TABLE OF CONTENTS This chapter describes our experiences with the design and implementation of a networked multimedia information management system in an object-oriented framework for distributed control applications, which has been achieved through a US Air Force project named HDIMI (Heterogeneous Distributed Information Management for the Infosphere) conducted by the University of Minnesota. The salient features of our framework are explained. Next, the chapter explores the challenges faced in integrating commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) object-oriented products into the framework, and how it affected the design and implementation. To demonstrate the capabilities of our system, we show a demonstration application for planning and monitoring air combat.
The objectives of the Heterogeneous Distributed Information Management for the Infosphere (HDIMI) project have their origin in C4I for the Warrior (C4 Architecture & Integration Division, 1993). That document stated the importance of providing individual warriors, whatever their role, with relevant and timely information from the global Infosphere (see Figure 1). More recently, DoD's Joint Vision 2010 (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1998) has emphasized the key role of information superiority in achieving military success. Information superiority leads to enhanced battlespace...
