Formatted Messaging Modernization Exploits XML Technologies

Robert W. Miller, Mary Ann Malloy, and Ed Masek

ilitary campaigns require quick, reliable information sharing among all branches of the U.S. military, as well as forces from other countries. Thus the Department of Defense (DOD) continues to look to new technologies to enhance combat effectiveness of forces through improved information flow and interoperability.

To be effective, the military (as well as other government and commercial organizations) must share information across dissimilar, independently developed systems involving diverse languages, cultures, and command or management structures. One solution to this challenge is the use of Extensible Markup Language (XML) technology, which can be used by many kinds of systems that share information via messages—from intelligence summaries to air tasking orders to supply requisitions. Messages in XML are more consistent and precise, thereby enabling quick access and understanding by both humans and machines.

To be effective, the military (as well as other government organizations and commercial companies) must share information across dissimilar, independently developed systems involving diverse languages, cultures, and command or management structures .

The availability of nonproprietary XML software has spurred the military to quicken its adoption of this technology. For example, in June 2003 the Air Force Chief Information Officer issued a mandate requiring all Air Force systems to take advantage of XML to the greatest extent possible. The Air Force enlisted MITRE to aid in this initiative, which has received full support from Joint Forces Command, the Services and Agencies, and the NATO nations.

In one project, we are helping the U.S. Air Force apply XML to traditional coalition tactical message exchange (known as message text format, or MTF), which has already been demonstrated to improve communications. The standard messages specify the definition and structure of agreed upon units of information to be exchanged between systems. XML-MTFs make the same information available in the U.S. MTF messaging standard as in XML

The current system of formatted tactical message exchange, employed by more than 70 nations to relay battlefield information among loosely coupled systems, has begun to reach the limits of its effectiveness. One of the limitations involves the requirement for military units to map information into a form that receiving systems can read. Different groups may use different terms (or metadata) for the same thing, requiring time-consuming and possibly inconsistent translation of data. The units, then, must anticipate this and prearrange solutions.

To mitigate these limitations, the Air Force was looking to emerging commercial XML technologies and tools to capture metadata and to automate translation methods. XML exposes more metadata, making it available for use in translating among systems. XML technology and tools also support the repackaging and repurposing of the information so that it can be incorporated into receiving systems in more meaningful ways. Thus the use of XML will improve system reliability, speed, and cost.

XML supports the DOD's vision of network-centric warfare, in which data is shared like that on the World Wide Web. XML allows users to define, validate, transmit, and interpret many types of data between many types of applications. With XML, users structure their data using a standardized set of rules, called a schema. Once an MTF message is converted to an XML structure through the XML-MTF Mapping and Schema specifications developed by MITRE, there are limitless ways any system can exploit the content of the message by using off-the-shelf XML software or freeware.

Vendor-implemented, internationally agreed upon XML-MTF Schema Generation Specifications are available today. These schemas collectively constitute more than 600 messages and 6,000 simple and complex data types defined, agreed upon, and implemented by more than 70 nations. In addition, the schemas are being incorporated into the DOD XML Registry and NATO XML Registry, which will make this valuable metadata available in a uniform, well-supported syntax, increasing the opportunities for reuse in DOD command, control, communications, computer, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems and programs.

A message generated by one system is validated against the message standard and sent to numerous other systems. Each recipient applies an XML stylesheet to extract the needed information and (if necessary) transform it into legacy syntax.

The benefits of XML-MTF are clear. As XML is non-proprietary, it greatly reduces the cost of developing software. For example, the DOD easily replaced thousands of lines of customized government-developed message-query code in just over six staff months of development time using XML freeware. Separating the elements of representation, syntax, and semantics presents another benefit by allowing each facet to be managed independently, reducing the impact of change on operational systems. And use of XML schemas reduces the resources required to sustain message families.

XML-MTF also provides more accuracy. Message content is validated against the schema to ensure adherence to allowable values, prescribed vocabulary, and proper relationships between message components. The use of XML tag attributes and validation against a schema can provide security markings and assist in enforcing releasability constraints. In addition, while rewriting the U.S. MTF as XML, we removed many of its ambiguities, thereby further reducing the risk of erroneous interpretation.

XML-MTF provides users with more adaptability. Leveraging more than 40 years of DOD investment in agreed semantics, XML-MTF defines itself through the community-of-interest-designed tags and schemas. As advances in battlefield technology and doctrine occur, user and system interfaces can more easily adapt to meet the resulting changes in the data and semantics.

And, most important, XML-MTF vastly improves interoperability, helping military communications to keep pace with unprecedented increases in operational tempo. Heterogeneous systems often use different names for the same object or concept, or employ the same terminology for different things. The tags and schemas employed by XML-MTF expose more meaning with the data, thus increasing the likelihood that the data will be used as intended.

XML message processing is evolving as an integral part of smart-pull, information-on-demand technology solutions. The successes to date are an important step toward a unified family of XML specifications within a highly adaptable warfighting environment.

MITRE has developed expertise in this area through sponsor work and independent research projects. We've shared this expertise with DOD contractors working interoperability issues. These efforts have led to several XML-MTF-derived capabilities that have been fielded or deployed experimentally within DOD. These include:

• XML Dissemination and Presentation, which enables systems to share information by converting messages from proprietary military formats to a standard XML representation.
• Guarded Sharing of Information with XML, which enforces security policies by filtering information contained in XML docments.
• IRIS MFS, a product developed by Systematics, Inc., which prepares, parses, and validates MTFs.
• Common Message Processor, which renders XML-MTFs similar to IRIS.

We continue to work on the challenges of interoperability through XML. For example, we are investigating how to use more powerful semantic constructs, such as ontologies, in tandem with message standards to support richer information sharing. In the future of network-centric warfare, XML message processing will play an integral role in the success of U.S. military endeavors.

For more information, please contact Robert Miller, Mary Ann Malloy, or Ed Masek using the employee directory.

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