| 2005 Technology
Symposium > Information Management
Information Management
Information Management focuses on technologies and processes that enable
the organization, creation, management, and use of information to satisfy
the needs of diverse applications and users.
Combining Data and Knowledge Graph Analysis
Eric Bloedorn, Principal Investigator
Location(s):
Problem
The need to efficiently extract patterns from large graphs is increasingly recognized by many MITRE sponsors. However, fundamental operations such as exact graph matching are NP-complete and therefore computationally too expensive for even moderate-sized graphs. Thus, more complex analyses, such as approximate graph matching, frequent subgraph discovery, or graph classification, are currently impractical for our sponsors.
Objectives
The goal of this project is to develop and empirically evaluate the use of domain knowledge (DK) to improve inexact graph matching, frequent subgraph discovery, and graph classification. We are also interested in better understanding the characteristics of the graphs our sponsors deal with and in making those characteristics known to the external community.
Activities
To investigate the use of DK in graph analysis we will select datasets, develop metrics for characterizing graphs, and design approaches for representing and storing graphs and DK, as well as develop and evaluate algorithms. Our goal is to have a set of tools for supporting a wide range of graph analysis tasks by the end of this project.
Impact
For our sponsors, performing these operations efficiently for large graphs can mean detecting undiscovered criminal organizations, identifying key criminal organizers, and saving millions of dollars previously lost to fraud.
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Community Share: MITRE in Partnership
Mary Lynne Nelson, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
Do you want an easier way to collaborate and share documents with your sponsor team? "Community Share: MITRE in Partnership," a low-rate production capability for community services and document sharing, is now available for MITRE-sponsor collaboration. It supports the quick creation of customizable community portals in which project or organizational teams can collaborate and share information using announcements, events, annotated links, discussion groups, task lists, contact lists, and user-developed lists for tracking any information assets of interest. Document management capabilities include versioning and check in/check out capabilities. Only members of the team can access the community, and access is controlled with user names and passwords. Each community is independently administered and customizable by the community administrator (a team member). We will also demonstrate the Groove "Mobile Workspace for SharePoint" product, which supports offline Community Share work and synchronization.
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MRALD: Secure Data Delivery, Sharing, and Analysis
Jeffrey Hoyt, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington
Problem
Data consumers require complex data delivery and analytical capabilities, but existing solutions are too restrictive. A lack of time, resources, and expertise prevents construction of a custom, secure, intuitive and easily accessible interface tailored to their data and needs.
Objectives
The goal of MITRE Resource for Accessing Loaded Data (MRALD) is to provide an efficient way to desseminate data securely to sophisticated data consumers. The system needs to be flexible enough to accomodate changes in schema and requirements as well as additional data analysis, deployment-specific extensions, and functionality.
Activities
We designed and implented a platform- and database-independent data delivery system. Couples with an implementation of the Structured Sharing Communities sharing model, a framework for implementing data analysis capabilities, and an extensible architecture, MRALD can be figred and extended to meet diverse needs.
Impact
MRALD has been successfully used in two different work programs with very different domains: the national aviation and neuroscience communities. We have also had seen continuing interest across MITRE as well as from diverse sponsors, including the FAA, DHS, and CDC. Two papers have been published focusing on the architecture and sharing security model, respectively.
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Netcentric Data Sharing
Len Seligman, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington
Problem
Netcentric data sharing aims to provide data visibility, understanding, and interoperability beyond traditional stovepipes. However, it is insufficient to simply post all schemas to a metadata repository, given heterogeneous semantics. We also need accurate intersystem mappings -- from implemented systems to community ontologies and among overlapping ontologies. In addition, intersystem mappings are essential to point-to-point data interoperability.
Objectives
Our goal is to advance the state of the art in creating and maintaining intersystem mappings, with an emphasis on the needs of netcentric environments. Specifically, we will develop, evaluate, and transition (1) a linguistically intelligent schema matcher, to improve upon previous matchers' performance; and (2) scalable techniques for specifying and supporting data sharing agreements between data producers and consumers.
Activities
We will implement and evaluate a linguistic-based schema matcher and design a multi-strategy match framework. We will develop mechanisms for specifying data sharing agreements and services for enforcing those agreements, understanding the impact of changes to participating schemas, and notifying affected parties. We will also analyze what kinds of agreements are enforceable with different levels of intrusiveness on participating systems.
Impact
The research directly addresses two of the DoD FFRDC's strategic outcomes: "Integration and Interoperability" and "Enabling Netcentric Operations." In addition, all our sponsors need greater agility in data sharing. We will speed progress in both the creation and maintenance of intersystem mappings and will influence future Net Centric Enterprise Services and DoD Metadata Registries.
