What is Open Architecture, anyway?

According to the US DoD Open Systems Joint Task Force, and the US Navy Open Architecture initiative, Open Architecture is "An Architecture that employs open standards for key interfaces within a system." DoD and the US Navy are very interested in Open Architecture and Open System initiatives because they see important benefits:

• Lower life cycle cost for weapon systems
• Better performing systems with greater intraoperability
• Technology transparency for rapid upgrades
• Improved interoperability for joint warfighting
• Closer cooperation between commercial and military electronics industries
• Improved international competitiveness of U.S. electronics industry

Open Architecture Overview, Mr. Fred Riedl, PEO IWS

The illustration above shows the Navy's OA strategy. Level 3 OACE compliance is beginning to be required for legacy system upgrades today. The keys to Level 3 OACE compliance are standards-based middleware and operating systems and mainstream commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. The major benefit is to isolate applications from changes in computing technology. The underlying hardware, networking, and operating system can be replaced by newer, higher-performing products without affecting the Domain Unique applications, as long as the new products conform to the standards.

Open Architecture (OA) Computing Environment Design Guidance Version 1.0 23 August 2004

Open Standards chosen by the US Navy for their Open Architecture Computing Environment (OACE) include the following areas:

a. Physical Media - Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
b. Networks and Protocols - Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
c. Operating Systems - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) POSIX
d. Distribution Middleware - Object Management Group (OMG)
e. ADA and SQL Languages - International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
f. C++ Language - American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
g. Java Programming Language, infrastructure, Java Data Objects (JDO), Java DataBase Connectivity (JDBC) - Java Community Process

For more information… The US Navy has released two documents on their Open Architecture Computing Environment Initiative,

• Open Architecture (OA) Computing Environment Design Guidance Version 1.0 23 August 2004
• Open Architecture (OA) Computing Environment Technologies and Standards Version 1.0 23 August 2004

These are available from http://www.nswc.navy.mil/wwwDL/B/OACE/.

There is an introductory briefing on the US Navy's Open Architecture available from the PEO (Program Executive Office) IWS (Integrated Warfare Systems) at http://www.opengroup.org/public/member/proceedings/q403/riedl.pdf.

There is more information about the DoD Open Systems Intiative at http://www.acq.osd.mil/osjtf/overview.html.

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