AC Summer 08 WIN-T Online - United States Army Signal Center of ...

LandWarNet NetOps Architecture
signed a memo in 2004 stating
that all DoD architectures would use
the DoD Architecture Framework. If
you have never looked at DoDAF
products you might think they are
just diagrams of the computer
systems. In fact, the systems are just
one of four different views within
DoDAF. This framework also
includes operational organizations
and activities, which are tied to the
systems views. This provides an
integrated, overarching view of the
entire operating environment. It also
goes down to the data exchange and
roles/responsibilities level of detail.
This dovetails with the DoD Net-
Centric Data Strategy. The LNA is
also compliant with DoDAF.
Now that we have given a little
background, you are probably
wondering just what is in the LNA?
The LNA contains more than 40
different NetOps capabilities (ability
to perform some NetOps function),
such as Host Intrusion Prevention
System, which are grouped into five
categories or “bins”. These five bins
are IP Transport Management,
Computing Platform Management,
60 Summer 2008
Security Management, Enterprise
Support, Enterprise Services and
Applications Management, and
Non-IP Transport Management.
These 47 capabilities don’t exist
in isolation. Like the DoDAF views
they are all inter-related, and that is
what is captured within the architecture.
You may be thinking, this is all
well and good, but so what. What is
the value of the architecture to me?
The LWN supports a multiplicity
of users, across all Army
echelons from operating forces up to
the interface to the Joint Community.
Depending on where you are, you
may have a different view of the
LWN and how it supports your
mission. For instance, many programs
of record deliver or are reliant
on LWN for their connection,
computing, and/or NetOps capabilities.
Depending on how a POR is
designed it may interface and/or
draw services from a Theater
NetOps and Security Center or
another network operations center in
the Army. Instead of starting
research from scratch, the LNA
provides extensive requirements for
NetOps capabilities/
activities and how to
interface to the
TNOSC/NOC. The
POR may not need
all forty-seven
capabilities contained
in the LNA,
but there is a high
probability it will use
many of them. The
LNA team has put
thousands of hours
of research into how
these capabilities
should be used, and
this effort can be
leveraged by any
organization that has
to implement
NetOps capabilities.
Their research and
products are coordinated
with the
Signal Center and
the operational
community. The
U.S. Air Force
absorbed the LNA
into their NetOps architecture using
it to cut their time to production.
The LNA structure was used to
develop the DISA NetOps Architecture
and is used as the basis for the
Joint Enterprise NetOps Architecture.
Redundant, duplicative
systems, at various Army echelons,
run counter to Army objectives.
Using the LNA across the Army
keeps us all moving in the same
direction to achieving Army Campaign
Plan objectives that drive
global synchronization. Before
implementing any new NetOps
capabilities, the LNA should be
reviewed to see if the requirements
for implementing that capability
already exist. The LNA review is
actually part of the formal
networthiness certification process.
I haven’t gone into Clinger-
Cohen and all the mandates to use
architecture, because I think the
common sense reasons probably
resonate more strongly with the
reader. Rest assured we are mandated
to have an architecture, but I
think the bottom line is it just makes