Immune multi-agent model using vaccine for cooperative air-defense system of systems for surface warship formation based on danger theory

Aiming at the problem on cooperative air-defense of surface warship formation, this paper maps the cooperative airdefense system of systems （SoS） for surface warship formation （CASoSSWF） to the biological immune system （BIS） according to the similarity of the defense mechanism and characteristics between the CASoSSWF and the BIS, and then designs the models of components and the architecture for a monitoring agent, a regulating agent, a killer agent, a pre-warning agent and a communicating agent by making use of the theories and methods of the artificial immune system, the multi-agent system （MAS）, the vaccine and the danger theory （DT）. Moreover a new immune multi-agent model using vaccine based on DT （IMMUVBDT） for the cooperative air-defense SoS is advanced. The immune response and immune mechanism of the CASoSSWF are analyzed. The model has a capability of memory, evolution, commendable dynamic environment adaptability and self-learning, and embodies adequately the cooperative air-defense mechanism for the CASoSSWF. Therefore it shows a novel idea for the CASoSSWF which can provide conception models for a surface warship formation operation simulation system.

Visualization analysis of the capability of weapon system of systems for multi-dimensional indicators

In the field of weapon system of systems (WSOS) simulation, various indicators are widely used to describe the capability of WSOS, but it is always difficult to describe the comprehensive capability of WSOS quickly and intuitively by visualization of multi-dimensional indicators. A method of machine learning and visualization is proposed, which can display and analyze the capabilities of different WSOS in a two-dimensional plane. The analysis and comparison of the comprehensive capability of different components of WSOS is realized by the method, which consists of six parts: multiple simulations, key indicators mining, three spatial distance calculation, fusion project calculation, calculation of individual capability density, and calculation of multiple capability ranges overlay. Binding a simulation experiment, the collaborative analysis of six indicators and 100 possible kinds of red WSOS are achieved. The experimental results show that this method can effectively improve the quality and speed of capabilities analysis, reveal a large number of potential information, and provide a visual support for the qualitative and quantitative analysis model.

Functionality evaluation of system of systems architecture based on extended influence diagrams

System of systems architecture（SoSA） has received increasing emphasis by scholars since Zachman ignited its flame in 1987. Given its complexity and abstractness, it is critical to validate and evaluate SoSA to ensure requirements have been met.Multiple qualities are discussed in the literature of SoSA evaluation, while research on functionality is scarce. In order to assess SoSA functionality, an extended influence diagram（EID） is developed in this paper. Meanwhile, a simulation method is proposed to elicit the conditional probabilities in EID through designing and executing SoSA. An illustrative anti-missile architecture case is introduced for EID development, architecture design, and simulation.

Concept and evaluation method of equipment system of systems contribution rate

To scientifically evaluate the equipment system of systems(SoS)contribution rate,a contribution rate calculation method based on a structural equation model(SEM)is proposed in this paper.The connotation and evaluation process of the equipment SoS contribution rate were redefined and standardized.To solve the existing problems in the application of the original contribution rate formula,a modified contribution rate calculation formula is proposed.Finally,the contribution rate evaluation index was divided into latent and explicit variables.The measurement and structural equations in the SEM were used to calculate and analyze the latent variables.The simulation results show that the number of defense lines of air defense weapon equipment has a greater impact on the linear configuration than the group configuration.When the number of K-type air defense weapons is sufficient,the two-layer linear configuration should be adopted with 20 air defense weapon systems.When the number of K-type air defense weapons is insufficient,the single-layer group configuration should be adopted with 12 air defense weapon systems.

