MEMORANDUM FOR CIA MEMBER, INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION HANDLING COMMITTEE, FROM H.C.EISENBEISS, DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL REFERENCE, DATED 15 OCTOBER 1978

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83T00573R000100120035-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 2, 2001
• Sequence Number: 35
• Publication Date: November 17, 1978
• Content Type: MF

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SAF-E-258-78
17 November 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR: DD/ODP
STATINTL FROM :
Director, Consolidated SAFE Project Office/ODP
SUBJECT Comments on Centralized Community Bibliographic
and Document Retrieval System
REFERENCE Memorandum for CIA Member, Intelligence
Information Handling Committee, from
H.C. Eisenbeiss, Director of Central
Reference, dated 19 October 1978
1. These comments relate to Mr. Eisenbeiss' memorandum on
this subject. It is my understanding that this concept is to
be presented to the Intelligence Information Handling Committee
to determine whether there is interest in pursuing it further.
At this relatively tentative state of discussion, I believe
the reference memorandum is adequate.
2. The staffing and cost estimates appear to be rather
gross, and I would be concerned that RECON would handle a vastly
expanded work load even as modified. This would require further
investigation based on projected volume and usage which is not
identified in this proposal.
3. It would appear that a conservative approach to this
problem would involve retrieval through intermediaries as a
first step to determining the relative worth of providing on-
line service. As the on-line retrieval program is developed,
I am concerned that no identification of site preparation costs
has been made. If this proposal were tied to the SAFE program
as an expanded function, it could take advantage of the SAFE
site preparation and development activity. If this proposal
is pursued, I would be interested in discussing this relation-
ship in depth.
4. Retrieval through ADSTAR of hard copy documents would
impose a significant but not identified additional load on the
ADSTAR storage system. It would undoubtedly involve some re-
design, as well as additional equipment.
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Subject: Comments on Centralized Community Bibliographic
and Document Retrieval System
5. If this proposal is pursued, it is imperative that
projected usage of the facility be obtained from the interested
agencies in order to size the required facility and development
adequately.
6. Again, if this program is pursued, I believe that its
relationship to SAFE is such that the CSPO and ADSTAR projects
should be brought into the planning process.
STATINTL
cc: C/PPAC/CSPO
C/SA/CSPO
COTR/ADS TAR
File
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I~DP# 19~
19 OCT 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR: CIA Member, Intelligence Information
Handling Committee
FROM : H. C. Eisenbeiss
Director of,Central Reference
SUBJECT : Proposal for a Centralized Community Bibliographic
and Document Retrieval System Operated by CIA
1. This memorandum discusses the advantages of adapting CIA's
RECONI/retrieval system for intelligence documents to serve as the basis
for a centralized bibliographic and document retrieval system to serve
all NFIB?/agencies. The memorandum also addresses how such a system
could be configured, what services could be provided, how long it would
take to implement the system, some tentative estimates as to the possible
costs involved and various methods of funding its development and operation.
The proposal at this stage is purposefully conceptual and brief, and the
cost estimates are extremely conjectural. If you and the other IHC
members feel the idea is worth further exploration, additional work by
an interagency task force will be required to flesh out exactly how such
a system might be brought to reality.
2. The proposed system would be composed of two rather distinct
subsystems, namely: a) a bibliographic retrieval subsystem wherein
document citations dealing with specific search criteria would be
provided to the intelligence analyst, and b) a document retrieval
subsystem which would provide the analyst with copies of the relevant
document images themselves in either soft copy, paper or microfiche.
The system's total cost to the government would be mitigated by the
savings it would achieve by making unnecessary certain duplicate and
redundant systems in the Intelligence Community.
Y RECON is the on-line version of what is generally referred to as
the AEGIS system. AEGIS operates primarily in the batch mode but RECON
uses an inverted file technique enabling faster access to the data.
?/ Defined as CIA, State/INR, DIA, the Military Service's Intelligence
Branches, NSA, Treasury Department, DOE and FBI.
