The Integrated Information Framework: supporting interoperability between collaborative enterprise systems

The consolidation of existing modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) environments into a single object-oriented environment under the Air Force Integrated Collaborative Environment (AF-ICE) program has created a need for a framework to support cross domain interoperability for a heterogeneous mix of platforms and tools. The integrated information framework (I2F) was established to provide the services and resources necessary to support this interoperability between collaborative enterprise solutions utilized throughout the lifecycle of large scale live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) events. This interoperability allows AF-ICE community members to continue using their existing collaborative systems for local development of work products, while also contributing to the development of work products across organizational boundaries and systems. The I2F provides a focused virtual work environment tying together people and assets necessary to support various MS&A activities and includes an interoperable document management system, a community of practice knowledge sharing capability, adaptive MS&A event management process workflows/descriptions, and an adaptive, knowledge database/repository. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of I2F and its key concepts, an explanation of the concept of operations for distributed document management between collaborative systems, and information regarding the development of the initial operating capabilities realized through the specification of an interoperability services framework that standardizes communication between the I2F and collaborative systems.