A -- REQ FOR INFO (RFI) FOR COMM MIDDLEWARE CAPABILITIES TO ENABLE CORE SERVICES OF A FUTURE COMBAT INFO MGMT, INTEGRATION, AND INTEROPERABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE

Notice Date

February 5, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL -- Rome Research Site, AFRL/Information Directorate, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-4514

ZIP Code

13441-4514

E-Mail Address

Paul Webster (Paul.Webster@rl.af.mil)

Description

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR COMMERCIAL MIDDLEWARE CAPABILITIES TO ENABLE CORE SERVICES OF A FUTURE COMBAT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, INTEGRATION, AND INTEROPERABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE. DESCRIPTION: This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes -- it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and Proposal Costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)'s Information Directorate is issuing this notice for the purpose of assessing the applicability of existing and emerging commercial e-business/e-commerce/B2B technologies to the realization of a future combat information management concept called the Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI). This concept originated in two reports by the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), Information Management to Support the Warrior (1998) and Building the Joint Battlespace Infosphere (1999) [texts can be downloaded from http://www.sab.hq.af.mil/Archives/index.htm]. The JBI vision describes a revolutionary enterprise information infrastructure that enables a heretofore-unattainable level of seamless information collection, aggregation, integration, and tailored dissemination. Vital components of this infrastructure include advanced publish/subscribe/query models for information sharing; a virtual object space in which information objects are continuously created, enhanced, transformed, and propagated to consumers; sophisticated metadata services to discover, broker and deliver precision-targeted information; readily accessible virtual repositories and rich digital libraries cataloging scores of heterogeneous data elements; intelligent, knowledge-based control mechanisms to manage information flow; and multi-level security services with an ever-vigilant information assurance and protection apparatus. More information on the JBI can be found at the following website: http://www.rl.af.mil/programs/jbi. Current command & control information systems are characterized by ad hoc assemblages of myriad legacy application tools from diverse functional domains; non-interoperable, "heavy" clients; monolithic, maintenance-intensive architectures; and centralized server farms. Decision-makers at all levels must seek out and assimilate pieces of data from multiple systems, then manually filter and aggregate relevant material in order to assemble information that is of "decision-quality". To achieve the objectives of a more rapidly deployable, flexible, and interoperable force structure as well as enabling faster, more confident decision-making with anytime/anyplace personalized information delivery/access, AFRL is interested in exploring a variety of technical approaches to developing and evolving a set of common JBI core information management services that would overcome these limitations and provide a long-term foundation for legacy integration and more rapid, cost-effective client development. The JBI is intended to address key shortcomings in current command and control information systems in the areas of enterprise integration, cross-service, cross-functional interoperability, dynamic composability, system administration, life-cycle costs, and deployment timing and footprint. Central to this broad vision is a "platform" of core infrastructure services based maximally on commercial standards and middleware products that would form the foundation upon which a JBI capability could be erected. These core services would include the publish/subscribe and query mechanisms, information transformation services, and policy-based control capabilities to ensure security as well as quality of service. The component-based, n-tiered, service-oriented architectures that are enabling the e-business revolution appear to be ideally suited to the realization of the JBI vision. There are a number of military functional domains that could see dramatic gains in effectiveness with the capabilities a JBI could provide. AFRL is currently drafting short white papers describing several of these domains and the information management challenges they presently face. These white papers may be useful for potential respondents by scoping the problem in more concrete terms. We expect white papers to be available on the AFRL JBI website by the end of February 2001. (http://www.rl.af.mil/programs/jbi/) Important factors that will need to be addressed in the military domain that may not be as heavily prioritized in typical commercial applications include security, reliability, fail-over, accountability, scalability, rapid deployability, long-haul connectivity, bandwidth-disadvantaged clients (tactical communications), unique data streams, formats and structures, and remote administration. AFRL is interested in how these factors are being or could be addressed with enhancements to commercially-available products/tools. AFRL/IF would like to hear not just from vendors who have existing products that might be applicable, but also from developers working on future technologies and architectures that could enable JBI capabilities in the next 2-5 years. We encourage teaming amongst niche providers that could suggest integrated product suites for prototyping a JBI environment. The information obtained in response to this RFI will be used exclusively by AFRL/IF personnel to assist in planning for the development, demonstration, and acquisition of JBI capabilities for Air Force and Joint services operational command and control systems. RESPONSE FORMAT AND DELIVERY: AFRL/IF is seeking comprehensive information for planning purposes. Potential software/middleware solution providers are requested to respond in writing via letter or email between 1 March 01 and 30 April 01, and may be asked to prepare a demonstration of product/solution capabilities to the AFRL/IF JBI Team during the time period of 10 May 01 and 10 July 01. Information should be submitted in Microsoft Office (Word/ PowerPoint/Excel) format. Additional information in the form of brochures, white papers, or manuals is welcome. For information relating to commercial items, the scope of this request is limited, to the maximum extent practicable, to include only information that is in the form regularly maintained by respondents as part of their commercial operations. Any material submitted will not be returned. Interested parties shall submit responses (excluding brochures) electronically either via 3.5" diskette in either IBM PC readable form, or via e-mail. If brochures or manuals are to be submitted, respondents shall provide 5 copies of any materials that are not available electronically. Responses shall include 3 references for successful implementation of the proposed or similar product/solution, if available. Each reference should include the current user (name, address, and point of contact), the software system, and the application of the system. Respondents shall clearly identify sensitive or proprietary material using language similar to the language found in FAR 15.609. AFRL/IF reserves the right to contact vendors to provide clarification on capabilities or to ask questions and schedule demonstration sessions. For additional information concerning this request, please contact Capt Paul Webster at (315) 330-3514, Paul.Webster@rl.af.mil, or Maj Jonathan Clough at (315) 330-3782, Jonathan.Clough@rl.af.mil . Responses should be e-mailed or sent to the following address: Air Force Research Lab -- Information Directorate, Attention: Capt. Paul Webster, IFSE, 525 Brooks Road, Rome, NY 13441-4505.

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Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010207/SPMSC001.HTM (D-036 SN50C7W4)