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and Document Retrieval System Operated by CIA
3. Various possible options and means of configuring this system
exist, including arrangements involving centralized file creation of
both bibliographic and microfilm records combined with decentralized
retrieval service (wherein copies of magnetic tapes and the filmed
documents would be transmitted on a regular basis to individual agencies
for their own use). A number of these options are explored in this
paper but not the "centralized/decentralized" approach. Such an arrange-
ment, though technically feasible, is believed to present too many
disadvantages in its implementation and operation to warrant further
examination.
Why Use RECON?
4. The RECON subject file, from which the proposed Community data
base would be derived, has several advantages over other computer-based
document indexing systems currently used by NFIB agencies. Initiated in
1968, the RECON file is the largest and most comprehensive subject index
to intelligence reports in the Community. As of September 1978 the file
contained 3,000,000 index records. RECON offers access to virtually all
substantive intelligence documents originated (given general distribution)
by the CIA, DoD, DIA, Air Force, Army, Navy, NSA, State, and NPIC, and
some documents from other government agencies of the United States M STATINTL
The data base contains both raw and finished
in a igence repor s, includes both collateral intelligence and Sensitive
Compartmented Information (SCI), and the area coverage is world-wide.
Subjects indexed include government, politics, society, culture, science
and technology, transportation, communications, business, commerce,
industry, finance, commodities (both strategic and non-strategic),
products (civilian and military), resources (including labor and military
manpower), and the armed forces. In brief, no area of interest to
intelligence is overlooked. Open literature, non-CIA cables, and STATS P E C
reporting are included on a selective basis.
5. The full RECON data base is stored in machine-readable form
and is searchable by computer via any one or a combination of the
elements used to describe each document. These include the bibliographic
description (title, issuing agency, post or origin, date, report number,
security classification and dissemination restrictions); area codes
(China and the Soviet Union are subdivided to the province and oblast
level, respectively); specific place names where appropriate; subject
codes; and keywords. The 320 subject codes are standardized broad
subdivisions, more than one of which can be assigned to any single
document by the indexers in CIA's Office of Central Reference (OCR).
The keywords are non-standardized terms added by the indexer based on
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and Document Retrieval System Operated by CIA
review of the title and document text; these individual keywords supplement
the broader subject codes and thus refine the retrievability of each
individual document. The flexibility of such an indexing system allows
it to easily accommodate new subject indexing requirements.
6. RECON has an historical depth of 10 years and is the most up-
to-date general purpose subject index to intelligence documents available.
Approximately 85-90 percent of incoming documents are available for
computer search of the index records within eight days after receipt,
and by July 1979 this figure will be reduced to three days. Portions of
the RECON data base are now available to the Community via COINS, and
the total data base itself has been queried on a limited basis by OCR
analysts for all NFIB agencies continually since its development. When
CIA's earlier bibliographic retrieval system, known as "Intellofax," was
in operation, then non-CIA use of the CIA index to intelligence reports
was about 45 percent of total queries. With the initiation of the
AEGIS/RECON system in 1967-68, however, CIA management placed severe
limits on other agency access to these bibliographic records because of
substantial reductions imposed on CIA resources. Even under this
restriction, however, non-CIA use of the data base has crept upward, and
during the first half of CY 1978 the entire data base was queried over
800 times by non-CIA NFIB agencies (approximately 26% of total queries
during this period). During the same period, the finished intelligence
portion of the RECON data base, which is part of the COINS system, was
queried via COINS by non-CIA NFIB agencies over 1,200 times.
The Bibliographic Subsystem--Alternative Configurations
And Cost Estimates
Option One: Retrieval Through Intermediaries
7. The least costly approach of providing RECON bibliographic
records to the Community would simply entail offering increased service
from the system in its present configuration to other NFIB members.
Under this arrangement, a non-CIA analyst presents his research request
in writing or over the phone to an OCR area reference analyst, who
queries the RECON data base and then mails the printed listing of
records to the original requester.
