Client: United States Navy

Client Challenge

Differing approaches to managing parts of its Fleet network was hampering the Navy’s ability to gain overall network command and control. Fleet NOCs provided e-mail, web, DNS and other operational services, including network management support for pier-side and shore-facing shipboard network elements. The Navy realized that Fleet NOC needed many enhancements and additional functionality that would require changes to its management system.

Users of the Fleet NOCs needed more visibility into outages within the Fleet’s IT infrastructure than the current system provided. Their vision was to more effectively and efficiently manage the network by consolidating status, fault, performance, and trouble management data into a single cohesive system. To effectively support the warfighter with actionable real-time battle information over the network, the Navy also needed to develop leading network management practices, technologies and processes for both the afloat and the ashore networks.

To make the needed improvements, the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) asked Windward to review the requirements for managing the Fleet network infrastructures and make recommendations for a new network management architecture that would give the Navy unified control of the Fleet network as a whole. SPAWAR also asked Windward to develop a comprehensive and consistent network management Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for both the afloat and ashore networks.

IT Solution

Drawing on a Joint Task Force-Chief of Naval Operations CONOPS and other previously developed studies, Windward reviewed content developed by the Prime Contractor and created network management system technical sections for the document. The new sections included the capability description, analysis summary, concept of operations, program summary, initial and full operating capability summaries, requirements matrices with mappings to business objectives, and graphical depictions of high level workflow for the user and BAH. Additionally, Windward developed the Fleet NOC Relocate and the Automate/Remote Tech Control studies for the Tactical Switching GNOC Migration.

Building on the previous information developed by Windward and its partner, Gartner Consulting, the Windward team developed a CONOPS that brings together network management organizational structure, processes and technical functionality for each of the defined common functional network management areas. Windward leveraged its experience regarding the ashore and afloat network management environments and developed a comprehensive CONOPS for robust, consistent and flexible afloat-to-ashore operations that provides an intelligent status feed to DoD’s broader Global Information Grid as required by the Joint Command model. Additionally, the team developed a high-level transition plan for planning and implementing the CONOPS. Windward continues to support SPAWAR to develop the operational processes to implement this CONOPS.

In partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton, Windward also implemented an initial operating capability of a manager-of-managers solution in CONUS regional fleet NOCs (RNOCs). The solution collects information from the existing Ashore and Afloat management tools and provides integrated visual status displays for command and control situational awareness. The solution also provides failover redundancy between two RNOCs.

Guaranteed Result

Through its engagement with Windward, the United States Navy attained:

• The framework for ITIL-based operational process assessments in two regional NOCs that resulted in processes supporting tool consolidation at the NOCs and integration with Naval Computer & Telecommunications Area Master Stations.
• Unified command and control situational awareness of the Fleet network infrastructure, providing a single point of operational status and control for both Afloat and Ashore elements
• The operational and technical framework for consolidation and standardization of the Fleet’s network management toolsets