A Structured Service-Centric Approach for the Integration of Command and Control Components

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) ideally provides reliable access to a scalable, agile, and affordable computing environment. In the tactical military context its ultimate goals are greater situational awareness and enhanced operational capability through the efficient sharing of information. Component systems, such as networks and data sources, can provide many of the necessary services to achieve these goals. A structured approach, however, is needed to realize this within command and control systems. This paper describes a hierarchical approach to information integration, called integration layers, and the conceptual foundations for such a structure, using chemical and biological warfare information-system services as examples.