| As the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) transitions to a native-IP network supporting converged unclassified and secret data, voice, and video on the Global Information Grid (GIG) backbone, an extensive Quality of Service (QoS) architecture will be required to support real-time and mission critical traffic. Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which define the negotiated and contracted service between the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and it’s customers (DOD Services and Agencies), will rely on QoS policy implementations to ensure contracted service levels can be satisfied. Effectively managing SLAs can be challenging in fixed, wireline environments given the dynamic nature of packet-based traffic and varying mission priorities and requirements of the DOD. Extending these services into tactical environments with mobile users and varying wireless link conditions introduces additional complexity.
With the emergence of standards-based COTS technologies including 802.16 and 802.20, broadband wireless networks could soon provide a last-mile tactical extension of the DISN/GIG. Supporting real-time and mission critical services across wireless networks involves IP QoS as well as link layer QoS mechanisms to dynamically and intelligently allocate RF spectrum among multiple users. To provide a seamless extension of the DISN/GIG, these wireless networks must be capable of maintaining QoS and SLAs that adhere to the GIG’s End-to-End QoS policy. With the goal of initiating research in this critical area, this paper will address the following topics: the deployment of a GIG enterprise level End-to-End QoS policy that meets the needs of the disadvantaged tactical Warfighter; the challenge of deploying a consistent End-to-End QoS policy when using wireless network hardware with differing QoS capabilities; the evaluation of tactical application QoS requirements; and the evaluation of QoS and SLA management, data collection and reporting for policy-based QoS.
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