System of systems oriented flight vehicle conceptual design: Perspectives and progresses

In order to obtain optimized flight vehicle concepts which meet system of systems （SOS） operation requirements, designers have to pay high attention to the impact of SoS at conceptual design stage since operation environment goes increasingly complex. Based on this tendency, per- spectives and progre,;ses of SoS oriented flight vehicle conceptual design, which is abbreviate as SoSed design, are reviewed in this paper. Such basic concepts of SoS as definition, characteristics, differences between systems engineering and SoS engineering, as well as SoSed design process are introduced, then SoS engineering process model for research and development of flight vehicles and SoSed design wheel model for conceptual design are proposed. Related literature is classified and analyzed in accordance with four major elements including requirements, design concept, design analysis, and trade studies and optimization： typical SoS architectures, description and quan- tization of indexes are introduced; Application of inverse design in designing concept is analyzed; Modeling and simulation （M＆S）-based methods and their applications in SoSed effectiveness evaluation are highlighted; According to SoSed trade studies and optimization related research, the importance of such points as decision-making and using multidisciplinary design optimization for reference are emphasized. Finally, the value of SoSed design is concluded, and five directions which are worthy of .attention in this field are presented.

Toward Cloud Computing QoS Architecture:Analysis of Cloud Systems and Cloud Services

Cloud can be defined as a new computing paradigm that provides scalable, on-demand, and virtualized resources for users. In this style of computing, users can access a shared pool of computing resources which are provisioned with minimal management efforts of users. Yet there are some obstacles and concerns about the use of clouds. Guaranteeing quality of service QoS by service providers can be regarded as one of the main concerns for companies tending to use it. Service provisioning in clouds is based on service level agreements representing a contract negotiated between users and providers. According to this contract, if a provider cannot satisfy its agreed application requirements, it should pay penalties as compensation. In this paper, we intend to carry out a comprehensive survey on the models proposed in literature with respect to the implementation principles to address the QoS guarantee issue. © 2014 Chinese Association of Automation.

SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS APPROACH TO POLICY DEVELOPMENT FOR GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY

A formal policy development framework, based on a system of systems （SOS） approach, is synthesized to systematically address, in an integrative and adaptive fashion, major global challenges, such as the current food and fjnancial crises, and their interactions with other key natural, societal, and technological systems. A SoS approach seeks to respect the different value systems of multiple participants, to harness complexity through effective integration, and to engage the world of uncertainty and unpredictability with an adaptive response. Faced with the present global challenges, what is needed are strategic and operational methods which lead to ethical policies, enhance integrative and adaptive management practices, and are able to direct conflict resolution in a positive direction. Policy makers need tools to model and analyze complex systems which they are trying to responsibly govern, taking into account values and risks to design and evaluate different policies. A preliminary investigation into the global food system is undertaken to understand the SoS and to provide insights on how to carry out policy development using the proposed framework.

A quality requirements model and verification approach for system of systems based on description logic

System of systems engineering(So SE) involves the complex procedure of translating capability needs into the high-level requirements for system of systems(So S) and evaluating how the SoS quality requirements meet their capability needs. One of the key issues is to model the So S requirements and automate the verification procedure. To solve the problem of modeling and verification, meta-models are proposed to refine both functional and non-functional characteristics of the So S requirements. A domain-specific modeling language is defined by extending Unified Modeling Language(UML) class and association with fuzzy constructs to model the vague and uncertain concepts of the SoS quality requirements. The efficiency evaluation function of the cloud model is introduced to evaluate the efficiency of the SoS quality requirements. Then a concise algorithm transforms the fuzzy UML models into the description logic(DL) ontology so that the verification can be automated with a DL reasoner. This method implements modeling and verification of high-level So S quality requirements. A crisp case is used to facilitate and demonstrate the correctness and feasibility of this method.

