LOS ANGELES, CA
July 15, 2008

A breakthrough technology was recently introduced that enables organizations deploying advanced wireless networks to both rapidly develop solutions and produce effective training simulations from their development work.

“Software virtual networks” (SVNs) can now be built that enable engineers to evaluate new components and technologies rapidly and at much lower cost than previously possible. Because of their high-fidelity emulation of physical networks, SVNs also provide a robust platform to conduct operations training with high levels of realism, much like the flight simulators used to train pilots.

Scalable Network Technologies (SNT), a Los Angeles-based provider of highly sophisticated software and technical services for wireless network development, developed this new technology, which will be launched under the brand name EXataTM in the fourth quarter of 2008.

A Case Study – U.S. Army Future Combat Systems

Future Combat Systems (FCS) is the U.S. Army’s program to provide soldiers the best equipment and technology available as soon as practical. FCS integrates emerging technologies with new Brigade Combat Teams to build a fighting force with more infantry, better equipment, unmatched situational awareness, and more reliable communications. The goals: complete domination in asymmetric ground warfare and self-sustaining forces in remote areas.

FCS is a network-centric military program, and communications are a critical force multiplier. FCS Combat Teams will use wireless mobile ad-hoc networks, or MANETs, for tactical communications. MANET performance is affected by factors like traffic load, mobility, terrain, and environment, which can cause dramatic changes in capacity, end-to-end signal latency, and message completion rates.

To add realism to its testing efforts, FCS developed the System of Systems Simulation Environment (FSE) to inject real-world effects into communications technology development. A key capability in the FSE is the communication effects server (CES) that can accurately and dynamically assess end-end performance of a traffic mix with Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. Rather than build the CES from scratch, an early architectural decision was to leverage the capabilities of the QualNet network simulator, developed by SNT. (see footnote 1)

New Levels of Realism in Test and Evaluation

The CES developed for FCS focuses on calculating reachability, whether a message reaches its intended destination, and latency, whether the digital packets carrying the message arrive in proper sequence or are interrupted, causing communication loss. Once these calculations are made, engineers work on solutions for improving these performance characteristics in the various network components.

It is at this point in the wireless network development cycle that EXata’s next-generation capabilities can add a whole new dimension of development power. EXata uses a technology called true emulation to create SVNs, exact digital or “virtual” duplicates of live physical components in complex networks. Any hardware, software, or human user connected to this emulated network is not able to tell the difference between a real network component and its emulated replacement.

EXata breaks new ground in speed and fidelity compared to competitive simulation and emulation systems. The underlying computer code, known as the kernel, is built with patent-pending computationally efficient code that dramatically increases speed and accuracy on any computing platform. EXata is the only emulation system that can use advanced parallel processing to digitally represent every layer in the wireless communications protocol “stack."

Network emulation with EXata also replaces physical testbeds, which enables engineers to test and evaluate potential solutions much earlier in the design process, at a fraction of the cost. EXata also produces far superior predictability of actual performance. As a result, many more potential solutions can be tested and evaluated, allowing engineers to solve more problems with fewer technical compromises.

From Testing to Training

In this example, the emulations developed during test and evaluation of alternative solutions would give operations teams a ready-made platform with which to conduct highly realistic scenario training exercises. The level of realism EXata delivers for this kind of training solution is unsurpassed, and can serve to prepare forces like FCS Brigade Combat Teams for a wide variety of communications scenarios they are likely to encounter in battlefield conditions.

footnote 1 R. Bagrodia, K. Tang, S. Goldman, and D. Kumar, “An Accurate, Scalable Communication Effects Server for the FCS System of Systems Simulation Environment,” Proceedings of the 2006 Winter Simulation Conference. Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited, TACOM 8-2-2006, case 06-173