Universal Core Executive Briefing

1. Universal Core Executive Briefing Paul Shaw paul.shaw@navy.mil COI Forum October 16, 2007

2. Evolution of Information Sharing Pre-Data Strategy Post-Data Strategy COI 1 3 COI Interface Languages Sys C Sys G 3 Cross COI Interface Languages Sys C Sys G 28 interface languages Sys D Sys H Sys D Sys H Sys A Sys E Sys I Sys K Sys A Sys E Sys I Sys K Sys B Sys F Sys J Sys L Sys B Sys F Sys J Sys L COI 2 COI 3 28 Interface languages needed for this connectivity 6 Interface languages needed for same connectivity • Every system defined its own vocabularies and schemas to understand and share data • Systems mediate/translate to share info with the other systems without predefined interface agreements • Communities of Interest (COIs) define vocabularies and schemas to understand, share info among systems for common missions • Systems (consumers or producers) must mediate to understand, share data outside their community Reduced # of Languages and Need for Mediation

3. Further Reducing the Need for Mediation—Universal Core (UCore) • Understanding and sharing between COIs can be facilitated if the same vocabularies and schemas are used for common information • To be useful to as many COIs as possible, must be limited to only those “terms” that have the widest use across the enterprise • Target those terms that have broadly accepted commercial standards for implementation • DoD/IC is releasing a “Universal Core” (UCore) common vocabulary and schema for “When” and “Where”, terms

4. UCore UCore UCore UCore Benefit Scenarios Blue Force Tracking COI Unanticipated User Strike COI Scenario 1: Although unanticipated user doesn’t understand the full BFT or TST vocabularies, if they understand Ucore, they can retrieve When and Where information from multiple sources providing them with key situational awareness Scenario 2: BFT and TST feed into Strike for identification of Red and Blue forces - Leveraging UCore reduces required mediation Time Sensitive Targeting COI

5. UCore Element Representations • UCore contains: • “When” – Expresses a point in time or a time period using ISO 8601 and formatted as CCYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.ssZ (e.g., 2007-08-09T13:07:22:23Z) • “Where” – Expresses a geospatial location or area (geometries include point, line, area, circle, arc) represented using commercial standard GML • Other key attributes beyond “When and Where • Security Markings – Leverages Intel Community - Information Security Marking (IC-ISM) and associated tearline model • Message Linking – Leverages World-Wide Web Consortium (W3C) XLink to associate one message with another • Every term in UCore won’t apply to every COI exchange • E.g., “where” may not apply to a financial accounting COI

6. Key Principles of Universal Core • Build a strong foundation • Policy, Governance, Definition, and Test processes • Pilot and evolve UCore to maintain joint community, enterprise-wide perspective for common terms • Avoid being the “standard for all things for all COIs” • Build Joint from the start • DoD and IC communities • Harmonize across as many COIs as practical • Keep it small, simple to implement, and standards based • Include only a few of the most common terms • Make is simple to implement for widespread adoption • Leverage broadly accepted commercial standards, tools, and expertise • Provide a starting point for COIs to extend as needed • Leverage Ucore’s inherent interoperability across COIs • Allow COIs to focus on value added, mission-specific data

7. Goals As Universal Core matures, it will be adopted by… Communities of Interest (and associated systems) Systems that are implementing new information exchange capabilities Broad adoption by DoD and IC Benefits Pilot implementation and joint governance proves concept and supports buy-in Reduces mediation for information sharing across DoD and IC communities and systems Allows COIs to focus on mission-specific/high-value application vocabularies Not worry about commodity terms Supports unanticipated information sharing by inherent understanding of Ucore terms Universal Core Adoption Goals/Benefits

8. Next Steps for Universal Core • Prove UCore concept and value through pilot implementations • Refine the processes to inform policy, governance, test and evaluation and implementation • Refine Universal Core syntax and semantics based on implementations and lessons learned • Extend awareness to other information sharing partners • Review “core” needs of new partners; accommodate those that fit “universal core” premise • Avoid “all things to all” trap • Federal Governance Model • Evolve from DoD/IC governance to a broader constituency, e.g., DoD, IC, DoJ, DHS, State and Local

9. Backup

10. Governance ProcessSenior Enterprise Services Governance Group (SESGG) • Oversee Joint Data Strategy and Enterprise Services Implementation • Define the required measurement and control mechanisms to ensure DoD-wide and IC-wide implementation of the Data Strategy and enterprise services • Identify and develop necessary policy changes, including measurement and control responsibilities, to ensure consistent implementation of the Data Strategy and enterprise services • Establish oversight forums, as required, to enable the DoD CIO and DNI CIO to review implementation progress • SESGG Membership • Co-chair, DoD CIO • Co-chair, ADNI CIO • Army • Navy • AF • USMC • DISA • DIA • BTA

11. Universal Core Harmonization, Governance, Policy, Test • Four Working Groups, each containing participation from all the organizations that make up the SESGG • Methodology - DNI and Navy lead the methodology for defining and evolving the universal core schema • Governance - AF leads the development of Governance structure and processes • Test and Eval – JFCOM and Army lead the Test and Evaluation methodology and execution • Policy - DIA and DoD lead the Policy definition

12. Limiting Factors of Information Sharing • Historically, Programs have defined their own vocabularies and information exchange schemas, limiting the amount of understandable information that can be shared • Communities of Interest (COI) have helped by developing common vocabularies within the COI to enable increased information sharing, however, sharing information outside the COI is still a challenge • The development of COI vocabularies have demonstrated that a common, minimal set of “words” span community vocabularies – agreeing to the definition of these words will help cross-community information sharing

13. DoD and IC Universal Core Data Schema • A universal core data schema that enables information sharing • Ways to describe “when, where” types of information • Minimal set of terms in the core • Agreed to by DoD and Intel community • Appropriate use of open and Government standards • Extensible by COIs and systems as needed Service / Organization Specific Extensions COI Extensions Domain Common Cores Universal Core When Where Task/Mission Increased Agility 6

14. Universal Core Background • DoD Directive 8320.1 • Attempted to define a large data model for all DoD systems to adopt • Too difficult to harmonize, implement, and scale • DoD Directive 8320.2 • Define and implement interoperability around Communities of Interest • Success harmonizing across the community and streamlining implementation • Cursor on Target • Simple, small, and powerful exchange standard • Applied loose coupling strategy • Led to numerous implementations and real warfighter capabilities • Universal Core • Leverages the harmonization success of Communities of Interest • Simplicity and power of Cursor on Target • Application of commercial and DoD/IC standards • Cross-community agreements