Selecting Distributed Object Technologies in the Presence of Uncertainty: an Experience Report on C4I enterprise modelling

This paper reports on our experience gained in deriving a reference model for Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) architectures. The reference model addresses a dilemma faced by organisations today: choosing the right distributed object platform for domain-specific applications. In making such a choice, organisations face both technological and market uncertainty arising from the availability of multiple middleware platforms and the lack of mature distributed object solutions for specific domains. We present a general methodology to addresses both of these uncertainties. This methodology provides a basis for middleware-neutral specification of vertical domain architectures based on Reference Model Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP). We investigate the problem of mapping such a specification onto the capabilities of commercial middleware products. To address market uncertainty, our methodology incorporates results from the field of strategic planning embraced by many large enterprises a scenario planning technique. We have successfully applied this methodology for several large corporations in Australia, including Australian Defence Forces (ADF).