Automated integration of real-time and non-real-time defense systems

Various application domains require the integration of distributed real-time or near-real-time systems with non-real-time systems.Smart cities,smart homes,ambient intelligent systems,or network-centric defense systems are among these application domains.Data Distribution Service(DDS)is a communication mechanism based on Data-Centric Publish-Subscribe(DCPS)model.It is used for distributed systems with real-time operational constraints.Java Message Service(JMS)is a messaging standard for enterprise systems using Service Oriented Architecture(SOA)for non-real-time operations.JMS allows Java programs to exchange messages in a loosely coupled fashion.JMS also supports sending and receiving messages using a messaging queue and a publish-subscribe interface.In this article,we propose an architecture enabling the automated integration of distributed real-time and non-real-time systems.We test our proposed architecture using a distributed Command,Control,Communications,Computers,and Intelligence(C4I)system.The system has DDS-based real-time Combat Management System components deployed to naval warships,and SOA-based non-real-time Command and Control components used at headquarters.The proposed solution enables the exchange of data between these two systems efficiently.We compare the proposed solution with a similar study.Our solution is superior in terms of automation support,ease of implementation,scalability,and performance.

The effect of an individual’s education level on their systems skills in the system of systems domain

Today’s rapid proliferation of information and technological advancements has led to complex and uncertain modern systems environments.The problems resulting from this increased complexity may surpass engineers’current capacity to perform effectively within the domain of complex systems.In response to this situation,the concept of Systems Thinking(ST)has been advanced as an aid to building a mental map that offers a robust conceptual understanding to offset the challenges of modern system of systems(SoS)problems.Although there has been some research regarding the effect of age and gender on ST preferences,there is still a lack of studies investigating how an individual’s ST skills preferences in system of systems(SoS)domain vary across educational qualifications.In addition,most of the extant literature focuses on one or two measures to assess the individual ST;thus,there is a need to include the full spectrum of ST measures to assess the ST skills preferences of an individual in the domain of complex systems.To address these gaps,this research uses an established ST skills preferences instrument to gauge an individual’s ST skills preferences in the SoS domain based on the educational qualifications.Two hundred and fifty-eight participants with educational qualifications ranging from non-degree to graduate degree participated in the research.The analysis of the responses was performed by a post-hoc test to show which groups differ significantly.From the results obtained through aggregate individual responses,we conclude that each group(i.e bachelor,masters and phD),possesses a different ST skills preference profile on average,and the educational qualifications in the SoS environment has a moderation impact on individuals’system skills preferences.

Construction of composite indicator system based on simulation data mining

The indicator system is the foundation and emphasis in the effectiveness evaluation of system of systems(SoS). In the past, indicator systems were founded based on qualitative methods, and every indicator was mainly determined by the expert with experience. This paper proposed a brand-new method to construct indicator systems based on the repeated simulation of the scenario space, and calculated by quantitative data. Firstly, the selection of key indicators using the Gini indicator importance measure(IIM)is calculated by random forests(RFs). Then, principal component analysis(PCA) is applied when we use the selected indicators to construct the composite indicator system of SoS. Furthermore,a set of rulesare is developed to verify the practicability of the indicator system such as correlation, robustness, accuracy and convergence. Experiment shows that the algorithm achieves good results for the construction of composite indicators of So S.

The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia Data Management System for the Arctic Sciences

The brokering approach can be successfully used to overcome the crucial question of searching among enormous amount of data （raw and/or processed） produced and stored in different information systems. In this paper, authors describe the Data Management System the DMS （Data Management System） developed by INGV （Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia） to support the brokering system GEOSS （Global Earth Observation System of Systems） adopted for the ARCA （Arctic Present Climate Change and Past Extreme Events） project. This DMS includes heterogeneous data that contributes to the ARCA objective （www.arcaproject.it） focusing on multi-parametric and multi-disciplinary studies on the mechanism （s） behind the release of large volumes of cold and fresh water from melting of ice caps. The DMS is accessible directly at the www.arca.rm.ingv.it, or through the IADC （Italian Arctic Data Center） at http：//arcticnode.dta.cnr.it/iadc/gi-portal/index.jsp that interoperates with the GEOSS brokering system （http：//www.geoportal.org0 making easy and fast the search of specific data set and its URL.

