PROPOSED NPIC INTEGRATED INFORMATION SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04747A001900010011-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 13, 2001
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: September 13, 1966
• Content Type: MF

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D B A ? T
September 1966
MEMORANDUM FOR. Deputy Director for Intelligence,
panning Officer
SUBJECT Proposed MC integrated Information System
R E E E Deputy Director for Computer Services
Memorandum, 1 September 1966, same
Subject (TC8-B048-66)
to date and their proposed conceptual design. Unfortunately,
. In accordance with your telephone request, we have reviewed
come-ate on the proposed V IC Integrated Information
System (ITS). has, within the short time allotted him
performed an extremely thorough and incisive review of the - work
as not fully aware 0
the background of the projec
rise to some of his '"serious doubts," In other cases he
taken the- statements out of the proper context.
The requirement laid upon ? was based on the major premise
NPIC`s automated information processing systems were redundant and
inefficient. This premise has been well documented by other survey
DECLASS REVIEW by NIMA/DOD
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example, the Land Panel and the Inspector General's survey.
There has never been any question within NPIC'a mind that a very major
improvement in NPIC'a internal data processing systems could and should
25X1A be made. Consequently, -was charged with analyzing the requirements
for digitized information handling within NPIC and with developing con-
cepts for more efficient and effective handling. The report presents a
system design concept and not a detailed system design; the detailed
design will be developed during Phase IL. functions and methods are
defined in this report as opposed to component specifications.
not asked to take the time to document the steps of their reasoning
process. 1 C/IPL representatives, however, participated in many of
pth of their analysis hecca very apparent when one questions
ecussiona and can vouch for the depth of their considerations.
various aspects of their conceptual design. In the proposed target
brief format, for example, they have included only that information
required by the P1 in the performance of his interpretation, and have
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requires .
excluded nothing which he nor .1,Y
3. The fact that the current 'system is not meeting needs as
expressed by customers is well established. As a result,-did not 2 X1A
feel it necessary to document, "how well the current system: is meeting
needs expressed by customer a," although in their survey of the
at great length various customers' desires and
Center needs. they The approach discussed of the atudy, and in fact the charge given
he Phase I contracts w'a to
ze the information processing pro-
; determine the actual. requirements, not of the
cedures within MC,
customers, but rather of the process itse
and develop a system to
fulfill these requirements. The point is that a customer is not needs-
sarily the best judge of his own data processing needs.
la ly's the solution of internal procedural end technic
problems) in and Of themselves, would not neceaaarily provide the degree
. We
of improvement in the overall system that we are striving for
for example, that much of the information contained in several
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files is redundant. Simple elimination of this redundancy would not
necessarily provide
concerning workloads during the F'Y 70-74 time frame, were used
improvement to the system. For these
reasons the - approach, with our concurrence, was to design a system
from scratch, using past NPIC experience as one of many factors in-
fluencing their design.
5. Under the above approach, the =assumptions, especially those 2 XIA
thecate peak load capabilities that will be needed. The objectives to
be attained were defined for M by NPIC's 5-Year Plan. They were further
defined by the design and evaluation criteria developed in conjunction
improvement.
ement. Most of the capabilities cone
now available. Those which are available will require considerable
with all NPIC
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. While we are striving for a considerable improvement in current
information processing procedures within NPIC, we have consistently
insisted that any design effort developed by E be capable of implementation
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e at least, to become a testing ground for questionable or unproven
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within the current state of the art. We do not desire, on a broad
theories. We will incorporate new techniques into the system
become available and we become convinced of their feasibility#
details of the final design will be subject to considerable refinement
work has resulted in a conceptual design. The specific
he concepts
are being reviewed by all NPIC components at. the present time, speci-
fically to determine their acceptability. As we proceed into the detailed
design phase, the firet,atep will be "to develop alternative methods
for performing the functions of the system defined by the conceptual
through the iterative design process. As stated
design and evaluate
methods. through analysis and, where necessary,
has apparently missed the entire purpose of the
requirements section (paragraph 4 of SCR 273). This section specifies
what data elements are required in each of the NPIC Production Processes
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in the form of a matrix.
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does explicitly show the inter-relationship of these data elements
One of the major objectives in the M design concept is to
to anticipate processing requirements in advance of receipt of
the film. In projecting the response time necessary
laboratory end real-time data link read-gout. One of the objectives of
the system is to avoid the regurgitation of valmes of unnecessary
information, as currently must be done because the information require-
.vents cannot be anticipated with sufficient precisionr
or such a system,
^ has considered the impact of the proposed in-flight process
Concerning the question of Cc*gpatibiiity of the II6 computer
with other computers$ the point is simply that any computer which Can
outf.put a. bit stream into a ceMunicationa. network can exchange data
other such computer. This fact is being demonstrated by the
development of the COINS network.
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The deli
pictures this as being done
ough the COINS network simply because planning for
i r
deer. t provides for the query of remote data bases,
for the development of on-line dissemination, which can be used
to update remote data basses, and for the remote query of NPIC
data braes.
b. Experience has shown that the use of other computers
as back-up for the NPIC facility is very impractical. Channel
independent facility.
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states that the M esign ass s a completely
is incorrect. The design asswnes a fai,
softly stud._a],one computer system which will interface with outside
reference services.
a =specifically mentions connection with the COINS net-
work which, if it proves out as conceived, would be a logical
face with Project
etwr~rk represents the only tengible,plenning known to us.
