SIMON: Simulation and Modeling for SANs

The use of Net-Centric Enterprise Services (NCES) to provide ubiquitous access to information within the Department of Defense presents challenges in both the design and implementation of these systems. The need to provide information to the war-fighter in a timely manner while maintaining the security of the system in challenging environments far exceeds the capabilities of present day enterprise storage solutions. New technologies are becoming available that promise the ability to go beyond present limitations and create a data infrastructure for the DoD. These systems would allow the information to be quickly disseminated to the field where it is needed while maintaining the requisite level of security. The present challenge facing the DoD is properly identifying the roles of these emerging technologies and evaluating candidate designs for their deployment in the field. To address this need Architecture Technology Corporation (ATC) and the University of Minnesota are proposing the creation of SIMON (Simulation and Modeling for SANs) which will provide the DoD with the means to evaluate potential storage solutions and technologies through simulation and modeling. This approach will allow the impact of various technologies and design decisions within NCES to be evaluated quickly and efficiently.