Noblis has provided modeling, simulation, and analysis support to a plethora of defense industry clients including the National Communications System (NCS) and its Department of Homeland Security mission of ensuring that a National Security/Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications infrastructure exists since 2003.

The Priority Service Modeling working group focuses on analyzing current and future Emergency Telecommunications Priority Service programs to determine which configurations and architectures will enable Quality of Service requirements to be met for critical government traffic in an emergency. Noblis' performance analyses provide input to the NCS NS/EP IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Core Industry Requirements (IR) document, which will be used to acquire service to ensure continuity of the DHS NCS' key program, the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) and its wireless counterpart, the Wireless Priority Service, as they prepare to transition to Internet Protocol (IP) based packet-switched technology. Modeling the effectiveness of candidate GETS enhancements for priority treatment is essential to making appropriate cost-benefit decisions.

To perform these technology and performance assessments, Noblis develops custom simulation models, OPNET Modeler IP network models, and custom analytic network models including the IP Network Performance and Analysis Tool (IP-NPAT) and IP-Survivability Tool (IP-SURVIV). In addition, Noblis supplements the use of simulations and analytic models for technology assessment with laboratory test-bed work in Noblis' Advanced Telecommunications Laboratory to confirm feasibility of modeled approaches and validate modeled results. The Priority Service Modeling efforts have also benefited from internal Noblis Sponsored Research and the Noblis partnership with George Mason University (GMU) called the Center for Network-Based Systems. This advanced modeling investigation in the areas of Network Congestion Analysis and Network Resilience, enabling GMU professors to consult with Noblis staff in these areas and allowing for more complete theoretical investigations of research problems than would be the case with client funding alone. In the last three years, Noblis explored new innovative and pioneering advanced modeling efforts include the following:

• Route Convergence in Core IP Networks Under Stress
• Quality of Service of Voice and Video for Emergency Telecommunications
• Survivability Dependence on Internetwork Routing Policies for the NGN GETS
• Call Throttling Analysis

In the Telecommunications Infrastructure Modeling, Noblis identifies telecommunications systems requiring protection and their vulnerabilities, utilizing the General Services Administration's (GSA) government telecommunications contract billing and traffic data from the FTS2001 and Networx contracts. Noblis, through our long-term contract with GSA and interagency agreements which we facilitated between the NCS and the GSA, has access to and a thorough understanding of these billing and traffic records, and authorization to analyze this data on behalf of the DHS for telecommunications critical infrastructure analyses. This work has been of significant benefit to the NCS in its role in leading the Committee of Principals (COP), a Presidentially designated interagency group that reviews and provides recommendations on NS/EP telecommunications. Noblis conducted a series of critical infrastructure analyses for COP agencies to identify vulnerabilities and the most critical telecommunication locations associated with a Federal agency's traffic using this government traffic data. These analyses enabled the NCS member agencies to be more compliant with the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 20 (National Continuity Policy) requirements for redundancy of critical communications capabilities. These analyses are performed on a proactive basis for agencies, and on a reactive basis during emergencies and exercises using the interactive Telecommunications Infrastructure and Sensitivity Tool (TIST) that Noblis developed as part of the NCS telecommunications emergency response mission. Figure 1 shows a sample illustration identifying top carrier Points of Presence carrying government traffic from TIST, which demonstrates impact to government telecommunications during a critical event in this region.

Figure 1: Sample Metro Area Top Carrier Points of Presence

Noblis' critical infrastructure analysis work and our expertise with the FTS2001 and Networx contracts and associated traffic data also was a prime factor in Noblis being selected to perform work for other components of DHS through the NCS. Noblis performs analyses in support of OMB's Trusted Internet Connection (TIC) initiative to limit the number of Internet gateways government-wide. Noblis has developed a government Internet connectivity tracking and analysis tool, which identifies and inventories Federal Internet access locations based on government telecommunications contracts including FTS2001 and Networx. This database and associated analysis and visualization elements are updated monthly to aid in monitoring agency progress in implementing the TIC initiative. These valuable Noblis tools and analyses are being provided to the National Cyber Security Division, which oversees the TIC initiative for OMB, and provides a benefit to the success of this important government-wide initiative. Noblis also supports the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) on behalf of the DHS/NCS. Noblis reviews transactions filed with CFIUS involving the foreign acquisition of telecommunications-related assets, to assess whether a proposed transaction poses risks to the security and sustainability of the U.S. telecommunications infrastructure.

A diversity assurance tool was developed for the DHS OneNet two Networx Service Provider solutions in order to ensure physical diversity for critical OneNet Service Delivery Points (SDPs) that can be verified and validated by the vendors' infrastructure tables. Data models were constructed for obtaining physical routing of critical circuits from vendors of telecommunications services. These data models were implemented in a PostgreSQL database. Automated analysis algorithms were then coded as stored procedures within the database. These tools were used in the DHS OneNet procurement as part of the technical evaluation of bidder proposals. The geospatial extensions of PostgreSQL (PostGIS) were used to visualize diversity violations when they occurred. A representative access arrangement between a customer site and a carrier Provider Edge (PE) router over a fiber network is shown in the Figure 2 illustration below. The final segment from fiber junction point 31 and the PE router is a common segment and violates the diverse requirements of complete node and path diversity from the SDP to the PE router.

Figure 2: Representative Access Arrangement