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

Figure 2.
link to an RHN. APCs will
provide fixed platforms in sanctuary
locations at which user servers and
applications can be hosted. This
arrangement will allow the prepositioning
of battle command and
common user services to give
warfighters immediate access to
needed services. When available,
servers at these facilities can be preloaded
with battle command
applications, standard operating
systems, patches, and security
configurations required by operational
units.
Units arriving in theater will
be able to obtain network services
without employing an organic hub
node. RHNs and APCs will support
continuity of operation during those
times when a supported unit’s
organic hub node is not operational.
Using NSC capabilities, units will be
able to gain access quickly to
network services as they maneuver
and relocate command posts. NSC
facilities will also serve as a vital
backup capability in the event a
unit’s organic hub node fails. In
cases where operational requirements
exceed the capacity of a unit’s
organic hub node, an RHN hub
node can accommodate the over-
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flow.
As the network is extended,
TNOSCs will oversee technical
management of the network,
coordinate the provisioning of
services, and provide the governance
security oversight required to
give the warfighter a high level of
service availability.
Bringing the concept to reality
Portions of the NSC construct
exist today and others are coming
on line as funds become available.
Regional hub nodes are ready
to go into full service in Kuwait and
Germany. Additional hubs are
slated for construction at east and
west coast locations in the United
States, and a fifth hub will be built
in the Pacific region. A sixth hub,
for training, located at Fort Gordon,
has been in operation for more than
a year. In addition to supporting
operator training at the Signal
School, the training hub provides
network services to units training at
sites as far away as Alaska and
Hawaii, demonstrating to commanders
that they can quickly gain
reliable network services without
deploying their own hub.
APCs have also begun to
appear in the United States and in
some overseas sites. More APCs
will be built as funds become
available. APC services, to include
capabilities directly aimed at
supporting deployed operational
units, will continue to be explored.
At the same time, upgrades to
TNOSC capabilities will be incorporated
to improve the ability to
manage network operations across
an enterprise that connects operational
and generating force activities.
In recent briefings, GEN
George Casey, Chief of Staff of the
Army, has emphasized the critical
importance of information in
executing the Army’s mission, and
has expressed his intent to expedite
the regional NSC effort. With
support of the Army’s leadership,
regional NSCs will soon be providing
the expeditionary Army a much
needed capability to move information
as quickly as it can deploy
forces.
COL (Ret.) Wells is the author
of the Network Service Center-
Regional concept. A former Training
and Doctrine Command Systems
manager for the Mobile Subscriber
Equipment system, Wells
works for Janus Research Group,
Inc. supporting the Concepts
Section of the Signal Center’s
Capabilities Development and
Integration Directorate.
ACRONYM QUICKSCAN
APC – Area Processing Centers
COOP – Continuity of Operation
DECC – Defense Enterprise
Computing Center
DISN – Defense Information
Systems Network
NETOPS – Network Operations
NSC – Network Service Center
RHN – Regional Hub Node
TNOSC – Theater Network
Operations and Security Center