8. The primary disadvantages of this system are the delays
involved in having to mail the request and the document listing. The
existence of an intermediary (the OCR area reference analyst) between
the end user of the data and the data base itself can also be a dis-
advantage, but not without some positive aspects. Among the disadvantages,
the requester may have no way of knowing how large or small a document
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SUBJECT: Proposal for a Centralized Community Bibliographic
and Document Retrieval System Operated by CIA
listing he will be getting until he receives it from the area reference
analyst. Any revision of his query to make his request either more
inclusive, more selective, or otherwise more appropriate for retrieving
precisely what he needs can only be made after the query has been run
and the complete document listing is received through the mail. On the
positive side, the intermediary reference analyst usually has a better
knowledge than the requester of the subject indexing codes and keywords
(including how they have been used), and he can often translate the
requester's needs into a more effectively worded query than if the
requester is left to his own devices.
9. The following costs are foreseen if the current system of
Community access to RECON is simply expanded. About 8-10 more document
indexers and dissemination personnel would be needed to process the
additional material expected to be added to the data base, in addition
to indexing certain categories of documents in greater depth to satisfy
the anticipated specific needs of various agencies. An additional
typist would be necessary for the added input to the data base. Two
additional camera operators would be needed in OCR's Microform Processing
Branch to handle the increased volume of incoming documents to be filmed.
Fifteen more area reference analysts would be needed to handle the added
volume of requests/. At least two more clerks would be needed to
address and package listings for mailing and to prepare document and
courier receipts. An additional direct access storage unit would have
to be leased in order to store the greater number of document citations
in the data base. No additional computer equipment, software, personnel
or floor space would be required. These operating expenses would probably
total more than $500,000 per year. (See the attached table for a summary
of all cost estimates.)
Option Two: Direct On-Line Retrieval
10. If CIA's RECON data base is to be made available to all other
NFIB agencies, there is a preferred alternative to merely expanding the
operation described above. This would be to provide on-line access to
the data base (stored at CIA Headquarters) via remote visual display
terminals (VDTs) in other agencies. Such access could be made available
.L/ It is extremely difficult to accurately estimate the number of
index search requests that would be levied on CIA if RECON were made
available to the Community without restriction. However, for the
purposes of this memo, it is assumed that the current level of requests
would increase five-fold. (This figure is largely a guess, based partly
on OCR's experience with non-CIA requesters before controls were imposed
on their use of the RECON data base.)
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SUBJECT: Proposal for a Centralized Community Bibliographic
and Document Retrieval System Operated by CIA
on a 24-hour/day basis if necessary. Bibliographic references displayed
on these remote VDTs could be printed immediately on medium-speed (300
lines/minute) printers co-located at each VDT. In this connection it
should be pointed out that since the fall of 1973 a variety of intelligence
analysts in CIA have been successfully querying the entire RECON data
base directly via the SAFE Interim System.l remote VDTs without OCR
intervention. These analysts were formally trained to search the data
base and are provided with guidance when necessary.
11. The principal advantages of this arrangement include the
significantly faster availability of the document citations to the
analyst, plus the capability for the analyst to work directly with the
data base. The latter feature would enable the analyst to determine if
the subject codes and keywords he had chosen were producing references
to the kinds of documents he needed; he could also see how large his
document listing would be and modify his query parameters if necessary.
All this could be done before ordering a printout from the system. For
standing requests for index searches the capability to query the data
base via the batch mode would be retained, rather than requiring the
analyst to repeatedly compose his query at a terminal.
12. If the on-line arrangement outlined is adopted, existing data
communications systems such as the COINS network should be able to
handle the transmission of the RECON bibliographic records from CIA
Headquarters to requester terminals located at other NFIB agencies.
Assuming that the COINS network were used, the following tasks would
have to be undertaken. A dedicated host computer would have to be
installed and the RECON system software would have to be modified to
make the computer program "reentrant," an arrangement enabling the
central processing unit to handle up to 50 on-line requesters simul-
taneously. This would entail a one-time payment to a contractor, and
would require approximately three man-years of his work and one calendar-
year of time. An extra programmer and technician would each be needed
in OCR's computer support unit to work with the contractor during the
software modification and later to maintain this software and troubleshoot
the system's operation.
13. In addition to making the host computer operational for
RECON, a number of other tasks would be required. The software inter-
faces connecting the computer, the message processor, and the COINS
network would have to be developed. Certain additional software and
hardware changes would be needed to adapt the RECON system to accommodate
I/ This is the precursor of the ultimate SAFE system, designed to
assist in all aspects of intelligence production.
