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A Technical History of the SEI

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In each case, impact is achieved though <strong>the</strong> attainment <strong>of</strong> a balance between <strong>the</strong> ambition and extent<br />

<strong>of</strong> leverage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> new advancement, on <strong>the</strong> one hand, and <strong>the</strong> feasibility and transition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

advancement, on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

Looking forward, we envision advances in several areas that are critical to <strong>the</strong> development and<br />

sustainment processes, to achieving assured and secure systems, and to creating certain functionality<br />

essential to a wide range <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>tware-reliant DoD systems. All <strong>the</strong>se advances occur in <strong>the</strong><br />

context <strong>of</strong> significant changes in <strong>the</strong> structure <strong>of</strong> major defense systems and <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>tware in<br />

those systems. For example, s<strong>of</strong>tware is <strong>the</strong> key to achieving assured system-<strong>of</strong>-systems interoperability,<br />

integration, and configurations; it enables <strong>the</strong> shift from platform-centric stovepipe solutions<br />

to payload-centric “framework-and-apps” approaches. 72 An emerging <strong>the</strong>me is <strong>the</strong> development<br />

<strong>of</strong> robust and scalable architectures that enable component assembly and incremental<br />

advancement. This is an important advance for <strong>the</strong> engineering <strong>of</strong> large and complex systems, but<br />

it also creates significant challenges for s<strong>of</strong>tware assurance. 73<br />

In addition, s<strong>of</strong>tware has become <strong>the</strong> materiel <strong>of</strong> both defensive cybersecurity structures and <strong>of</strong>fensive<br />

cyber capability. Improving our ability to create, manipulate, and analyze s<strong>of</strong>tware is essential<br />

to advancing all aspects <strong>of</strong> cyber warfare. Finally, supply chains for s<strong>of</strong>tware are becoming<br />

more complex, more diverse, and more international. This evolution is a consequence <strong>of</strong> recent<br />

advances in technology and in computing infrastructure. An unavoidable consequence <strong>of</strong> rich supply<br />

chains is that we must consider attack surfaces not just at <strong>the</strong> periphery <strong>of</strong> complex systems,<br />

but also within <strong>the</strong> systems, including <strong>the</strong> role that humans play as operators and users in <strong>the</strong>se<br />

systems.<br />

Below we highlight <strong>the</strong> four principal dimensions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>SEI</strong> technical vision. Each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se encompasses<br />

a wide range <strong>of</strong> technical problems. But each also demonstrates that incremental progress<br />

on technical sub-problems can lead to incremental improvements in mission capability.<br />

1. Architecture-Led Incremental Iterative Development (ALIID). The goal <strong>of</strong> ALIID is to enable<br />

iterative and incremental development <strong>of</strong> highly capable and innovative systems with acceptable<br />

levels <strong>of</strong> programmatic risk. While small-team agile methods are well established in<br />

most sectors, <strong>the</strong> challenges <strong>of</strong> scaling up to larger efforts remain pr<strong>of</strong>ound. ALIID is intended to<br />

manifest <strong>the</strong> aspiration <strong>of</strong> “agile at scale” by enabling larger scale iterative and incremental development<br />

in DoD development and sustainment/modernization projects.<br />

72 This concept <strong>of</strong> shifting emphasis in <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> DoD systems from “platform” to “payload”<br />

is analogous to <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> socio-technical ecosystems for mobile devices (IOS and Android<br />

frameworks and apps), for big data analytics (MapReduce frameworks), and in o<strong>the</strong>r applications.<br />

ADM Greenert articulated <strong>the</strong> case in an article, Payloads over Platforms: Charting a New Course,<br />

in US Naval Institute Proceedings Magazine, 2012.<br />

73 This issue is addressed in <strong>the</strong> report Mission Impact <strong>of</strong> Foreign Influence on DoD S<strong>of</strong>tware, Defense<br />

Science Board 2007.<br />

CMU/<strong>SEI</strong>-2016-SR-027 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE | CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY 287<br />

Distribution Statement A: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited.

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