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Next Generation (ng) Publish and Subscribe Services (PASS)
Kevin Kelly, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington
Problem
Key to realizing the DoD Network-Centric Data Strategy is a rich complement of information management mechanisms. A promising technology is a publish-subscribe paradigm that supports a dynamic many-to-many communications model. Current research has focused on the performance, robustness, scalability, and expressiveness of algorithms and techniques to automate propagation of publisher's "advertisements" and/or subscriber's "subscription request" through the distributed publish-subscribe infrastructure.
Objectives
The ngPASS project will focus on enabling the efficient distribution of location-based information in a distributed publish-and-subscribe environment. Specific objectives include adapting general algorithms and techniques for distributed event notification to respond to location-based advertisements/subscription requests, developing relevant use-cases and an experimental test bed, extending algorithms/techniques to address continuity of operations and robustness, and exploiting related and emerging COTS standards.
Activities
We will extend current algorithms/techniques to support more general network topologies and adapt to dynamic behavior. Additionally, we will investigate application-level quality of service and develop a test bed for evaluating information dissemination under different scenarios and/or circumstances. We will analyze these approaches in a realistic tactical setting, and participate in relevant DoD activities and publish-subscribe internet standardization bodies.
Impact
We plan to integrate the ngPASS technology into the Network Centric Capability Pilot. This project could also complement the Joint Blue Force Situational Awareness activities and provide critical technologies applicable to location-based information dissemination. Finally, the project could offer key suggestions to enhancing the information distribution techniques of the Army Battle Command System.
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Semantic Integration of the C2 Enterprise
Marwan Sabbouh, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
Enterprise integration (EI) is a key initiative in the Air Force. Most EI strategies are based on standards such as XML and Web Services Description Language (WSDL). However, these standards are not scalable and remain too costly to implement. For instance, moving the Air Operations Center to Web services requires building over 1,000 services and will cost $44-$70 million.
Objectives
This research activity will show that ontologies are an enabling technology for the Command and Control Enterprise Reference Architecture (C2ERA). Using ontologies, we can gradually integrate disparate systems by mapping the ontology to a database schema to integrate new data sources and by mapping WSDL to the ontology to integrate Web services.
Activities
We will refine two existing ontologies and design two new ones; prototype a WSDL-to-ontology mapper service; leverage DevNet to map the ontology to the Air Operations Database and to WSDL operations; and prototype an airlift application that uses this methodology. We will publish our findings and transition this methodology, the ontology, and the prototypes to industry.
Impact
This research will provide an enabling technology for the C2ERA and C2EI. In addition to impacting ESC/AC (Battle Management Command, Control, and Communications), this methodology results in a set of services that can become part of the Common Information Infrastructure. This project will also impact ESC/EN (Engineering). In addition, we may license these technologies to industry partners.
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Standard Rule Language for Enterprise Application Integration
Suzette Stoutenburg, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
To defeat emerging threats, C4ISR systems must be dynamic and adaptable. Separation of rules from executable code supports the ability to dynamically modify system behavior in complex, changing environments. To realize the benefits of rule separation, a Rule Language Standard is required to support the sharing of rule abstractions across domains, thus enabling agility and interoperability.
Objectives
Our goal is to advance the state of the art in the Semantic Web Rule Layer by developing a set of demonstrable recommendations for how the rule language standard should evolve. We will demonstrate how rules can be used for agile management of information flows in complex, dynamic C4ISR environments, allowing identification of DoD requirements for the evolving standard.
Activities
We will explore the interaction between the rule and ontology layers of the Semantic Web and demonstrate how a standard language should best express each in combination. We will examine orchestration of inferencing across layers, adaptable policy enforcement, dynamic rule distribution, ontological closure, and rule annotation for discovery and reuse. Results will be shared with academia, standards organizations, and sponsors.
Impact
This research will contribute supporting evidence for how the Standard Rule language for the Semantic Web should evolve. The results will advance some of the most critical DoD requirements, including Enterprise Integration, Interoperability and Net Centric system development. The concept of dynamic Service Oriented Architectures will be advanced, supporting our sponsors' evolution to agile, machine-to-machine environments.
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Synchronization Technologies for Working Off-line for MITRE's Infospace
Donna Cuomo, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
Collaboration and team-based information sharing, whether with a MITRE or a sponsor team, are key enabling capabilities. In particular, the ability to work with various collaborative knowledge repositories (e.g., SharePoint) while disconnected or off-line is of increasing value to the mobile workforce. We are exploring and evaluating technologies that support offline work and synchronization. Three technologies -- Groove "Mobile Workspace," Iora, and Digi-link -- are being evaluated for use with MITRE's (or sponsors') knowledge repositories. Demonstrations of some of the capabilities and our evaluation results/lessons learned are available. In addition, we are exploring how such synchronization tools are already being used within MITRE.
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