Entropy based inverse design of aircraft mission success space in system-of-systems confrontation

This paper presents a practical and efficient design method for aircraft Mission Success Space(MSS)based on the entropy measurement(EM).First,fundamentals regarding MSS,Inverse Design(ID)and entropy are discussed.Then,two EM schemes of entropy-based ID and the whole MSS ID procedure are given to demonstrate alternative ways of entropy quantification and MSS design.After that,Genetic Algorithm(GA)is utilized as a search algorithm to find the optimal MSS design with the minimum objective,entropy,in each EM scheme.A simulation case of aircraft penetration mission is given for the method validation where the best aircraft MSS design is obtained by GA according to the minimum entropy.Results from two schemes are compared at the end.

ON INTEGRATION AND ADAPTATION IN COMPLEX SERVICE SYSTEMS

The services sector employs a large and growing proportion of workers in the industrialized nations, and it is increasingly dependent on information and communication technologies. While the interdependences, similarities and complementarities of manufacturing and services are significant, there are considerable differences between goods and services, including the shift in focus from mass production to mass customization （whereby a service is produced and delivered in response to a customer＇s stated or imputed needs）. In general, services can be considered to be knowledge-intensive agents or components which work together as providers and consumers to create or co-produce value. Like manufacturing systems, an efficient service system must be an integrated system of systems, leading to greater connectivity and interdependence. Integration must occur over the physical, temporal, organizational and functional dimensions, and must include methods concerned with the component, the management, and the system. Moreover, an effective service system must also be an adaptable system, leading to greater value and responsiveness. Adaptation must occur over the dimensions of monitoring, feedback, cybernetics and learning, and must include methods concerned with space, time, and system. In sum, service systems are indeed complex, especially due to the uncertainties associated with the human-centered aspects of such systems. Moreover, the system complexities can only be dealt with methods that enhance system integration and adaptation. The paper concludes with several insights, including a plea to shift the current misplaced focus on developing a science or discipline for services to further developing a systems engineering approach to services, an approach based on the integration and adaptation of a host of sciences or disciplines （e.g., physics, mathematics, statistics, psychology, sociology, etc.）. In fact, what is required is a services-related transdisciplinary - beyond a single disciplinary - ontology or taxonomy as a basis for disciplinary integration and adaptation.

A branch and price algorithm for the robust WSOS scheduling problem

To analyze and optimize the weapon system of systems(WSOS)scheduling process,a new method based on robust capabilities for WSOS scheduling optimization is proposed.First,we present an activity network to represent the military mission.The member systems need to be reasonably assigned to perform different activities in the mission.Then we express the problem as a set partitioning formulation with novel columns(activity flows).A heuristic branch-and-price algorithm is designed based on the model of the WSOS scheduling problem(WSOSSP).The algorithm uses the shortest resource-constrained path planning to generate robust activity flows that meet the capability requirements.Finally,we discuss this method in several test cases.The results show that the solution can reduce the makespan of the mission remarkably.

旅游系统复杂性的体系与超网络特征研究

旅游系统是国内外旅游基础研究的核心领域之一,近年来从复杂性(Complexity)理论视角开展的研究日益增多。但旅游系统存在边界模糊、组分系统独立且松耦合等特征,从而产生的“体系问题”使复杂性理论对旅游系统的描述显露出一定局限。论文从体系(System of systems)理论及其相应的超网络(Supernetwork)工具角度探索新的旅游系统描述方式,指出其关键领域和研究思路,延伸复杂性理论及网络方法的认识。

