ISB MEETING MINUTES - 8 MAY 1987

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90G00993R000300390007-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 23
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 27, 1987
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/23: CIA-RDP90G00993R000300390007-5
27 May 1987
STAT
MEMORANDUM FOR: Information Systems Board
STAT
STAT
STAT
office's architecture for information systems. This architecture was developed to enable
greater use of commercial products within the Agency, and to provide a framework for
information systems planning by OIT customers. Standards that have been completed
and those under development were described. The objectives and methodology of the
standards process were also discussed. Copies of the presentation slides, approved OIT
standards, and the new OIT Directions newsletter are attached.
ISB Meeting Minutes - 8 May 1987
of OIT's Architecture and Technology Planning Staff described his
/signed/
DCI/EXDI R
1 - each ISB member
1 - ISB File
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OIT's
Information Systems Architecture
Briefing to the
Information Systems Board
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Information Systems Architecture
Definitions Vary
"a set of interface standards and a set of products"
...Dale Kutnick, Vice President, Gartner Group
"a set of design principles that define the
relationships of and interactions between various
parts of a system or network of systems"
...IBM Office System Architecture Primer
"a conceptual framework that enables users to grow
and evolve their operations without the disruption
of a major system changeover"
... Gartner Group Management Quarterly, Winter 1987
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Objectives
Improve our ability to interconnect Agency
information processing systems
Reduce the difficulty of adopting new technologies
by entering and staying in the industry mainstream
Provide information about OIT's directions so that
customers can plan their own use of information
processing technology
Leverage our resources by increasing the use of
standard commercial products
Protect our investment in installed hardware and
software.
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Existing Investment
IBM Mainframes--we will continue to evolve within
a framework of using IBM mainframes
Message Distribution Systems--our information systems
must integrate with message distribution systems
COMTEN communications processors- -protect large investment
Intecom PBX--a major new opportunity to provide connectivity
Wang Alliance systems--protect large investment
Major Applications--investment in SAFE, DESIST, TADS,
CAMS, FOURC, others must not be lost
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Industry Trends
Workstations are replacing terminals
IBM establishes many industry standards for interfaces
Departmental computers are seeing increasing use, although
integration with mainframe machines is incomplete
De facto and de jure standards are growing in importance
Local area networks are seeing increasing use, although this
is still an emerging technology
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Method
Identify strategic interfaces
With customer participation, select standards
for these interfaces that are within the
mainstream of industry activity
Inform OIT, our customers, vendors and
contractors about our architecture
and standards
Establish a mechanism, with customer
participation and with an appropriate
waiver mechanism, to obtain compliance
with standards
As the industry mainstream changes direction,
evolve with it
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Accomplishments
Standards
Initial standards complete, adopted, published
Additional standards in process
Information
OIT Directions published
Many briefings given to OIT customers
Active vendor liaison effort conducted
Compliance
Working with O/L
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Departmental
Computer
Connectivity
WS
WS
WS
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Levels
of Information Systems Architecture
Service: the capabilities to be provided
Standards: rules that guide our implementation
of information systems
Product: hardware and software that conforms
to standards, selected for use in implemen-
ting information systems
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Status
Service: Levels of Service Standard--in customer coordination
by Customer/Standards Committee
Standards: OIT Information Processing Standards
Computer Network Architecture - - adopted
Electronic Mail Interfaces--adopted
Document Interchange Format--adopted
Terminal and Workstation Connection--adopted
Database Management System Interface--adopted
Local Area Networks--in development
Graphics Data Interchange Format--in development
Message Delivery Services--to be developed
Publishing Interfaces--to be developed
Product: OIT-supported product suites
Workstations--selected, being installed
PC Software Products--offered in PC Software Center
Mainframe Computer Facilities--in operation
PBX--cutover in progress
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Completed Standards
Computer Network Architecture
Electronic Mail Interchange
Document Interchange Format
Terminal and Workstation Connection
Database Management System Interface
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Computer Network Architecture
What
System Network Architecture (SNA) is IBM's umbrella
for network products
SNA consists of communictions and network management software
Why
Agency enters commercial mainstream
Replace homegrown software with supported products
Vastly improves network management capabilities
Benefits
Ease of interconnecting non-IBM systems
Simplified access to multiple applications
Eases future transition to Open System Interconnect (OSI)
standards
Implementation
SNA has been installed and run in test
Gradual transition to SNA is beginning
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Electronic Mail Interchange
What
Document Interchange Architecture (DIA) between
workstation and computer
SNA Delivery Services (SNADS) between computers--
a store and forward delivery protocol
Why
Widely supported by commercial products (IBM, DEC, Wang,
Unisys, Data General)
Benefits
Allows interconnection of mail systems, transparently
to users (i.e., Wang user sends mail to AIM user as
though to another Wang user)
Implementation
Software to bridge mail systems has been selected
Implementation of Wang-IBM and DEC-IBM interfaces
is under way
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Document Interchange Format
What
Document Content Architecture (DCA)
Format for text document files to be transferred
between dissimilar computer systems
Why
Widely supported by computer systems and word processing
products (IBM, DEC, Wang, Unisys, Data General, Microsoft
Word, MultiMate, Samna, etc.)
