Initialization of the MATREX Environment using MSDL

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Initialization of the MATREX Environment using
MSDL

• Presenters
• Erica Lindy
• MITRE Corporation
• elindy_at_mitre.org
• Naimish Thakkar
• MITRE Corporation
• thakkarn_at_mitre.org

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Agenda

• Introduction to MATREX
• Introduction to Military Simulation Definition
  Language (MSDL)
• MSDLs extension methodology for the MATREX
• MSDL Fact Objective
• Technical Approach
• Technical Issues
• Technical Challenges in expressing scenarios in
  MSDL
• Resource Description Framework for scenario
  description
• Conclusion

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What is MATREX?

• A Research Development and Engineering Command
  (RDECOM) Army Technical Objective (ATO).
• Objective To build a simulation architecture
  capability that enables implementation,
  simulation, experimentation and analysis of
  Network Centric Warfare
• Modeling Architecture for Technology, Research,
  and Experimentation
• RDECOM's Modeling and Simulation (MS) framework
  for Systems of Systems research and development.
• The basis for the Future Combat Systems (FCS)
  Lead System Integrator (LSI)'s Simulation Virtual
  Framework (SVF).
• Primary RDECOM MS base for the Unit of Action
  (UA) Increment 2 and Future Combat System (FCS)
  Experiment 1.1.
• Realistic engineering-level representations of
  Army systems and Net-centric warfare for Army
  Simulation and Modeling for Acquisition,
  Requirements and Training (SMART).
• Accredited facilities for classified distributed
  simulation.
• RDECOM contribution, within the Cross-Command
  Collaborative Environment (C3E), to a formal
  technical collaboration with the Training and
  Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and the Army Test and
  Evaluation Command (ATEC).

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MATREX Threads

• Orange Thread
• NSE Simulation Initialization This thread
  concentrates on linking the CERDEC CSAPT
  Architecture with the NSE to enable pre-execution
  simulation initialization capability
• Green Thread
• NSE Development This thread represents the full
  simulation environment, which achieves the
  program objectives
• Blue Thread
• NSE Networked Effects C2 (NEC2) This thread
  enables the NSE to represent, test, and analyze
  key operational and technical concepts related to
  the notional capability under consideration for
  networked effects
• Grey Thread
• NSE Tools and Infrastructure This thread
  provides the capability to rapidly integrate new
  capabilities into the NSE
• It will also enable simulation infrastructure
  adaptability for the NSE to allow for the easy
  introduction of future simulation infrastructure
  changes

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MATREX Philosophy Initialization From a Common
Point Using a Standard Format

• The MATREX simulation initialization component
  initializes data from a common, standard data
  source
• This common point employs the Military Scenario
  Definition Language (MSDL)
• The MATREX program is contributing to the
  evolution of the MSDL standard
• The Military Scenario Definition Environment
  (MSDE) exports data to MSDL
• In the future, additional tools, such as the
  C4ISR Systems Analysis Processes and Tools
  (CSAPT), will also output data into MSDL

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XML Bandwagon

• XML based vocabularies are becoming common in
  the commercial world
• Global Justice XML Data Model
• tML for the telecom industry
• Sensor Modeling language - SensorML
• DOD programs involved in C4I and simulation
  systems development adopted XML in a standalone
  fashion
• Developed standalone schemas
• As they began to interoperate, syntactic
  mismatches surfaced for XML tags

A need to develop a scenario definition language
was realized
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MSDL for Simulations

• MSDL is a military scenario development approach
  that provides simulations with
• A mechanism for loading Military Scenarios
• The ability to create a military scenario that
  can be shared between simulations and C4I
  devices.
• The way to improve scenario consistency between
  the federated simulations.

The standardization of scenario descriptions
through MSDL will enable the Army and Joint
communities to leverage scenarios between
multiple exercise and course of action
development activities. Abbott
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MSDL Background SIMCI

• Military Scenario is
• Current Situation(tn)
• Course of Action(tn1)
• Military Scenario(tn)
• Core, Common and Custom scenario data
• MSDL includes Core and Common data
• MIL STD 2525B
• AUTL
• Other standards doctrine
• Custom is only included if it can be abstracted
  away in through a common data model

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MATREX Simulation Initialization Vision
ACSIS
MSDE
CSAPT
Other?
MSDL
MSO
HLA Control
CSAT
RC
HLA RTI
RC
RC
RC
RC
AMS
C3 GRID
CDAS
MC2
OTB
ARMS
ALCES
LVS
VDMS
C3HPM
MSLS
RC Indicates links through which remote creates
are sent
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MSDL FACT Objective

• The project will modify the MSDL to support
  multiple experimentation environments
• Specifically, an MSDL extensible markup language
  (XML) schema will be developed that provides the
  necessary data to initialize multiple models and
  components across the domains of live, virtual,
  and constructive (LVC) experimental environments
• Operational data models, by means of MSDL, will
  be modified in order to use relevant data in a
  format capable of stimulating an analysis or
  training environment
• The modified MSDL, as a result of this project,
  will enable the changes necessary to use current
  operational data models in order to simulate the
  realistic OF/FCS information dissemination that
  will enable the depiction of OF/FCS maneuvers and
  fires
• The modified MSDL will enable analysis of changes
  in OO concepts to be done quickly and
  efficiently, since the resulting force structure,
  maneuver, and traffic profiles can be provided to
  all models and components in a consistent manner
  from a single source and modified as necessary
• The modified MSDL as a result of this project
  will initialize C2 systems with the same
  underlying data that will initialize models and
  simulation components, which will facilitate and
  enable the integration of C2 systems with MS to
  allow HITL analysis