HEALTHCARE: A COMPLEX SERVICE SYSTEM

Healthcare is indeed a complex service system, one requiring the technobiology approach of systems engineering to underpin its development as an integrated and adaptive system. In general, healthcare services are carried out with knowledge-intensive agents or components which work together as providers and consumers to create or co-produce value. Indeed, the engineering design of a healthcare system must recognize the fact that it is actually a complex integration of human-centered activities that is increasingly dependent on information technology and knowledge. Like any service system, healthcare can be considered to be a combination or recombination of three essential components - people （characterized by behaviors, values, knowledge, etc.）, processes （characterized by collaboration, customization, etc.） and products （characterized by software, hardware, infrastructures, etc.）. Thus, a healthcare system is an integrated and adaptive set of people, processes and products. It is, in essence, a system of systems which objectives are to enhance its efficiency （leading to greater interdependency） and effectiveness （leading to improved health）. Integration occurs over the physical, temporal, organizational and functional dimensions, while adaptation occurs over the monitoring, feedback, cybernetic and learning dimensions. In sum, such service systems as healthcare are indeed complex, especially due to the uncertainties associated with the human-centered aspects of these systems. Moreover, the system complexities can only be dealt with methods that enhance system integration and adaptation.

Inverse design of mission success space for combat aircraft contribution evaluation

This paper presents a novel design method of the Mission Success Space(MSS) for the evaluation on aircraft contribution effectiveness. MSS concept was proposed for giving success criterion of a mission and judging the success by conventional mission effectiveness with regards to the aircraft capabilities. This space is created by the Mission Success Function(MSF) and the original Effectiveness Index Space(EIS) where empirical equations are usually assumed to be MSFs. Based on this MSS concept, this paper firstly defines the MSS-based evaluation, then further summarizes the evaluation process of the Contribution to System-of-Systems(CSS). More importantly, based on the thought of Inverse Design(ID), a new design method of MSF is presented comprehensively analyzing aircraft's CSS in a combat mission without using any empirical MSF. The definition of MSS based ID is given and the design procedure is sequentially introduced. Two different confrontation cases are depicted with many details as the simulation validation: Air-to-ground and Penetration. There are two design variables considered for designing MSS in the latter case while only one for the former. However, in both cases, the best design is given by evaluating the Gaussian fitting performance of CSS.

The implementation of international geospatial standards for earth and space sciences

The Earth and Space Sciences Informatics division of European Geosciences Union(EGU)and the Open Geospatial Consortium jointly organised a special event entitled:‘Implementation of international geospatial standards for earth and space sciences event’
at the EGU General Assembly meeting held in Vienna,April 2009.The event objectives included:(a)to discuss the integration of information systems from different geosciences disciplines;(b)to promote and discuss the present process to scale from specific and monolithic systems towards independent and modular enabling infrastructures
forming an earth system science(ESS)infrastructure;and(c)to show some of the latest advances in implementing open standards.This manuscript introduces the event motivations and describes the abstract and holistic framework,which can be used to situate the topics and the developments presented by the event speakers.This manuscript introduces important,and relatively new technologies to build a multi-disciplinary geosciences information system:the System of Systems approach and the Model Driven Approach.To achieve that,three important information infrastructure categories are recognised:(a)ESS information infrastructure;(b)geospatial information infrastructure;and(c)distributed information infrastructure.Digital Earth should support the discussed framework to accelerate information transfer from theoretical discussions to applications,in all fields related to global climate change,natural disaster prevention and response,new energy-source development,agricultural and food security,and urban planning and management.

'SoS Call' at the Other Edge of Chaos

The focus of this study is to understand and pave the way to build theory of System of Systems(SoS).The authors try to marshal the established thoughts and develop new insights to shed light on the topic.Although the research thrashes the proposed rudimentary concepts,yet they are important to caste clarity to lay the concrete foundation for the emerging concept of SoS.The first part of the paper discusses about the conceptual milieu of SoS.It tries to help resolve their identity crisis by proposing two edges of chaos.SoS and monolithic systems self-organize at two opposite edges.Then the research work defines SoS locus on extended system of systems methodology(E-SoSM) framework,and dissects it to decode its contradictory and aberrant behavior.Upon this understanding,the second part traces out the incapacitation of traditional military techniques for asymmetric warfare,typifying with a friendly fire incident of the current Afghan War.Seeing through this lens,conjures up that military SoS and anti SoS(enemy) fight to annihilate each other during the clashes of systems of systems in the theater of war.