Running Head: SCIDS MASTER CONTROL PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
SCIDs Master Control Product Description
Matt Bartkus
Dominic Brooks
Joshua Cruz
Evan Savaria
Daniel Swift
Xiao Lin
Janet Brunelle
Old Dominion University
May 8th, 2014
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SCIDS MASTER CONTROL PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Table of Contents
1 Introduction – Evan Savaria……………………………………………………………………3
2 SCIDs Master Control Product Description – Xiao Lin……………………………………….4
2.1 Key Product Features and Capabilities – Xiao Lin…………………………………..5
2.2 Major Components – Dominic Brooks………………………………………………6
3 Identification of Case Study – Evan Savaria…………………………………………………..8
4 SCIDs Master Control Product Prototype Description – Daniel Swift………………………...9
4.1 Prototype Architecture – Matt Bartkus……………………………………………..10
4.2 Prototype Features and Capabilities – Joshua Cruz………………………………...12
4.3 Prototype Development Challenges – Joshua Cruz………………………………...13
Glossary………………………………………………………………………………………….15
References………………………………………………………………………………………..16
List of Figures
Figure 1. Major Functional Component Diagram.
Figure 2. SCIDs Master Control Prototype Major Functional Component Diagram
Figure 3. SCID Master Control Risk Matrix
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SCIDs Master Control Product Description
Introduction – Evan Savaria
Communication during disaster relief efforts becomes unreliable and ineffective when
terrestrial networks are damaged. Unreliable and ineffective communication disrupts the
coordination of relief efforts and the collection of vital information to responders. Telephone
communications typically work flawless until a disaster strikes and the networks are flooded
resulting in a crash. During 9/11 hundreds failed to receive warning due to the mass of
communication trying to be established rendering the telephone networks useless. When
hurricane Katrina hit the New Orleans it caused a catastrophic loss of communication. Hard
wired lines which included phone and fiber were terminated. Cellphone towers were damaged to
the point of no use and electricity which powered these forms of communication was down. Had
a SCID system been deployed more lives would have been saved.
When thinking about interoperability public safety first comes to mind. Planning for
interoperability can be as simple as upgrading and replacing radio communication systems. The
nationwide investment in radio systems and infrastructures is substantial. SCIDS is designed to
reduce costs and improve interoperability.
The ideal solution needed would be a system where communications between first
responders and agencies was uninterrupted. In order to achieve this solution the users much use
an ad-hoc network this way there will be built in redundancy if a handheld device were to go out
of service. As more devices join the network, there are consequently more links that can be used
to transmit data. In addition, the range of the network grows as outlying SCIDs join the network.
Another characteristic of the solution would be storage. Every message that is sent from device
to device or device to base is recorded in a massive database stored remotely. Another advantage
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is this allows agencies to train new users with real world scenarios and review what exactly went
on when and where to improve their service.
The SCIDS project aims to solve the communication issues of first responders in an
inexpensive, versatile and efficient manner. SCIDS Master Control serves as an interface and
database that passes dispatch orders from the relief command center to response teams and
taking in response team reports through the SCIDS data protocol. Its secondary function is to
update national relief databases in an effort to coordinate the overall relief in the event of a
disaster. Master Control insures a streamlined User-Friendly Interface, Robust and versatile alert
system, and interoperability with other devices.
SCIDs Master Control Product Description – Xiao Lin
SCID is an ad-hoc communications system designed to replace the current first
responder’s communications system when disasters and other impacts render normal
communication methods unreliable. The robustness of the system is one of SCID’s main
characteristic and it will work reliably during a disaster. The ad-hoc network allows anyone with
a SCID handheld device to join the network upon entering the network range and communicate
and share data with other SCID devices or control center. The SCID comes with three major
components: master control, data protocol, and handheld devices.
SCIDS Master Control serves as an interface and database passing dispatch orders from
the relief command center to response teams and taking in response team reports through the
SCIDS data protocol. Its secondary function is to update national relief databases in an effort to
coordinate the overall relief effort in the event of a disaster. The master control handles incoming
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and outgoing alerts, manages data and user group over the network, and communicates with
other relief organizations such as FEMA.