Benefits
Create a document on one system and revise it on another
Implementation
Software to transform between Script and DCA is
being written
OIT-supported word processing program supports DCA
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Terminal and Workstation
Connection
What
3270 Distributed Function Protocol (DFT)
Protocol for connecting terminals and workstations
to mainframe computer systems
Why
Overwhelming choice of industry for access to IBM systems
from terminals and workstations (IBM, DEC, Wang, Data
General, many PC vendors, etc.)
Benefits
Wider variety of commercial equipment can be employed
Implementation
Software to use legacy applications over 3270 protocol
is complete and being installed
First cutovers to PBX are taking place
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Database Management System Interface
What
Structured Query Language (SQL)
Language to express query, insert, update, delete,
database definition and control
Why
An ANSI standard, rapidly being adopted throughout
industry (IBM, DEC, Unisys, Data General, many
independent software vendors)
Benefits
Portability of customer and programmer skills
Ultimately, the ability to integrate data stored on
different, dissimilar computer systems
Implementation
Database systems implementing SQL have been installed
on VM and MVS
VM system (SQL/DS) is in production use; MVS system
(DB2) has just been installed, is in test
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Standards in Process
Levels of Service
Local Area Networks
Graphics Data Interchange Format
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Levels of Service
What
Specification of all services provided by OIT and
their levels of performance and availability
Why
Customers need quantifiable information about OIT
services to plan their use of those services
OIT needs to have measurable goals in order to allocate
its own resources properly among services
Benefits
Mutual understanding between OIT and its customers
regarding services to be provided and the quality
of those services
A meaningful format for OIT to report on its performance
in delivery of services
Implementation
Standard has been written and coordinated within OIT and
delivered to Customer/Standards Committee for comment
New performance measurement tool is being developed in
order to meet measurement and reporting requirements of
the standard
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Local Area Networks
What
Industry-standard Token Passing Ring or Ethernet
protocols; cable and connectors specified; AUI
type connectors, LatticeNet interfaces for Ethernet
Why
Proliferation of types of LAN must be avoided because
of support and potential security problems
Cable type and connector type must be specified so that
wiring is multi-use; wiring has longer lifetime than
electronics.
Benefits
Two alternative protocols enable any popular workstation
or terminal to be connected
Single cable type for both protocols will enable reuse of
wiring, reduce cost of moves
Implementation
Standard is being prepared by the Architecture Working Group
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Graphics Data Interchange
What
Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM)--industry- standard
method to interchange a graphic between dissimilar
computer systems
Why
CGM is obtaining increasingly broad support from
standards bodies and commercial products
Benefits
Prepare a computer-generated graphic on one workstation
or computer, change it, display it and print it on another
Implementation
Standard is being prepared by the Architecture Working Group
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Standards to be Developed
Message Delivery Services
Publishing
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Summary
Our Information Systems Architecture is driven by:
present investment--major areas of Agency
investment must be given early attention
modernization- -efforts to modernize Agency
facilities offer opportunity for near-term
benefits from standards
commercial marketplace--availability of viable
commercial products to implement our
architecture is a major factor in selection
of standards
standards bodies--industry standards activities
must be considered, with or without
implementing products
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