Raz receives funding for Intent-Based Orchestration In Distributed Command & Control (IBODC2) software

Raz Receives Funding For Intent-Based Orchestration In Distributed Command & Control (IBODC2) Software                                                                                                                     

Ali Raz, Assistant Professor, Systems Engineering and Operations Research (SEOR), received funding for the project: “Intent-based Orchestration in Distributed Command and Control (IBODC2) Software.”

The goal of the proposal is to enable autonomy in Command & Control System of Systems (C2 SoS) to support workflows in distributed systems with an underlying integrated fabric of commander’s intent. A critical challenge for achieving this goal is to create scientifically grounded methods to manage the execution of the C2 SoS Combat Operations Divisions (COD) workflows and produce dynamic orchestration of mission threads through flexible and automated task allocations. This proposal will develop an Intent Based Networking (IBN) framework for Intent Formulation, Intent Processing, and Intent Achievement in distributed C2 SoS with scientific, mathematical, and analytical methods. In particular, the George Mason and Knowledge and Decision Sciences (KaDSci) team will develop a domain-specific machine readable ontology for semantically consistent representation of commander’s intent for intent formulation, a mathematical framework with set-based design principles and Allen’s interval algebra for machine reasoning with temporal first order logic for dynamic orchestration of mission threads, and SoS analytical methods, such as graph and multi-attribute utility theory, for identification of nearly optimal and balanced solutions. 

The proposed IBN framework provides a software-based logical and analytical reasoning engine for dynamic task allocation and re-allocation in distributed C2 SoS that can be implemented as a decision-making aide to support wider USAF Advanced Battle Management System initiatives.

Raz received $349,997 from the Air Force Research Laboratory for this project. Funding began in April 2024 and will end in Dec. 2024.

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