SimServer: Simulated Data Streams on Demand via the Web

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SimServer Simulated Data Streams on Demand via
the Web

Douglas FlournoyRobert MikulaDavid SeidelDr.
Richard Weatherly
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Topics

• SimServer Motivation
• Vision
• Concept of Operations
• Using SimServer
• Technical Underpinnings
• Observations

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SimServer is

• A Web site for planning, configuring, executing,
  and monitoring simulated data streams.

SimServer is also

• A data stream toolset that grows as its user base
  grows
• A virtual meeting place for sharing data
  streaming concepts and solutions
• A study in the practical application of
• Composable simulation frameworks
• Web-based simulation

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SimServer Motivation

• Overlapping needs for simulation support across
  many projects within large company
• Testing
• Demonstration
• Experimentation
• Traditional simulation methods costly and
  time-consuming to engineer, operate, maintain
• Available sims/tools more complex than needed
• Limited resources to spend on sim support

A capability to serve similar simulation needs
across projects would save resources and
encourage richer experimentation.
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SimServer Vision

• Reliable, repeatable, transparent data source
• Serves a time-synchronized simulated data stream
• Ground, air, and sea tracks
• Vehicles, weapons, units
• Drawn from validated simulations
• In formats suitable for C4I and C4I-like systems
  and sensor simulations
• Web-based service
• Accessible from anywhere within company firewall
• Initiated interactively or via API
• Available 24/7
• To multiple simultaneous users
• Without support operator intervention

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SimServer CONOPSTesting

• Regression Test
• Repeatable, consistent, reliable, controllable
  data input
• Controllable access to data source
• Load test
• Definable load on system under test
• Ability to increase load to breaking point
• Pre-integration test
• Feed full integration test data to isolated
  components
• Allow debugging of interfaces, formats, timing
• Integration test
• Consistent data feed to all components
• Possibly different formats
• Reliable, repeatable, controllable

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SimServer CONOPSDemonstration Experimentation

• Standalone demonstration
• E.g., C4I system, user interface, or COP
• Needs dynamic data to stimulate
• Reliable, consistent scenario
• Control over the data stream (pause, resume,
  repeat).
• Synchronized demonstration
• Multiple systems receiving and acting on same
  data stream
• Quick restart needed to recover from single
  system failure
• Background Activity
• E.g., simulated activity surrounding focus of
  demo
• Simple, repeating data source
• Human-oriented Experiments
• Require execution of a known repeatable scenario
• Each set of subjects should get same scenario
• Set-up time between experiments should be
  minimized

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Using SimServer

• Create a configuration
• Select a data stream source
• Choose from a list of pre-built sources
• Subset or offset source information
• Configure transformations to the data stream
• Select from a list of pre-built transformers
• Set latencies or frequency of update, introduce
  positional or temporal uncertainties, specify
  output format, etc.
• Configure data stream emitters
• Where and how the data stream should be delivered
• Execute the configuration
• Monitor execution progress

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Using SimServerExample Kuwait Attack
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Using SimServerConfigure

• Select
• One source
• Multiple transformers and emitters
• Manipulate
• Source and transformer parameters
• Emitter format and destinations

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Using SimServerMonitor and Control

• Observe
• Other ongoing executions
• Monitor
• Execution status and progress
• Control your executions
• Pause/resume
• Run/stop
• Execution pace

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Using SimServerMap Display

• Applet
• Based on OpenMap
• BBN Corporation

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Technical Underpinnings

• Wanted a software design/structure that
• Supports many dynamic web page functions
• Deploys easily within a Web Server environment
• Provides a framework for software components to
  be developed and employed in different
  user-definable combinations

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Technical UnderpinningsOverview

• Exist
• Native XML Database used for storage of metadata
  and configurations
• Apache Cocoon
• Framework to develop and connect configuration
  components
• Sources, Transformers, Emitters
• SAX based processing of XML elements through the
  processing pipeline
• Apache Axis
• programmatic access to simulation data streams
• Relies on Java for all developed software

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Technical UnderpinningsCocoon Java/XML Framework

• Augmentation of Cocoon framework possible using
  Java programs to generate/interpret SAX events
• Java programs typically just 1-2 pages of code
• Highly robust, component based architecture
• Sources virtually any parsable document/message
• Static documents in non-XML format
• RDBMS or native XML database queries
• Results of calls to web services
• Data can be transformed to filter or modify XML
  elements, attributes, or contents
• Results of transformations can be emitted to a
  growing number of output formats
• PDF, MSWord, JPEG, charts, graphs, audio, SOAP

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Observations

• Supporting several users in 2005
• Network-centric services projects
• Internal research efforts
• Set of SimServer capabilities growing as users
  increase
• Cocoon-based framework proving robust, easy to
  modify

• SimServer is harnessing the benefits of Web
  computing and passing them along to its users
• 24/7 access to simulation support
• No need to purchase/maintain extra machines,
  network connections
• Built-in collaboration with like users

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ContactInfo

• Doug Flournoy
• rflourno_at_mitre.org
• 781-271-2774
• Bedford, MA

• Rob Mikula
• rmikula_at_mitre.org
• 703-983-7168
• McLean, VA

MITRE
MITRE