TECNET Research and Development Initiatives

Abstract

BACKGROUND - THE TECNET VISION STATEMENT: The Test and Evaluation Community Network (TECNET) is governed by a Tri-service Steering Committee which reports to the Joint Commander's Group for Test and Evaluation (JCG(T&E)). In keeping with its JCG(T&E) approved TECNET Project Management Plan (PMP), the TECNET Steering Committee adopted the following TECNET Vision Statement in 1991: "To systematically migrate existing TECNET resources to a standards compliant, multi-level secure communications and processing capability which links DoD test and evaluation entities to a shared, but controlled user community information resource". TECNET GENERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: The life blood of ongoing TECNET operations is the continual improvements and user support provided by a leading University. This Research and Development contract directly contributes to the continued well being of TECNET. This contract sustains TECNET as a state of the art communication tool for its users who are continually increasing their capabilities. They expect their T&E network to keep pace. This is particularly true as more executive users adopt TECNET. PLANNED MULTI-LEVEL SECURE (MLS) EXPERIMENTS: Near term MLS experiments are designed to lay a foundation for longer term objectives. The foremost characteristic of the second generation TECNET is that host computers and all associated user nodes be eventually capable of processing information ranging in classification from UNCLASSIFIED through SECRET, depending upon the nature of the information requirements of the user. Specific components of the TECNET MLS plan include secure network devices and MLS accredited hardware running MLS accredited software. These characteristics will permit TECNET to operate in the requisite secure mode per COMSEC directives, support T&E program officials and T&E practitioners with timely and meaningful value added information concerning T&E, and permit near real time exchange of T&E data. MLS experiments are tri-service in nature. DATA DISTRIBUTION RESEARCH: The TECNET Distributed Data Plan calls for tri-service participation in building a T&E common data dictionary in 1992. The RCC agreement to form a common Range data Dictionary Group sets the stage for such a cooperative effort. One necessary and highly desired product of this process is a detailed catalog of all known and emerging T&E related data bases. TECNET plans to field and populate such a catalog of T&E data bases during 1992. Further, using the generic data extraction and conversion tool offered to TECNET, the demonstration of third party data base data population from the ranges will be accomplished. A significant effort has been undertaken to perform the necessary analysis to establish this tool to work with the RCC defined common data elements and the target data bases. Finally, TECNET proposes to develop specific training materials in print and computer based training media, as well as on site training support, for selected data bases of widespread value to the T&E community.