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Technical Approach

• MX federate team fills out a MX Initialization
  Survey
• Results of survey folded into the MSDL_MX
  Initialization Survey Results spreadsheet
• Data presented at a MX community Initialization
  Revision Meeting (for comments on spreadsheet
  before sent in the form a request to PEO STRI)
• Modifications mapped to an MSDL build and an
  official request for change sent to the MSDL team
  at PEO STRI
• Coordinate MSDL build release with MX environment
  updates to new MSDL/MSDE versions
• Develop MX federate interfaces to use information
  from MSDL
• Incorporate MSDL enhancements into the MX
  Business Practices Methodology for MX
  Initialization using MSDL (MSDL data entry
  practices)
• Decide what data should be built into an
  initialization tool in coordination with MX
  initialization long term goals

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Technical Issues

• Level of system engineering needed prior to
  submission for MSDL inclusion
• Should an element be complex or simple
• Should it be an attribute or an element
• Does the element/attribute name make sense?
• For existing schemas that are being considered
  for inclusion into MSDL,
• How much of the existing design should be carried
  forward?
• What elements from an existing schema should be
  exported directly into MSDL?
• Attribute versus Elements
• Complex versus Simple
• Locate existence in standards and doctrines
• If there is custom data, how to abstract for
  inclusion in MSDL
• Contributing system (s) will have to modify to
  consume or produce data in MSDL

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Challenges in expressing scenarios in MSDL

• MSDL schema consists of several sub schemas, the
  data for which is expected to be scattered in
  several C4I systems
• These systems will need modifications to produce
  content that validates against the MSDL schema
• Only the core elements of MSDL schema are
  mandated
• MSDL file ? Military Scenario
• A set of business rules and a methodology is
  needed to assemble a cohesive scenarios
• A methodology dictating sequencing scheme
• A set of business rules defining semantic
  relationships amongst the components
• The above process can be automated, however,
• Recommend Semantic Web technologies to help
  achieve the reusable scenario generation goal

Hypothesis The Semantic Web technologies
such as RDF can be beneficial in creating
military scenarios
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From the current Web to the Semantic Web
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Technology Stack
Scenario.rdf
COA.xml
Terrain.xml
Options.xml
Task Organization.xml

Terrain URI
COA URI
Options URI
Task Organization URI
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RDF and RDFS

• XML does not provide any means of talking about
  the semantics (meaning) of data.
• No intended meaning associated with the nesting
  of tags
• It is up to each application to interpret the
  nesting
• RDF is an XML based language that allows you to
  express semantic relationships
• For example, a statement like Thomal Erl is an
  author of Service Oriented Architecture Book can
  be expressed in RDF
• RDF is domain-independent
• Users define their terminology
• The terminology is defined in a schema language
  called RDF Schema

XML Schema constrains the structure of XML
documents, whereas RDF Schema defines the
vocabulary used in RDF data models.
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RDF Basic Ideas

• The fundamental concepts of RDF are resources,
  properties and statements.
• Resources
• An object, a thing that is being talked about.
  In a military scenario, the resources may be
  plans, terrain, force structure, options, and so
  on..
• Every resource has a Universal Resource
  Identifier (URI) which can be a URL or other
  unique identifier.
• Properties
• Properties are a special kind of resources they
  describe relations between resources, for
  example, written by, age, title, and so on.
• Properties are identified by URIs
• Statements
• A statement is an object-attribute-value triple
  consisting of a resource, a property, and a value
• The statements can be viewed in the form of a
  directed graph, called semantic net

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Scenario Semantic Net
Text
Terrain DB
Environment
refers
Description
Terrain
uses
Described by
uses
Simulation Scenario
uses
Options
uses
includes
includes
Plan
Task Organization
Force Structure
Consists of
COA
sides
forces
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Conclusion

• The initialization of distributed simulations
  is ripe for improvements. Prochnow
• MSDL will address many of the many of the
  interoperability and integration issues between
  the C4I systems and the simulation systems.
• The MATREX program has a vision to use MSDL and
  is contributing to the development of MSDL
• However, several challenges remain to be
  addressed to effectively use MSDL in the
  initialization of federates
• Technologies such as RDF could be effectively
  used to solve some of the challenges.

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References

• Prochnow Prochnow, D., Initialization of
  Distributed Simulations A Better Way? Fall 2005
  Simulation Interoperability Workshop, September
  2005.
• Antoniou, van Harmelen Antoniou G., van
  Harmelen F., A Semantic Web Primer, The MIT
  Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2004.
• MSDL PDG MSDL Product Development Group,
  Standards for Military Scenario Definition
  Language (MSDL), April 2005.
• Abbott Abbott, J., Military Scenario
  Definition Language, March 2005 briefing.
• McConnell McConnell, J., FY05 MS PROJECT
  PROPOSAL, March 2005.

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Acronyms

• ALCES Aggregate Level Communication Effects
  Server
• AMS Aviation Mobility Service
• ARMS Armaments Server
• CSAPT C4I Systems Analysis Processes and Tools
• CSAT C4ISR Static Configuration Analysis Tool
• DCAT Data Collection and Analysis Tool
• HLA RTI High Level Architecture Runtime
  Infrastructure
• JCAS Joint Close Air Support
• LVS Lethality/Vulnerability Server
• MC2 Mobile Command and Control
• MSDE Military Scenario Definition Environment
• MSDL Military Scenario Definition Language
• MSLS Missile Server
• MSO Military Scenario Objects
• NEC2 Networked Effects Command and Control
• OTB OneSAF Testbed Baseline
• VDMS Vehicle Dynamics Model Server