The SCIDS project aims to solve the aforementioned issues of interoperation and
communication first responders have, in an inexpensive, versatile and efficient manner. With
SCID, a first responder is able to communicate with other first responders and control center
even if a direct link is unavailable due to the ad-hoc structure. The SCID enables data stored on
one device to be accessible from all other SCID devices and control center within the network
with DHT. As for master control, we aim to provide security with user group and encryption
throughout the system.
Key Product Features and Capabilities – Xiao Lin
The SCID ad hoc network makes it possible for the devices to communicate even when
other forms of communication are unavailable. As more devices join the network, there are
consequently more links that can be used to transmit data. In addition, the range of the network
grows as outlying SCIDs join the network. Occasionally, it may become necessary to bridge two
clusters of SCIDs to ensure network connectivity between them. This can be accomplished by
placing SCIDs designated as repeaters in strategic areas.
Furthermore, the ad hoc network will provide the means to share a portion of SCID
storage with other SCIDs. The SCID will require local storage for the operating system (OS)
and required software, but a portion of the overall storage can be designated as shared storage. A
distributed hash table (DHT) can be used to facilitate the sharing of data. A DHT has the
following attributes: the storage is distributed to all the nodes, the network will be repaired
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quickly when nodes fail, and the nodes can join and leave dynamically (Zhang, Wen, Xie, & Yu,
2013). These characteristics make it a practical choice.
Finally, the ad hoc network provides a means for distributed computing. Data stored in a
Structured Query Language (SQL) format across different SCIDs can be queried. Given that the
data is distributed, each SCID will only be required to run the query on a small portion of the
data. The portions can then be combined to provide a final result.
Major Components – Dominic Brooks
Below is a figure detailing the major components required for the product.
Figure 1. Major Functional Component Diagram
As indicated in Figure 1, in terms of hardware, the Master Control portion of the SCIDs
solution requires user terminals and database servers. The user terminals are used to respond to
incoming alerts from the SCIDs devices, as well as construct and transmit alerts from Master
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Control to the devices. In addition, the overarching organizations such as FEMA are updated
with the status and details of the relief effort through the user terminals. Serving as a repository
of all data collected during the relief effort, the database servers are also used for additional
redundancy of data. This allows the devices to access data that is otherwise required for the
operations, but doesn't exist on any single device's storage.
Within the software department, Master Control requires software that can manage a
database, implement a Graphical User Interface (GUI), execute defined algorithms and allow for
execution of the test harness. The database is to be implemented using My Structured Query
Language (MySQL), a popular programming language specifically catered towards database
management. A user-friendly GUI is to be displayed on the terminals, allowing users to perform
requisite tasks, such as constructing an alert, responding to alerts, and accessing relevant data.
There are three user roles for the system: an Administrator, having the rights to read, write and
delete data, as well as create and manage instances of each user role, a Moderator, having the
rights to read, write and delete data, as well as create and manage instances of the User role, and
the User role, having the rights to only access data. Each user role is displayed an appropriate
GUI on the terminal. The test harness is to have a GUI that will allow users to perform any
requisite testing of the system.
Several algorithms are required for the solution, specifically algorithms to perform the
following tasks: sorting the data, searching through the data, encryption and decryption
algorithms, retrieving the number of devices on the network and sending and receiving alerts.
There are varying types of data that can be sorted in various ways according to various attributes,
such as title or date and time, thus requiring a versatile sorting routine. Searching for data can
also be performed according to the same schema as the sorting routine. Security is very
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important, as there may be confidential and sensitive information present within the system, thus
requiring routines for encryption and decryption of data sent across the network. For
management and informational purposes, an algorithm that retrieves and displays the number of
devices on the network is required. Sending and receiving alerts is a core function of Master
Control, as Master Control serves as headquarters, and needs to be kept up to date as to the
events transpiring in the disaster zone, as well as updating the responders through the devices
with any changes or news.
