Composable M&S Web Services for Net-Centric Applications Andreas Tolk Charles D. Turnitsa Saikou Y. Diallo Virginia Modeling, Analysis & Simulation Center Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 23529 [atolk,cturnits,sdiallo]@odu.edu Leslie S. Winters J6I Net-centric Information Integration/U.S. Joint Forces Command Norfolk, VA 23551 leslie.winters@jfcom.mil JDMS, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2006 Pages 27–44 © 2006 The Society for Modeling and Simulation International Service-oriented architectures promise easier integration of functionality in the form of web services into operational systems than is the case with interface-driven system-oriented approaches. Although the Extensible Markup Language (XML) enables a new level of interoperability among heterogeneous systems, XML alone does not solve all interoperability problems users contend with when integrating services into operational systems. To manage the basic challenges of service interoperation, we developed the Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model (LCIM) to enable a layered approach and gradual solution improvements. Furthermore, we developed methods of model-based data engineering (MBDE) for semantically consistent service integration as a irst step. These methods have been applied in the U.S. in collaboration with industry resulting in proofs of concepts. The results are directly applicable in a net-centric and net-enabled environment. Keywords: Data engineering, data mediation services, global information grid, net centricity, net-centric data strategy, service-oriented architecture, web services 1. Introduction The reuse of legacy solutions and the composition of solutions to create a new system are the objectives of many commercial and government driven initiatives. These initiatives include both national inter-agency solutions and multilateral collaborations among nations. This is especially true for modeling and simulation (M&S) applications and their use within operational systems for training, testing, and decision support. These ideas are supported by the request to use web-based services to support net-centric and net-enabled operations. While the advent of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Web Services (WSs) promised an easier integration of components into service-oriented architectures (SOAs), a theory of composability shows that more than technical interoperability is needed to ensure the meaningful collaboration of systems and services. Pety and Weisel speciically deal with this topic [1]. One of the immediate challenges is the mapping of information format and content to enable consistent information exchange between systems and services. The theory of data engineering, as discussed by Spaccapietra et al. [2] and adapted for the military domain, speciically for M&S integration within NATO’s Code of Best Practice for Command and Control Assessment [3], deals with this challenge. A Common Reference Model (CRM) is proposed for eicient information exchange between systems and services belonging to one community of interest (COI). In the military domain, the Command and Control Information Exchange Data Model JDMS vol 3 no 1 Jan 2006 reg 8-127 27 8/15/2006 2:19:10 PM