Web and XML considerations 3.1 Overview The ambitious nature of the many requirements and challenges of defense M&s requires aggressive reliance on standardized, openly available, legally unencumbered, commercially available technologies. Sufficient support for DoD M&s needs will require active engagement with standards development groups such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Internet Engineering Task Force(IETF), International Standards Organization(ISO), Organization for Advancement of Structured Information Standards(OASIS), the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization(SISO), the World Wide Web Consortium(W3C), and the Web3D Consortium cross-platform capabilities are essenti Public scientific and international needs for M&S means that The diversity of defense, government ial. No single operating system or monolithic hardware architecture can possibly be forced upon so many existing and legacy systems. Cross-platform data interoperability is critically important when considering the plethora of customized tactical systems connecting to worldwide tactical networks A particular strength of an XMSF approach based on web technologies is that the most difficult interoperability challenges are already resolved (or else are being solved)by the development of tightly interdependent and highly complementary Web standards. The w3C and the IETF are the leading drivers in these efforts. Thus it appears that this web-technology strategy for XMSF can provide the most technically robust solutions, with the most reliable future-growth processes and best-case business practices. This is particularly important when viewed from an enterprise-wide (i.e. DoD-wide and coalition-wide) perspective To meet these larger requirements, XMSF systems will employ object-oriented paradigms and validatable structured data in a language-independent and object-system-independent manner Design patterns will unambiguously define programming-language bindings by mapping representations and component models from root XML schemas to multiple programming languages and application programming interface(API) bindings. The Interface Description Language(IDL) provides further good capabilities in this area. Software component functionality and interactions will be further documented using the Unified Modeling Language(UML) XMSF will have a modular framework, with kernel plug-ins to support extensions and modifications to framework layers as low as the network layer. Design patterns for modular tensibility are needed at all levels and across system lifecycles, in order to support future growth and backwards compatibility as well as multiple-system interoperability To support real-world military secure communications systems, XMSF must be compatible with currently fielded wireless, radio and wire military technologies to include data/voice Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System(SINCGARS), Ultra High Frequency (UHF)Very Higl Frequency(vhf)radios and Digital Subscriber Network(DSN). Diverse network channels and transport mechanisms will thus drive some application-level design decisions when applying various web technologies 3.2 Functional Requirements Many of the functional requirements described below overlap, complement or build on one another The crux of these requirements is that they are considered the key properties that a framework must have in order for it to be platform-independent, flexible, extensible, secure, distributed and dynamically reconfigurable XMSF Workshop Symposium Report, October 2002 page 12XMSF Workshop & Symposium Report, October 2002 page 12 3 Web and XML Considerations 3.1 Overview The ambitious nature of the many requirements and challenges of defense M&S requires aggressive reliance on standardized, openly available, legally unencumbered, commercially available technologies. Sufficient support for DoD M&S needs will require active engagement with standards development groups such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), International Standards Organization (ISO), Organization for Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS), the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO), the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and the Web3D Consortium. The diversity of defense, government, public, scientific and international needs for M&S means that cross-platform capabilities are essential. No single operating system or monolithic hardware architecture can possibly be forced upon so many existing and legacy systems. Cross-platform data interoperability is critically important when considering the plethora of customized tactical systems connecting to worldwide tactical networks. A particular strength of an XMSF approach based on web technologies is that the most difficult interoperability challenges are already resolved (or else are being solved) by the development of tightly interdependent and highly complementary Web standards. The W3C and the IETF are the leading drivers in these efforts. Thus it appears that this web-technology strategy for XMSF can provide the most technically robust solutions, with the most reliable future-growth processes and best-case business practices. This is particularly important when viewed from an enterprise-wide (i.e. DoD-wide and coalition-wide) perspective. To meet these larger requirements, XMSF systems will employ object-oriented paradigms and validatable structured data in a language-independent and object-system-independent manner. Design patterns will unambiguously define programming-language bindings by mapping representations and component models from root XML schemas to multiple programming languages and application programming interface (API) bindings. The Interface Description Language (IDL) provides further good capabilities in this area. Software component functionality and interactions will be further documented using the Unified Modeling Language (UML). XMSF will have a modular framework, with kernel plug-ins to support extensions and modifications to framework layers as low as the network layer. Design patterns for modular extensibility are needed at all levels and across system lifecycles, in order to support future growth and backwards compatibility as well as multiple-system interoperability. To support real-world military secure communications systems, XMSF must be compatible with currently fielded wireless, radio and wire military technologies to include data/voice Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS), Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) radios and Digital Subscriber Network (DSN). Diverse network channels and transport mechanisms will thus drive some application-level design decisions when applying various web technologies. 3.2 Functional Requirements Many of the functional requirements described below overlap, complement or build on one another. The crux of these requirements is that they are considered the key properties that a framework must have in order for it to be platform-independent, flexible, extensible, secure, distributed and dynamically reconfigurable