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g=ents, executive systems, and peripheral equipment are
identical, and necessitate considerable program modi-
ication. NPIC has run program at NSA and NSA
a at NPIC ; in both cases program modification and dedication
of the entire hardware system to the other agency's work has
been necessary. The use of other remote computers as back-up
e proposed II8 would also be extremely difficult from a
technological point of view, considering the extensive use of
ne rapid response remote stations in the system. Given
the proposed loading of the equipment and the required data
transfer rates, any attempt to use an outside facility would
entire NPIC productive effort drastic
25X1A e. The - conceptual design includes a ground photography
file and an all-source photo-interpretation report index
reflecting the fact that both are currently maintained at NPIC
because adequate reference services are not now available
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elsewhere. Should services become aV
these sub
files could easily be discontinued and, dropped from the system
ittle effect on the overall concept.
d. The concept estimates a need for two computer supported
photo composing devices. While such facilities may be available
in OCS and. , it would be rather inefficient to utilize them
for material generated in, and to be printed in,
Further, it would, we assume, be difficult to attain adequate
access to such facilities if the -assumption that the NPIC
workload will require two such machines is valid, and if the
facilities available in OCS and. IUD are being utilized..
12. There
present, much argument within the industry over
the relative merits of dynamic allocation of functions and.. tasks between
central
essors vs the direct coupling of can
Al processors in a
master/slave relationship. Most hardware manufacturers are retreatin
from or delaying plans for the development of true multi-processing
.systems, apparently because they have been unable to cope satisfactorily
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with the extensive problems involved with the dynamic allocation of
the various tasks within given
. The new system will be fully
duplexed and will, be programmed in such a manner that the total con-
figuration is not required for the performance of any function.
13. The conceptual design is for an integrated information system.
The assumption must be made that the five basic computer program packages
will be designed to be compatible with each other and will contain many
sub-packages to perform spec
. Problems of the inter-
dependence of these packages, however, are properly left to the detailed
design phase.
change" is not necessarily true. However, most of the changes are
10 paragraph 6.1.5.3 of-.SCR 288 is confusing-
about two separate devices which will be used for data
entry. Also, the =statement that "computational programs seldom
formats of the input and output data streams, not in the basic
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15. The personnel requir6mcnts specified in p sgrapha 5.3 and,
7.8 Of SCR 288 would. be extremely optimistic if they were meant to
represent the personnel required to install the system, They are
estimates Of only those required to operate and maintain an operatic
11S.
16. The computer rental costs estimated by = were based on the
average monthly rental of four different eon'i'ations. The most
expensive confi0a,ration consisted of l 360/67 ? d 360/50 central. 'Pro-
cessors with disc files. 'The least expensive utilized tented
7 and Si to 2 computers with Bryant discs. Two middle system
were considered, one based on UN'NAC 490 and +i8, the other on`GE
estimated s,6 rsge
requirements of 3 billion bits, and not a 30% increase for overhead
be pointed out that the estimate of 11.7 billion bits
of storage "amen a 3oo~ increase above the total
axd 625.
directories as stated by
Actually, has inc lud.ed
nts for anticipated directories in its 3 billion b
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17. The costs indicated in 8CR 288 for contractor programing
assistance cover that programming which - feels will be required to
implement group 2 and group 3 functions, and covers the time after the
basic system has become operational. The figures quoted in 8CR 289
es for contractual assistance necessary to
design, program and install the initial system.
18. infers that the contractor is to be allowed to
develop a i implem
25X1A We w
,40 system with minimum control from IPD and NPIC.
that the contractorb efforts will be
a, I
very closely monitored by IFD personnelA that there are major review
points established throughout the program -(there were three such review
points in Phase 1). As far as Phase II is concerned, each of the speci-
fications for individual sub-systems will be carefully and completely
reviewed not only by IPD, but also by the other NPIC components concerned
prior to proceeding with programming and check-out.
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19. The concept conceives of three levels or groups of sophisti-
cation in the implementation of the integrated information system.
Phase II systems design and the follow-on phases are primarily con-
cerned with group 1 activity. Individual sub-systems will obviously be
phased
25X1A proposed by
become available. Rowever, within the time frame
there can be little spread in phase-in dates. It should
be noted that the contractor was directed from the start to provide a
level of effort which would result in an operational 1I$ in a two-year
We agree that the implementation schedule is optimistic;
will slip, and in fact already has.
20. Evaluation of system performance is a part of Phase IV,
-tallation and Test, and will be carried out utilizing data from our
management information system and simulation model.
21. In stray, it is our intention that the development of an
integrated information system, in accordance with the general concepts
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25X1A outlined by- will have a significant impact on the efficiency
of NPIC's activities. These improvements have long been recognized
as necessary, not only by I@PIC management,, but also by top Agency
management and the numerous outside review groups which have studied
NPIC's operations. The impact of the development of the II8 upon
NPIC's operations will permit NPIC to fulfill its photo interpretation
responsibilities to the community in a more timely and accurate manner,
keep pace with the intended growth in the collection of imagery
data. The impact of the system on portions of the Agency and the
intelligence comunity outside NPIC will be in the form of increased
responsiveness to the specific requirements for imagery interpretation
data. Once the integrated information system design has been completed,
dual parts of the system may be implemented in accordance with
the data processing workload, as well as the availability of maflpower
and dollar resources. We believe it is imperative, however, that the
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system be de
fined in its entirety to avoid redundant_and inefficient
Processing. The detailed design is a necessary and integral step toward
t of long-range goals specified by N?IC's 5-Year Plan.
Chief, Information Processing Division
cc: Deputy Director, Office of Computer Services
Deputy Director, Office of Central R-ference
Director, CHIVE Task Force
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WARNING
This document contains Information affecting the national security of the United States within the meaning
of the espionage laws U. S. Code Title 18, Sections 793 and 794. The law prohibits Its transmission or
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