Software Engineering Institute

The four studies in this document are student contributions to the SEI Global Information Grid (GIG) Survivability Study. Each study explores an issue relevant to the survivability of networks which are systems of systems. Since the GIG is inherently a system of systems, the survivability of operational concepts such as Joint Battle Management Command and Control (JBMC2) will largely depend on the extent to which GIG architecture is approached from this perspective. Systems of systems differ from large, monolithic systems because of the simultaneous independence and interdependence of their constituent parts, and therefore traditional survivability methods are not sufficient. To deal with the operational complexity resulting from qualities peculiar to systems of systems, planners and builders of the GIG will need to formulate broad strategic approaches taking these qualities into account. These four studies have attempted to identify characteristics of systems of systems which may be useful in this endeavor. The specific areas explored in this document include the following: the applicability of autonomous agents in a system of systems; the suitability of conventional software testing in a system-of-systems environment; emergent properties and unanticipated consequences in a system of systems; the role of ontologies in systems-of-systems interoperability; the architectural properties and operational survivability effects of internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) technology.