Over the years, the military has spent time quantifying a data intelligence and dissemination process. This is called the processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED) process. A basic overview is provided in Figure 1.
Figure 1
While the process is solid, changing data and warfare dynamics require updates to maintain efficiency, performance, and the ability to adapt to quickly shifting battlefield conditions. Specifically, there are two fundamental challenges that impede the PED process:
The first issue starts with data overload, which then leads to poor situational awareness. The data overload comes from a phenomenal amount of sensor data that is being collected from a multitude of sources like: communication systems, aircraft, battlefield sensors, space equipment, and electronic warfare systems. This data must be quickly collated, deduplicated, filtered, and sent on to the right analysis tool for examination. Current analysis systems, of which many are still based on older technology, struggle to keep up (if they don’t flat fall behind) with higher data rates and higher data volumes.
The second challenge is that the PED process needs to be sped up so that warfighters get more actionable intelligence in a timely fashion. For instance, it doesn’t help to get really great actionable intelligence that tells you a munition is on the way, but you get that great intelligence 1 second before impact. You need at least a smidgeon of time to do something with that useful information — whether it’s neutralize the threat, protect the troops, or retaliate correctly. If the processing and analysis time can be reduced, while everything else remains the same, then a 1 day, 1 hour, or even a 10-minute increase in the relay of that actionable information could have a significant positive effect for the warfighting team by giving them more time to react to the valuable information.
Figure 2 shows a typical data intelligence process from start to finish — data is collected, condensed into information, disseminated to the proper channels, and then used as part of the warfighting mechanism.
Figure 2
So how do we improve both situations? First, it would be beneficial to condense the PED portion and the data collection time, if possible. Once this is accomplished, the warfighting team will instantly have that much more time to react — whether it’s minutes, hours or days. This concept is illustrated in Figure 3.
Figure 3
However, as Figure 4 illustrates, there are three fundamental choke points in the data analysis process that need to be addressed:
Figure 4
A unique solution from Axellio allows you to alleviate all three of the areas with one solution. The Axellio SensorXpress software uses the following features to optimize sensor data collection as well as data distribution to analysis tools:
By combining these features to create a high speed (200 Gbps ingest, storage, and distribute in 1 RU), high volume (up to 1.2 petabyte in 1 RU that can be rack & stacked for larger storage needs), multi-tasked environment, it is possible to reduce data overload and reduce PED processing time by up to 90%, depending upon the situation. This time savings can then be passed on directly to the warfighting team.
For instance, most analysis tools operate in the 10 to 40 Gbps range. By taking in the large data rates found on battlefield sensors (100+ Gbps), SensorXpress can then break apart data streams to organize and optimize before it is sent to multiple analysis tools for data inspection and consolidation into actionable information.
Let’s assume that data comes in at 100 Gbps for a typical flow. If your tool can’t handle that 100 Gbps, say it operates at 10 Gbps, then the data overflows the analysis tool and that data is either lost, or must be excessively retransmitted (which causes more delay, congestion, and tool memory issues). The data could also get stored in a data lake or other storage solution but the rate of data being fed into the tools would have to be significantly decreased for the tool to process that extra data. An analogy would be like pouring water into a glass. If you pour too much, then the water will spill out over the top of the glass and you either lose the water or the excess water gets caught by some catchment system to be consumed at some later date.
In this scenario, you have two types of delay — the max tool input data rate delay and the time it takes the tool to then analyze the data. See Figure 5 for an illustration of the process.
Figure 5
With the Axellio solution, we process that incoming data at the full 100 Gbps. We can then simultaneously distribute the data to multiple tools, so they process that data at the line rate of 100 Gbps. There is still a processing delay within the tool to analyze the data, but you have decreased your total delay by around 90%. That’s a phenomenal improvement!
Today’s RF threats require tomorrow’s technology. Move the PED cycle needle by supercharging the Processing & Exploitation steps to compress the typical PED process. Axellio’s SensorXpress is a COTS software solution that combines the right data consolidation and processing features, along with an extremely low SWaP footprint to deliver a ruggedized, military grade data optimization solution that is guaranteed to optimize the PED process. SensorXpress is a software-based, hardware agnostic solution that allows it to be used in small, forward-deployed locations or in rear-area C2 data analysis solutions.
If you want additional information, check out the Axellio SensorXpress webpage.