Connection point between syntax and RDF Schema, semantics

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Top-Level Requirements 2

Simple learning curve and repeatable examples Support users and developers

Modular structure Ability to directly interact with network layer Plug-ins connecting into kernel plug-ins at run time

Standards-based IEEE, ISO, W3C, IETF, Web3D

Integrate with tactical systems Augment group shared picture of operations Producers and consumers System life-cycle patterns, repeatability

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Top-Level Requirements 3

Support for XML and multiple programming languages

Dynamically extensible at run time: “always on”

software + hardware, diversity includes backwards compatibility

loose coupling, verification/validation, repair, graceful degradation, redundancy, etc.

Security levels consistent with current Web technology

Public library of useful reusable components

Cross-platform capabilities

Rendering support and architectural hooks for visual simulations

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Top-Level Requirements 4

Expected computer performance: Small, fast, inexpensive computers

Reconnect via GRID computing (distributed operating systems)

Expected network performance: Modems through ADSL (0.05-1.5 Mbps) for limited participation

10 - 1Gbps for local participation

OC3 up through gigabit wide-area networking

Backward compatibility with existing architectures and protocols, where it makes sense

e.g. DIS, HLA/RTI, ALSP, probably many others

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M&S Functional Requirements

Backward compatibility

Authoritative representations

Composability

Multi-resolution modeling

Tactical system integration

Simulation support servicesTime managementLogging and playback

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M&S Issues

Discuss the shared goal of bringing working M&S applications matching real world problems into tactical use.

Discuss approaches for backwards compatibility to HLA/RTI and DIS technologies which don’t constrain emergence of new capabilities. Explore specific bridging approaches for HLA/RTI and DIS over web channels.

Discuss compatibility with the Joint Technical Architecture (JTA), http://www-jta.itsi.disa.mil.

Explore integration of C4I systems to augment joint common operational picture.

Discuss approaches for playback capture.

Identify technology availability: immediate, near-term (1-2 years), likely (3-5 years), problematic.

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Design Ideas 1

Object-oriented programs + validatable structured data Repeatable programming metaphors + XML tagsets/registries

Language and object-system independent e.g. CORBA/IDL, SOAP, RMI/RPC, others

Design patterns unambiguously define language bindings Map representations, component models from root XML schemas

to programming languages and API bindings of interest

Wire protocols unambiguously, flexibly defined using XML Run-time extensibility, portability, interoperability for streams Packet description language -or- direct mappability from Schema

19-20 August 2002 31

Design Ideas 2

Time services support wide-area routing and playback Participating computer clocks all set correctly(!) via NTP or GPS RTP for all stream headers SMIL for stream synchronization Higher-level time abstractions communicable by system What about supercomputer batch-mode asynchronous?

Infrastructure represented as objects in system Enable object and service discovery at runtime Ability to monitor, test, improve systems at local and global scale

19-20 August 2002 32

Business Model 1

Minimal architecture is open source implementation Royalty free, usable without any fee restrictions whatsoever

Important to have two or more interoperable implementations Commercial implementations profitably augment open source

Long-term stable infrastructure enables sustainable business models Flexible architecture broadens market: not “just” military simulation, also

full World Wide Web via open/secure Internets

Web-enabled architecture allows more sponsors to participate, which allows simulations, models, and applications to survive despite intermittent funding profiles

Transferable career-building skills and reusable experience for programmers and managers

19-20 August 2002 33

Business Model 2

Commercial models in partnership with open-source Support

Offer programming skill for a fee and give up rights to the source if it is infrastructure related.

Proprietary software A vendor may write a simulator that runs on top of the free

infrastructure. They can use any license they like on this and sell it as they see fit.

Consulting Someone needs to put together the simulations. Even if all the parts

are free, this is a salable service. Maintenance

Numerous success stories exist.

Success of the overall endeavor is key to business success.

19-20 August 2002 34

DoD Business Model

Commercial technology is crucialWe can’t do it alone

Special technology requirements harmfulTranslate into always spending too much for unique,

outdated technology

Nothing succeeds like successSlipstreaming standards and industry “best practices”

makes best sense for industry partners too

19-20 August 2002 35

Open Issues

Source code control Interoperability test suite and certification shows conformance Source forking no longer divisive issue, let many flowers bloom “Actual results” validation through use with tactical systems

Architecture What are good driving exemplar applications?

Reality pulls teams through the big design spaceMust show significant “value add” to current practices plus current excitement

Can we extend some existing systems (e.g. HLA/RTI capable), show interoperability with legacy systems via good examples?e.g. NSS, OneSAF, ITEM

Multiple inheritance – no; multiple interfaces – yes Do we need a specified method for distributed synchronization, or is

open architecture supporting different models sufficient?

19-20 August 2002 36

Recent work: workshop on software componentization

July 2002, DMSO, DC

Consensus seemed to be: components are a worthwhile approach to consider for

improving composability and interoperability of diverse interacting simulations

component technology is sufficiently mature and well defined for building exemplars

Slidesets and conclusions available? _____

19-20 August 2002 37

Contact

3819-20 August 2002

Contacts

Don Brutzman brutzman@nps.navy.mil 831.656.2149Michael Zyda zyda@nps.navy.mil 831.656.2305Don McGregor mcgredo@nps.navy.mil 831.656.4090Andrzej Kapolka akapolk@nps.navy.mil 831.656.2253

Mark Pullen mpullen@gmu.edu 703.993.1538

Katherine Morse morsek@saic.com 858.826.6728Steve Fouskarinis steven.fouskarinis@saic.com 858-826-4407

http://www.MovesInstitute.org/xmsf

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Rooms

Web/XML: Root 200B (by Don’s office)

Networking:Spanagel 254 (by Mike’s office)

M + S: Right here in auditorium