GIG/DISN Quality of Service and Service Level Agreement Management for Integrated Global Wireless Tactical Services Provider Network

Abstract

As the defense information systems network (DISN) transitions to a native-IP network supporting converged unclassified and secret data, voice, and video on the global information grid (GIG) backbone, an extensive quality of service (QoS) architecture will be required to effectively support real-time and mission critical traffic. Service level agreements (SLAs), which define the negotiated and contracted service between the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and it's customers, will rely on QoS policy implementations to ensure contracted service levels can be satisfied. Effectively managing SLAs can be challenging in fixed, wireline environments given the dynamic nature of packet-based traffic and varying mission priorities and requirements of the DoD. Extending these services into wireless tactical environments with mobile users and varying wireless link conditions and network topologies introduces additional complexity. With the emergence of standards-based commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies including 802.16, 802.20, and other OFDM-based technologies, broadband wireless networks may soon provide a last-mile tactical extension of the DISN/GIG. Supporting real-time and mission critical services across these wireless networks involves traditional IP QoS mechanisms as well as additional link layer QoS mechanisms to dynamically and intelligently allocate RF spectrum among multiple users. To provide a more seamless extension of the DISN/GIG, these wireless networks must be capable of maintaining QoS and SLAs that adhere to the GIG's end-to-end QoS policy. This paper addresses the following topics: the deployment of a GIG end-to-end QoS policy that meets the needs of the disadvantaged tactical warfighter; the challenge of deploying and managing a consistent end-to-end QoS policy when using network hardware with differing QoS capabilities; and the evaluation of QoS and SLAs management, and policy-based QoS