-5-
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and Document Retrieval System Operated by CIA
an increased number of users. Also, some combination of software
modifications and human intervention may be required to resolve security
release problems. If all the necessary equipment were bought outright,
the investment expenses are estimated to be about $2,700,000.
14. If the necessary equipment were rented instead of purchased
outright, its cost is estimated at about $780,000 per year, including
maintenance.
15. The annual operating costs would include an additional computer
programmer, a computer technician, and three more computer operators,
plus higher equipment maintenance costs. The total of these operating
costs is estimated to be about $175,000 per year.
16. In addition-to the extra personnel--including indexers and
microphotographers--already mentioned, a centralized staff of about
three or four people ($60-80,000/year) would probably be necessary to
coordinate new indexing requirements from participating agencies; to
train personnel to use the system and to provide on-going guidance once
the system enters operation; and to handle trouble calls and transmit
questions to appropriate operating personnel.
The Document Retrieval Subsystem--Alternative Configurations
And Cost Estimates
17. If a centralized document retrieval service in CIA is envisaged
to supplement the centralized bibliographic retrieval service, then the
CIA's current document retrieval system would have to be significantly
enhanced to accommodate the increased work load. The system as it now
operates is capable only of handling the present request load. For this
reason future requests for copies of documents, whether generated by
either of the bibliographic retrieval options discussed above, would
have to await implementation of the CIA's Automated Document Storage and
Retrieval (ADSTAR) system, scheduled to enter operation within CIA in
November 1979. Like the bibliographic retrieval system discussed above,
the ADSTAR document retrieval system could operate in e.ither a batch or
on-line mode. In either mode, ADSTAR employs digitized images in its
document retrieval and display processing, and present plans call for
transmitting such document images directly to CIA user analysts at their
remote locations over an upgraded communications network implemented as
part of the SAFE system.
Option One: Batch Mode
18. Under this configuration the ADSTAR system within CIA would
produce copies of documents after receiving a request for them either
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requesters to query the CIA's central ADSTAR library and display the
text and print hard copies of whichever documents the NFIB analyst
selected from his RECON listing.
22. Such an on-line document retrieval system, however, could not
be developed on the basis of existing data communications systems, such
as the COINS network. This is because the bandwidth capacity to handle
ADSTAR document image transmissions, which consist of approximately four
million bytes per page image, is not available in existing Community
networks. The data transmission problem could be eased somewhat by
using advanced data compression techniques, but even such a compressed
data transmission would require an estimated one million bytes per page
image.
23. Development of such an on-line document retrieval system,
compared to the ADSTAR batch mode, would require additional outlays for
a central processing unit of greater capacity, more software, and (most
importantly) the communications system hardware; the latter would include
the communication lines themselves as well as the interface equipment,
encryptors, decryptors, and remote access and display stations. Also,
as with the on-line bibliographic retrieval system, appropriate measures
would have to be taken to handle security release problems before this
system is implemented. We cannot estimate the total of these additional
costs without tasking communications specialists to undertake a study of
the problem, but undoubtedly the costs would be substantial.
Funding
24. Funding could be accomplished in at least four different ways,
each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. One possible method
involves user agencies supplying personnel to CIA according to a ratio
proportionate to the additional input burdens each agency would impose
on the RECON system plus the use each agency made of the system. This
method has been used between CIA and NSA for reference support under
Project Millstream. Its applicability when a number of agencies are
concerned, however, is questionable. There is the problem of allocation
of manpower compensation from individual agencies whose costs to the
system are fractions of manyears. There are also the problems attendant
with periodic replacement of personnel and with the loss of control by
CIA in applying its own personnel selection procedures and standards to
all of the people working in the CIA.
25. A second alternative would be to have user agencies transfer
funds to the CIA to pay for their portion of the input and use made of
the RECON/ADSTAR system. This would be similar to an arrangement during
the 1950's and early 1960's between the State Department and the CIA,
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SUBJECT: Proposal for a Centralized Community Bibliographic
and Document Retrieval System Operated by CIA
whereby the latter transferred funds to the State Department to pay for
the CIA's use of State Department biographic files. This approach is
easier to arrange and manage than the transfer of personnel, but is
complicated by the situation in which a number of agencies must defend a
portion of their budgets that are allocated to a program run by another
agency. Furthermore, this alternative does not address the question of
personnel, so a situation could arise in which the CIA had enough money,
but had not been authorized enough additional slots for the people
needed to operate the system.