Identification of Case Study – Evan Savaria
MITRE is a non-profit organization that operates research and development centers
sponsored by the federal government. The development centers which provide scientific research
and analysis help to solve their sponsor’s problems. Congress chartered MITRE to work for the
public’s interest therefore there are no owners or shareholders.
MITRE works directly with government relief agencies such as The US Department of
Defense and US Department of Homeland Security. These partnerships are essential when
applying systems engineering and advanced technology to address issues critical to the nation’s
wellbeing.
MITRE’s proposed solution is to implement communication infrastructure devices that
form an ad-hoc network and can be used by first responders. This solution is named SCIDs. Each
SCID device will automatically recognize neighboring devices and connect accordingly. The
master control portion of SCIDS will serve as an interface and database that passes dispatch
orders from the relief command center to response teams and taking in response team reports
through the SCIDS data protocol. Overall the system will successfully coordinate relief efforts
during the event of a disaster and quickly earn its reputation as “always ready”.
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SCIDs Master Control Product Prototype Description – Daniel Swift
Database functionality
The SCIDS database is used to keep a record of emergency events. It consists of four
tables, one to hold a listing of the emergencies themselves, one for the government agencies
assigned to deal with the situations, one for the personnel dispatched by the the agencies, and
finally one table for the equipment carried by the personnel to the emergency zones.
The type of data stored in each table is specific to the entity it represents. The events
table, for example, holds information pertaining the the event's name, description, date and time
the event took place, the names of the government agencies assigned to deal with the emergency,
and a query link to the agency's entry in the organization table.
The organization table represents the one or more government agencies assigned to deal
with the emergency in question. This table consists of information such as organization name,
description, the identification numbers of the agency employees dispatched to the emergency
location, and a query link to the employee's entry in the personnel table.
The personnel table holds a listing of the agency employees who were dispatched to
directly handle the emergency in question. This table consists of information such as personnel
ID, first and last name of the employee, name of the organization he/she belongs to, the
employee's job title, and the identification number of the equipment the employee is carrying to
the emergency zone. The entry of the equipment ID is also a query link to it's entry in the
equipment table.
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Finally, the equipment table lists all of the equipment carried by agency employees to the
emergency location. It consists, of the equipment identification number, name, type, description,
manufacturer's name, and the manufacturer's identification number.
Simulated Data Protocol
Using a virtual machine, stored on the ODU CS Network, the SCIDS Master Control
Application will continuously send data to and from the database. The Simulate Data Protocol
(SDP) will be the networking protocol used to orchestrate the procedures for this data transfer.
Simulated External Agency Database
This is the database for various government agencies. It is constantly used and updated
by the SCIDS Master Control Application.
Prototype Architecture – Matt Bartkus
Figure 2. SCIDs Master Control Prototype Major Functional Component Diagram
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Figure 2 is the major functional component diagram for the Sub-$100 Communication
Infrastructure Devices (SCIDs) master control prototype. The hardware used for the prototype
will consist of a virtual machine on the Old Dominion University Computer Science
Department's network. This machine will be a simulation of the server and user terminals
featured in the real world product. The software developed for this project will be installed,
tested, and run on this machine. This software will consist of a database, a graphical user
interface (GUI), the Master Control application, and a test harness consisting of simulations of
the SCIDs data protocol and relief agency databases. The prototype will allow users to enter
data into the database, view and interact with existing data in the database, receive data
information from the simulated data protocol, send messages to the simulated data protocol, and
send information to the simulated relief agency databases.
There will be five main data types used in the database: Device, Personnel, Agency,
Event, and Equipment. Each will be represented by a unique identification number, contain
information regarding their current availability or status, and contain latitude and longitude
coordinates representing their current location. The database will allow users to classify data as
sensitive or confidential, limiting the ability of other agencies and users to view and manipulate
that data. As mentioned in section 2.2, the database will be constructed using My Structured
Query Language (MySQL).
