An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Programs Fiscal Year 1993 (1994) / Chapter Skim
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10 COMPUTER SYSTEMS LABORATORY
10 COMPUTER SYSTEMS LABORATORY
Pages 213-238
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CSL's programs are mandated by the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 as amended by the Computer Security Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-235~. Strategy The CSL, which includes five divisions (Figure 10.1)
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CXDMPI~E3R SYSTEMS 1~30RUY~ RY Data Management Technology Computer Graphics Knowledge Based Systems Software Standards Validation FIGURE 10.1 ~ 7 T Information Systems and Computer Systems Software Security Engineering Technology Division Division Division Software Engineering Distributed Systems ~ e Englneerlng Office Systems Engineering Structure Laboratory. Security Management Security Technology Network Security Architectures Evaluation and Validation Techniques 1 1 Systems and Advanced Network Systems Architecture Division Division Automated Protocol Methods Network Applications Network Management Network Protocols Network Architecture Image Recognition Speech Recognition Parallel Processing Advanced Communications Computer Storage Media Distributed Systems and organization of the Computer Systems
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252) , integrated services digital networks testing (p.
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CSL's Role in Setting Standards Findings The CSL's role in setting standards for the government's use of computers and in providing standards and leadership in computing technology for the commercial sector is increasingly constrained by external factors: · A few major vendors no longer dominate computing technology and standards. · Participants in the joint national and international process for setting standards for computing increasingly regard 216
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This role is much different from NIST's role in setting national and international standards for the measurement of physical properties in terms of fundamental constants and basic units of measure. · The CSL sets standards for use by the federal government for computing primarily by "rule making," whereas industry sets computing standards by consensus in formal and consortia forums or by de facto adoption in the marketplace.
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CSL's Role in Federal Initiatives The CSL proposes a mix of technical leadership in communications infrastructure and parallel processing, and in second-1 evel issues such as electronic commerce and distributed multimedia in the federal National Information Infrastructure (NII) initiative.
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The CSL provided leadership with its government standard for network management, but the enormous complexity of the systems and networks to be interconnected will demand major improvements in techniques, standards, and software for system and network management. At this time, the CSL's plans and resources are not of the scale to address adequately the above limiting factors.
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ASSESSMENT OF DIVISION PROGRAMS Information Systems Engineering Division Mission and Resources The Information Systems Engineering Division develops standards for information systems and provides technical assistance to government and industry in data administration, data management technology, computer graphics, and the validation of software standards. In fiscal year 1993, the Information Systems Engineering Division had 38 full-time, 3 part-time permanent, and 8 intermittent employees.
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From page 221... ...
The division has proposed that alternative sources be used to conduct conformance testing; however, the division would still be needed as a proactive catalyst for promoting the development and practice of conformance testing. The panel commends the Information Systems Engineering Division on its excellent support of the next-generation Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS2~.
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· The Information Systems Engineering Division should develop an IRDS2 testbed. Systems and Software Technology Division Mission and Strategy The Systems and Software Technology Division provides technical assistance to users of information systems and software and to the corresponding industry through promotion and development of concepts and technology for open systems.
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In any case, the division's interaction and coordination with other groups within NIST now include regular biweekly technical interchanges as well as cooperative technical efforts. The panel endorses the division's strategy of using specify tactical objectives and aligning its efforts with the four national initiatives mentioned above.
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Panel's Findings -- Fiscal Year 1993 The Systems and Software Technology Division was reorganized after the fiscal year 1992 assessment and at the time of the fiscal year 1993 assessment had a new division chief and major groups for (1) Software Engineering, (2)
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The dilemma points to the importance of a clear vision and strategic plan in helping group managers to assess relative merits of their various research, measurement, and standardization projects. The group's initial priorities in electronic documentation are multimedia and hypermedia, virtual reality, and image quality.
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workshops to develop a reference model and tool interface specifications for fully integrated software engineering environments that support software products and processes throughout the software life cycle. In the opinion of the panel, the ISEE, as currently envisioned, has the following shortcomings: 1.
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The CSD is developing cryptography-based security technology; federal and international security criteria; a computer security handbook; security incidence prevention and response; network security, network risk analysis, and network management; and computer virus control. Projects, including those requiring technical research, are selected based on the needs of federal agencies.
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Panel's Findings -- Fiscal Year 1993 The CSD has prime responsibility for NIST's computer security activities; however, there is also a small program managed by the CSL's associate director for computer security as well as security-related activities in other CSL divisions. The Computer Security Division makes full use of work of others, establishes cost-sharing partnerships, transfers routine work externally, and influences others to respond to the division's objectives.
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This was followed by initiation of a major collaborative effort with other countries to develop common criteria. The common criteria will pull together and supersede the federal criteria, European international criteria, and Canadian criteria and will give vendors the advantage of having to meet only one set of security criteria.
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The panel endorses a research project being considered by the division to develop guidance for securely handling data and software in distributed systems. The research would tie in with that of CSL's Systems and Software Technology Division and the Information Systems Engineering Division.
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was partially addressed through participation in the Internet Society's development of standards and specifications and in the Open Management Roadmap partnership for developing network management specifications (Open Management Network Interoperability Points) to satisfy user priorities for products that vendors agree to supply.
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· Division staff joined vendors and users in an Open Management Roadmap partnership to develop network management specifications called Open Management Network Interoperability Points (OMNI Points) that freeze specifications as prioritized by the users and according to which vendors agree to build products.
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In its close associations with industry, the division is a full partner, as is illustrated by the division's linkage with industry and users through the Network Management Forum. Panel's Recommendations -- Fiscal Year 1993 · A division-wide skills assessment is in order if the Systems and Network Architecture Division is to address a broader network mission.
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Advanced Systems Division Mission, Strategy, and Resources, with Pane] Comments The Advanced Systems Division conducts research and provides technical assistance to federal agencies and industry organizations in advanced communications such as integrated services digital networks, distributed systems, automated recognition, data storage technologies, and parallel processing.
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From page 235... ...
The division's research in handwriting and speech recognition can easily be related to human-computer interfaces; however, if this is the purpose, it is less clear why gesture and a myriad of other human-comouter input purpose, it is less clear why gesture input, "eyephones," and a myriad of other human-computer input and output technologies are not also examined. Also, CSL's virtual reality research is housed in the Systems and Software Technology Division, but there is much overlap with the mission of the Advanced Systems Division.
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optical disk work, and (5) work on integrated services digital networks and distributed systems.
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· The Advanced Systems Division should sponsor open competition in the development of speech and handwriting recognition technology, and the division should make better use of its special strengths and expertise to advance speech recognition research in general rather than serve only a small part of the research community. · The division should expand its efforts to inform others about the MULTIKRON chip through publications, reports, and other mechanisms, e.g., professional contacts.
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