Mapping distributed interactive simulation network requirements onto broadband networks and services

Just imagine, being able to immerse yourself into a virtual world where you could see the results of your actions with respect to other realistic entities (i.e. people, machines, environments) in a particular scenario. Then, imagine the expansion of this virtual world through the interaction of real-time distributed simulations. This interaction of real-time distributed simulations could greatly enhance education and training, operational verification of design, and mission rehearsal functions needed to support the defense and commercial industries. Through the advancements in technologies (i.e. visual systems, host processors, databases, and networks), we can now realize the expectations of this virtual world. This paper addresses the network requirements for a federal government initiative called Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS). Through our discussion of the DIS environment, we will identify the services and performance capabilities required of advanced network architectures, and relate these requirements to the proposed capabilities of the standard-based broadband technologies of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and synchronous optical network (SONET). We map the DIS network requirements to the capabilities inherent to these broadband technologies, and specify the access of those capabilities from the DIS application through the broadband network and services