The user will interact with the database through the use of the Master Control application,
which will include a graphical user interface. The user roles of the real world product will be
included in the prototype, as well as a new tester role which will have all the functionality of an
administrator and the ability to utilize the test harness. Users will be able to view specific data
by type, sort data by fields such as identification number, search for specific information in the
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database, send messages, send orders, add data by type, edit data information, remove data
entries, add new users, and remove current users from the system. The graphical user interface
will consist of a simple, tab-based visual interface that will allow users to interact with the
Master Control application and database through the use of control features such as buttons, text
fields, check boxes, combo boxes, and menus.
As mentioned above, the test harness will consist of a simulated data protocol and
simulated relief agency database. The simulated data protocol will allow testers to send
information to and receive messages or orders from the Master Control application and the
simulated agency databases will allow testers to send information from the Master Control
database to another database. These simulated components, the database, and the Master Control
application will allow the prototype to demonstrate the key features of the Master Control
product. These features consist of the ability to send and receive messages from the data
protocol system, send information to external databases, provide a simple to use user interface,
and allow interoperability between agencies. They are discussed in greater detail in the
following section.
Prototype Features and Capabilities – Joshua Cruz
The goal of the SCID Master Control prototype is to demonstrate the three major
capabilities of the SCID system: the ability to send and receive packets within the SCIDS system
to its database and to outside databases, ease of use through intuitive user interfaces, and
interoperability between first responder organizations. This functionality will be demonstrated
through the use of the unified test harness mentioned in the previous section of the product
description document. The test harness, using the protocol outlined by the SCIDs "Talkie" team
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and the data formats specified by both "Walkie" and ourselves, will generate a series of events
within a given area in order to simulate a natural disaster. Incoming data from the test harness
will be organized and stored based on various categories outlined in the algorithms section of the
product description document, such as event type and priority. Testers can take the role of
dispatchers at local terminals and add or edit event or first responder data within the database.
Users can also assign events to nearby qualified first responders listed within the database. The
Master Control prototype will also demonstrate basic administrative functionality such as role
based user restrictions and administrative ability to add and remove users from the database.
Prototype Development Challenges – Joshua Cruz
Figure 3: SCID Master Control Risk Matrix
Figure 3 contains the overall risks associated with the final SCIDs Master Control
product. Of these events three were recognized as relevant to the development of a prototype and
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only one will be directly addressed within the prototype itself. These three development
challenges are duplicate events, data security, and interfacing with existing communication
structures. In the event that two events are submitted to the database from the same location with
the same time stamp and description the second event will be deleted to prevent duplicate events
from being stored in the database. Data security is a high priority within the SCIDs system and in
the final product all incoming and outgoing data will be encrypted, however data encryption
within the prototype will not be necessary for the sake of proof of concept. Similarly, the final
SCID product should be able to interface with outside communication structures, however the
prototype will not contain this functionality.
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Glossary
Administrator (Admin): Highest level system user type intended for SCIDs personnel and
incident commanders
DHT: Distributed Hash Table
FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency
GUI: Graphical User Interface
Moderator: Middle level system user type intended for agency supervisors
MySQL: My Structured Query Language
SCID(s): Sub-$100 Communication Infrastructure Device(s)
Talkie: SCIDs Data Protocol team
UI: User Interface
User: Lowest level system user type intended for agency dispatchers
Walkie: SCIDs Hand-Held Device team
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References
"Awards and Recognition." The MITRE Corporation. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2014.
<http://www.mitre.org/about/awards-and-recognition?page=1>.
Haddow, G. D., & Haddow, K. (2009). Disaster communications in a changing media world.
Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Jenkins, W. O. (2003). Homeland security challenges in achieving interoperable
communications for first responders. Washington, D.C.: U.S. General.
Zhang, H., Wen, Y., Xie, H., & Yu, N., (2013). Distributed hash table: Theory, platforms and
applications. New York, NY: Springer.
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