Robust Web Services in Heterogeneous Military Networks

NATO Network Enabled Capability is firstand foremost about achieving better interactionbetween the different actors involved in militaryoperations. This implies more efficient exchangeof information. Consequently, the NATO informationinfrastructure will consist of a federationof systems, including a plethora of differentinformation and communication systems, as wellas a mix of new and legacy systems. NATO recommendsa service-oriented architectureapproach based on Web services to enable sucha federation. In this article we explain how thecommunication protocols normally used in Webservices are unsuited for disadvantaged and heterogeneousnetworks. We then present our prototypeproxy, which enables the use of standardunmodified Web services across all networktypes, including tactical networks with low datarates and frequent disruptions. It is designed towork with existing security mechanisms, and alsooffers further optimizations in the form ofoptional plug-ins.