Intelligence and Defense Systems

Vastly More Complex Than Ever Before

The current generation of civil, intelligence, and defense systems are required to support, process, and facilitate accurate decision-making based on data and business rules that are vastly more complex than ever before.

Even though the requirements are greater and more work is being performed, systems are still required to deliver real-time performance. The ever-increasing complexity of the application data itself limits the usefulness of traditional (i.e. relational database) storage management technologies.

C2 and C4I2 Result in Complex Networks of Information

For example, military forces are using more intelligent, software-based systems in areas like command and control, battlefield simulation, weapons guidance, and wireless communications. Common factors underlying each of these arenas include complexity of data, the need for real-time performance, 24x7 availability, and low/no maintenance. Application requirements in the intelligence and civil arenas are not much different.

Versant's object data management technology is playing an ever-increasing role across civil, military, and intelligence applications in the United States and abroad. Versant's technology has allowed government agencies to rapidly deploy complex applications supporting mission critical functions in areas where traditional data management architectures have failed.

Versant has been used in many significant government, defense, and intelligence applications. Some examples of applications where Versant has been used include:

These applications require a new approach to the development of applications that manage complex data. The Versant object database does just that. Versant is a 7th generation database system that combines the ability to directly manage the complex, graph structured data inherent in the advanced applications being developed today with direct access from today's most prevalent programming languages. From its inception, Versant has been architected to achieve the highest levels of performance and 24x7 reliability in concurrent, highly distributed environments. As a result, the Versant object database gives complex applications an off-the-shelf tool to rapidly and efficiently solve problems that have to date been difficult, or sometimes even impossible, to solve using older storage management technologies.

Round Peg in a Square Hole

As in other industries, the acceptance and use of Object-Oriented (OO) modelling methodologies and programming languages has been widespread. One of the benefits of OO in defense and elsewhere is the relative ease with which a complex, multi-dimensional graph of data representing the "real world" from the application's point of view can be implemented. Along with the benefit, however, comes the challenge that lies in the management of that data when simple memory residence is not sufficient. Traditional data management technologies are not well suited to persisting complex hierarchies of data, while home-grown file-based solutions provide the storage but fail to provide the robustness and ACID (atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) properties of a commercial database product.

Versant's object database technology provides direct mapping of complex data to the database; the data model in memory is the data model on disk. Effectively, with Versant as the database, the application has a round hole for its pegs to go in.

The Persistence Solution for Challenging Applications

As mentioned previously, Versant systems are widely and increasingly deployed across the civil, defense, and intelligence arenas around the globe. Many of the deployments are too sensitive in nature for them to be mentioned specifically in this document. However, a few that can be mentioned include:

• Lockheed Martin leverages Versant technology for US Navy based on-board missile guidance systems, LAMPS flight simulation applications, integrated warfare systems, and the War Games 2000 warfare simulation systems
• TRW finds value in Versant for satellite intelligence as well as Command and Control Systems
• National Missile Defense (NMD) Program utilizes Versant in various missile applications
• Sagem's MetaMorpho is a Versant-based fingerprint recognition system is the most advanced in the world. Customers include the FBI, New York Dept. of Criminal Justice, US Postal Inspection Service, US Secret Service, and other law enforcement and civil organizations across the country
• General Dynamics' use of Versant as the foundation for decision support in requirements such as Battlespace Information Management Systems and their DARPA Ship Systems Automation (SSA) program
• Thales, where Versant is used for Navy airborne systems, in the SICF Command and Control systems, and in the Atlas-Canon automated field artillery support systems
• Nexor, whose Versant-powered LDAP/X.500 Directory systems are world-class, and deployed in the communications systems of many of the world's defense forces, including in the USA, Canada and UK
• Northrop Grumman recently deployed Versant for its Air Force Weather Forecasting System
• In Germany, ESG makes extensive use of the Versant technology in the Adler artillery computer systems, as well as the Heros C3i systems for the German Army, the Bundeswehr.
• BAE SYSTEMS uses Versant for UK military communications, command and control systems
• US State Department uses Versant as the basis for its Tracker application. Tracker is a cross-platform export control and communication system developed by FGM to track near real-time movement of strategic, dual-use and sensitive materials for countries around the world.

As can be seen, the application uses of Versant are wide and varied. Versant's ability to support rapid prototyping and deployment of applications that manage complex data structures has been the key to its success in this market. Versant is able to deliver the performance, reliability, and flexible data modelling required by the next generation of government applications. From its inception, Versant has been architected for and deployed in high-availability 24x7 environments.

Due to the confidential nature of our customers’ projects, example Success Stories are not published.