26. A third way would be to have those developing and operating
costs of the system that are associated with Community service (including
the additional positions required) made part of the budget of the Intelligence
Information Handling Committee (IHC) and to charge the IHC with defending
this portion of its budget each year before Congress. A peculiarity
associated with this arrangement would be that the investment and operating
funds for an essentially integrated system would have to be split between
two budgetary sources, and potential complications could develop if
differing budgetary priorities ever arose between the IHC and the CIA.
27. The fourth possible method would be to increase CIA/OCR's
budget to allow it to finance the development and operation of the
system itself. Such a proposal was made by OCR as an "enhanced" option
in its FY 1980 program call, but it was rejected. If adopted, however,
it would have the advantage of administrative simplicity and would avoid
any complications arising from splitting the source of funds for developing
and operating the system among different organizations.
Time Required for Implementation
28. Any planned expansion of the CIA's bibliographic and-document
retrieval system would require a thorough and detailed study of at least
six months' duration, plus time to hire whatever additional personnel
the study will have called for.
29. The maximum Community-wide service that could then be implemented
would be batch bibliographic retrieval via OCR area reference analysts,
with document retrieval accomplished through each NFIB agency's own
document library. This arrangement could be set up as soon as additional
service personnel were hired, possibly as early as six months after
completion of the initial six-month preliminary study, assuming that the
requisite floor space could be acquired.
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SUBJECT: Proposal for a Centralized Community Bibliographic
and Document Retrieval System Operated by CIA
30. The more advanced approach of providing on-line bibliographic
access would probably require at least two years after completion of the
initial six-month study. During this period, software modifications
would have to be accomplished, additional equipment would have to be
acquired and installed, and non-CIA agencies would have to program their
budgets for the communications equipment and remote terminals they must
fund.
31. Centralized document retrieval would be impossible for the CIA
in either a batch or on-line configuration until after the ADSTAR system
had been implemented and operationally tested for at least six months.
This would make ADSTAR available for Community-wide use no earlier than
June 1980, and then only for batch retrieval.
32. An on-line ADSTAR system that serviced non-CIA agencies via
remote work stations would take at least two years for programming user-
agency budgets, and acquiring and installing the necessary additional
equipment.
Unexplored Issues
33. The foregoing examines some basic considerations regarding the
establishment of a centralized bibliographic and document retrieval
system. If the IHC feels this proposal is worth pursuing, then the
questions of user requirements, system architecture, and precise invest-
ment and operating costs would all have to be thoroughly researched. In
addition, other unresolved issues relating to these and other aspects of
the system would have to be studied in detail. These include security
arrangements, floor space for machines and people, and the cost and
funding of communication lines, printers, remote terminals and other
equipment at participating agencies. Finally, we would want to examine
what savings such a system would provide within the Community, either by
reducing on-going activities or planned new ventures necessitating
substantial expenditures in labor and hardware for systems now in the
design stage.
STATINTL
Attachment:
As stated
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Page 1 of 2
Option 1 - Retrieval Through Intermediaries
One-time Costs
Annual Costs
Hardware
$ 24,000
Staffing
500,000
ADSTAR Costs
$1,000,000
150,000
$ 674,000
$1,000,000
5 =
200,000*
TOTAL
$ 874,000
* Pro rata annual share of initial one-time costs, assuming a system life of five years.
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Option 2 - Direct On-Line Retrieval
Attachment
Page 2 of 2
Purchase
Lease
One-time Costs
Annual Costs
One-time Costs
Hardware
$2,700,000
$ 780.000
Maintenance
$ 70,000
Software Modification
500,000
$ 500,000
Staffing
755,000
755,000
ADSTAR Costs
1,000,000
150,000
1,000,000
150,000
X975,000
1,685,000
$4,200,000
5 =
840,000*
$1,500,000
5 =
300,000*
1,815,000
1,985,000
* Pro rata annual share of initial one-time costs, assuming a system life of five years.
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