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Maximizing communication capabilities in the field

Anyone who has ever waited to log onto the Internet via a modem can appreciate MITRE's Quality of Service (QoS) and Policy-Based Network Management (PBNM) project. When too many users are making connections at the same time, and are all treated the same regardless of their application or function, the result is a congested network. The emerging QoS technology distinguishes between users and the applications being performed. QoS routing transmits traffic through the network at different peak bandwidths and delays according to the settings for each connection. PBNM technology sets the priority, bandwidth, and latency parameters for the QoS routing algorithms. Together these technologies allow for better use of available transmission networks while still prioritizing traffic according to performance requirements.

MITRE staff worked on QoS and PBNM for 12 months as a Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)-sponsored research project. "We looked at the problem and focused on where capacity is most limited," explains Larry Stine, Senior Communications Engineer and project lead. "In this particular project, we examined radio links, which are used by deployed forces. They are very limited in their capacity however, due to their reliance on satellite and microwave links."

The QoS and PBNM technologies work collaboratively to optimize the use of available transmission networks. "In a deployed environment the traffic profile is highly changeable," says Stine. "You need PBNM to quickly reallocate the QoS parameters and also understand the effect on mission objectives of doing this."

"One of the reasons I enjoy working on the QoS project is because it is an important problem with widespread implications to soldiers in the field," says Stine. "It is clear that QoS and PBNM are essential to effective and robust communication networks among deployed forces.

"We tried to leverage what was available in the company as much as possible," he adds. "In our Bedford, Massachusetts labs we evaluated three products by different vendors. We also conducted a modeling and simulation effort using OPNET, a commercial software package. In addition, we used data from previously sponsored DISA work to understand the traffic profiles and dynamics of users in a deployed environment."

"This project exemplifies the advantages of working at MITRE," observes Stine. "In exploring new ideas, you can leverage existing corporate resources and knowledge, take advantage of MITRE's Federally Funded Research and Development Center status to evaluate different commercial products, and apply it to a critical problem—the possibilities are endless."