A Network-Centric Enterprise Service for Mediation and Interoperability: The Dynamic Operational Object Registration Service (DOORS)

Abstract : Warfighters conducting joint and coalition task force operations and inter-governmental agency operations supporting homeland security must interoperate with C2/C4I systems that possess disparate mapping/visualization and information management infrastructures. These C2/C4I systems are generally built upon dissimilar data representations and stovepipe interfaces. To achieve information superiority while engaged in such operations, commanders must transform component C2/C4I system data into interoperable information and shared knowledge, making the result available for exchange to multiple levels and nodes bases upon need and choice. This level of interoperability is critical for geo-spatially and temporally registered operational object information that comprises situation understanding aspects of a common operational picture, which also extends to supporting drill down information. SAIC's Dynamic Operational Object Registration Service (DOORS) was developed in the anticipation that a properly conceived C2/C4I vocabulary of domain knowledge representation, supported by an ontology-driven adaptive system, and employing meta-data based translation services (mapping of data from each participating system to a common representation) will provide the requisite basis for a network-centric enterprise data mediation service that addresses current interoperability challenges. DOORS provides the mechanism to exchange interoperable information for joint/combined task force operations according to a register-publish-subscribe metaphor that reflects the commander's information exchange requirements.