Selecting distributed object technologies in the presence of uncertainty: an experience report on C4I enterprise modelling

The paper reports on the authors´ experience gained in deriving a reference model for command, control, communication, computers and intelligence (C41) architectures. The reference model addresses a dilemma faced by organisations today: choosing the right distributed object platform for domain-specific applications. In making such a choice, organisations face both technological and market uncertainty arising from the availability of multiple middleware platforms and the lack of mature distributed object solutions for specific domains. They present a general methodology to addresses both of these uncertainties. This methodology provides a basis for middleware-neutral specification of vertical domain architectures based on Reference Model Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP). They investigate the problem of mapping such a specification onto the capabilities of commercial middleware products. To address market uncertainty, the methodology incorporates results from the field of strategic planning embraced by many large enterprises-a scenario planning technique. They have successfully applied this methodology for several large corporations in Australia, including Australian Defence Forces (ADF)