Publications

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Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems, or CASoS, are vastly complex physical-socio-technical systems which we must understand to design a secure future for the nation. The Phoenix initiative implements CASoS Engineering principles combining the bottom up Complex Systems and Complex Adaptive Systems view with the top down Systems Engineering and System-of-Systems view. CASoS Engineering theory and practice must be conducted together to develop a discipline that is grounded in reality, extends our understanding of how CASoS behave and allows us to better control the outcomes. The pull of applications (real world problems) is critical to this effort, as is the articulation of a CASoS Engineering Framework that grounds an engineering approach in the theory of complex adaptive systems of systems. Successful application of the CASoS Engineering Framework requires modeling, simulation and analysis (MS and A) capabilities and the cultivation of a CASoS Engineering Community of Practice through knowledge sharing and facilitation. The CASoS Engineering Environment, itself a complex adaptive system of systems, constitutes the two platforms that provide these capabilities.

This Lab-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) sought to develop technology that enhances scenario construction speed, entity behavior robustness, and scalability in Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) simulation. We investigated issues in both simulation architecture and behavior modeling. We developed path-planning technology that improves the ability to express intent in the planning task while still permitting an efficient search algorithm. An LVC simulation demonstrated how this enables 'one-click' layout of squad tactical paths, as well as dynamic re-planning for simulated squads and for real and simulated mobile robots. We identified human response latencies that can be exploited in parallel/distributed architectures. We did an experimental study to determine where parallelization would be productive in Umbra-based force-on-force (FOF) simulations. We developed and implemented a data-driven simulation composition approach that solves entity class hierarchy issues and supports assurance of simulation fairness. Finally, we proposed a flexible framework to enable integration of multiple behavior modeling components that model working memory phenomena with different degrees of sophistication.

Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems, or CASoS, are vastly complex ecological, sociological, economic and/or technical systems which must be recognized and reckoned with to design a secure future for the nation and the world. Design within CASoS requires the fostering of a new discipline, CASoS Engineering, and the building of capability to support it. Towards this primary objective, we created the Phoenix Pilot as a crucible from which systemization of the new discipline could emerge. Using a wide range of applications, Phoenix has begun building both theoretical foundations and capability for: the integration of Applications to continuously build common understanding and capability; a Framework for defining problems, designing and testing solutions, and actualizing these solutions within the CASoS of interest; and an engineering Environment required for 'the doing' of CASoS Engineering. In a secondary objective, we applied CASoS Engineering principles to begin to build a foundation for design in context of Global CASoS

Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems, or CASoS, are vastly complex eco-socio-economic-technical systems which we must understand to design a secure future for the nation and the world. Perturbations/disruptions in CASoS have the potential for far-reaching effects due to highly-saturated interdependencies and allied vulnerabilities to cascades in associated systems. The Phoenix initiative approaches this high-impact problem space as engineers, devising interventions (problem solutions) that influence CASoS to achieve specific aspirations. CASoS embody the world's biggest problems and greatest opportunities: applications to real world problems are the driving force of our effort. We are developing engineering theory and practice together to create a discipline that is grounded in reality, extends our understanding of how CASoS behave, and allows us to better control those behaviors. Through application to real-world problems, Phoenix is evolving CASoS Engineering principles while growing a community of practice and the CASoS engineers to populate it.

Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems, or CASoS, are vastly complex ecological, sociological, economic and/or technical systems which we must understand to design a secure future for the nation and the world. Perturbations/disruptions in CASoS have the potential for far-reaching effects due to pervasive interdependencies and attendant vulnerabilities to cascades in associated systems. Phoenix was initiated to address this high-impact problem space as engineers. Our overarching goals are maximizing security, maximizing health, and minimizing risk. We design interventions, or problem solutions, that influence CASoS to achieve specific aspirations. Through application to real-world problems, Phoenix is evolving the principles and discipline of CASoS Engineering while growing a community of practice and the CASoS engineers to populate it. Both grounded in reality and working to extend our understanding and control of that reality, Phoenix is at the same time a solution within a CASoS and a CASoS itself.

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A joint project between the California and New Mexico branches of Sandia National Laboratories has demonstrated the formation of joint real-time federations of both distributed simulations and distributed simulation users under a common scenario. Two software integration frameworks were used to achieve the real-time federations. The IDSim framework, developed by Georgia Tech University and Sandia National Laboratories, was used to create the real-time federation of distributed simulations, in this case the BioDAC WMD simulation and the N-ABLE™ agent-based microeconomic simulation (more properly, because of the impact of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, an N-ABLE™ emulator). The GroupMeld™ multimedia synchronous collaboration framework, developed by Sandia, was used to create the real-time federation of simulation users and simulation analysis communities. The common scenario was the release of smallpox over San Diego, California, and the operating hypothesis was that the economy itself dampens the spread of a pathogen. In addition, a small pilot experiment using the joint federations allowed a greater range of crisis management options to be performed and evaluated than would have been possible without the use of the integration frameworks. © 2007 IEEE.

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Based primarily on the results of a month-long experiment and a crisis management exercise, synchronous multimedia collaboration within a taskoriented, time-constrained distributed team appears to exhibit three layers of structure. The first layer is episodic, and results in collections of related multimedia collaboration artifacts that can be called "chapters" or "scenes" in the collaboration. The second layer is the multivalent nature of collaboration, in which collaboration conversations at multiple subgroup levels take place at the same time. The third, top-level, layer is the agenda that drives the collaboration. The implications for the design of synchronous collaboration systems are that multiple views, representations, and metaphors for this conversation structure are needed. Chapter views, subgroup views, and agenda views are presented as alternative packaging mechanisms and entry points into the collaboration data. Other metaphors and presentations include the collaboration tree and infinitely recursive conference room, as well as network graphs of subgroup structure and agenda-based group awareness. © 2006 IEEE.

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The one-year Software Architecture LDRD (No.79819) was a cross-site effort between Sandia California and Sandia New Mexico. The purpose of this research was to further develop and demonstrate integrating software architecture frameworks for distributed simulation and distributed collaboration in the homeland security domain. The integrated frameworks were initially developed through the Weapons of Mass Destruction Decision Analysis Center (WMD-DAC), sited at SNL/CA, and the National Infrastructure Simulation & Analysis Center (NISAC), sited at SNL/NM. The primary deliverable was a demonstration of both a federation of distributed simulations and a federation of distributed collaborative simulation analysis communities in the context of the same integrated scenario, which was the release of smallpox in San Diego, California. To our knowledge this was the first time such a combination of federations under a single scenario has ever been demonstrated. A secondary deliverable was the creation of the standalone GroupMeld{trademark} collaboration client, which uses the GroupMeld{trademark} synchronous collaboration framework. In addition, a small pilot experiment that used both integrating frameworks allowed a greater range of crisis management options to be performed and evaluated than would have been possible without the use of the frameworks.

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We have extended the SI/PDO architecture to allow web access to visualization tools running on MP systems. We make these tools more easily accessible by providing web-based interfaces and by shielding the user from the details of these computing environments. We use a multi-tier architecture, where the Java-based GUI tier runs on a web browser and provides image display and control functions. The visualization tier runs on MP machines. The middle tiers provide custom communication with MP machines, remote file selection, remote launching of services, and load balancing. The system allows for adding and removing of tiers depending upon the situation. This architecture is based on the requirements of our environment: huge data volumes (that cannot be easily moved), use of multiple middleware protocols, MP platform portability, rapid development of the visualization tools, distributed resource management (of MP resources), and the use of existing visualization tools.