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Air Force Institute of Technology

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Articles 871 - 900 of 1277

Full-Text Articles in Computer Sciences

An Information Visualization Solution For The Analysis Of The Afm Simulation Output Data, Stuart H. Kurkowski Mar 2000

An Information Visualization Solution For The Analysis Of The Afm Simulation Output Data, Stuart H. Kurkowski

Theses and Dissertations

With the advancement of computer hardware and software computer simulations are now able to run faster and track more elements than ever before burdening the analyst with more and more data to analyze. Air Mobility Command's (AMC) Airlift Flow Model (AFM) is the Air Force's logistics simulator that simulates multi-day mobility scenarios in a matter of minutes producing megabytes of output data. Because the analysts' needs for summaries, trends, and comparisons of the data have surpassed the capabilities of current desktop spreadsheet analysis techniques new tools are needed.

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A Formal Methodology And Technique For Verifying Communication Protocols In A Multi-Agent Environment, Timothy H. Lacey Mar 2000

A Formal Methodology And Technique For Verifying Communication Protocols In A Multi-Agent Environment, Timothy H. Lacey

Theses and Dissertations

As network bandwidth increases, distributed applications are becoming increasingly prevalent. Systems using these applications are very complicated to build and must be dependable. Software agents are ideal for breaking complicated problems into manageable subtasks. Agent conversations, a series of messages passed between agents, are the cornerstone of multi-agent systems and must be deemed correct before being placed into service. The purpose of this research was to develop a formal methodology and technique to verify that the communication protocols defined in a multi-agent environment were valid. This was accomplished by examining agent conversations before deploying the system. An additional goal of …

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A Component Based Approach To Agent Specification, David J. Robinson Mar 2000

A Component Based Approach To Agent Specification, David J. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force, as well as all of industry, is currently faced with the problem of having to produce larger and more complex software systems that run efficiently and reliably as well as being extensible and maintainable. This research addresses this problem by developing a knowledge representation language that can be used to unambiguously specify and design software systems in a verifiable, efficient, and understandable manner. The language is a combination of object-oriented and component-based methodologies and makes use of both graphics and text to represent information. Although designed for the development of any type of software system, the language …

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Improving The Analyst And Decision-Maker’S Perspective Through Uncertainty Visualization, Evan T. Watkins Mar 2000

Improving The Analyst And Decision-Maker’S Perspective Through Uncertainty Visualization, Evan T. Watkins

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis constructs the Taxonomy of Uncertainty and an approach for enhancing the information in decision support systems. The hierarchical categorization of numerous causes for uncertainty defines the taxonomy, which fostered the development of a technique for visualizing uncertainty. This technique is fundamental to expressing the multi-dimensional uncertainty that can be associated with any object. By including and intuitively expressing uncertainty, the approach facilitates and enhances intuition and decision-making without undue information overload. The resulting approach for enhancing the information involves recording uncertainty, identifying the relevant items, computing and visualizing uncertainty, and providing interaction with the selection of uncertainty. A …

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Explicitly Modeling Hierarchically Heterogeneous Software Architectures In An Object-Oriented Formal Transformation System, Darin L. Williams Mar 2000

Explicitly Modeling Hierarchically Heterogeneous Software Architectures In An Object-Oriented Formal Transformation System, Darin L. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Formal software transformation systems are software development environments typified by the semi-automated application of a series of correctness-preserving transformations to formal data models. The range of software architectures such systems are capable of producing is often restricted by the limited ability to accept high-level design inputs as constraints on the transformation process. When architectural inputs are acceptable, often the modeling language excludes the explicit representation of architectural constructs and provides, at best, an extremely limited architectural analysis capability. This research defines a high-level taxonomy of software architectures and proposes a way to explicitly model a broad class of architectures by …

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Enhancing A Virtual Distributed Library User Interface Via Server-Side User Profile Caching, Jason T. Ward Mar 2000

Enhancing A Virtual Distributed Library User Interface Via Server-Side User Profile Caching, Jason T. Ward

Theses and Dissertations

Various Department of Defense (DoD) agencies archive terabytes of intelligence imagery and electrooptical signature data. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate (AFRL/SN), is tasked with creating and managing a virtual distributed library that facilitates secure, detailed queries across these distributed holdings using the internally developed Advanced Query Tool (AQT). In this research, a methodology is proposed to utilize user profiling techniques to augment a digital library. As part of this methodology, product-oriented usability analysis metrics are introduced that quantitatively verify the usability of an interface. The methodology is applied to the AFRL/SN's Virtual Distributed Laboratory AQT and subsequently analyzed …

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Multiagent Systems Engineering: A Methodology For Analysis And Design Of Multiagent Systems, Mark F. Wood Mar 2000

Multiagent Systems Engineering: A Methodology For Analysis And Design Of Multiagent Systems, Mark F. Wood

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis defines a methodology for the creation of multiagent systems, the Multiagent Systems Engineering (MaSE) methodology. The methodology is a key issue in the development of any complex system and there is currently no standard or widely used methodology in the realm of multiagent systems. MaSE covers the entire software lifecycle, starting from an initial prose specification, and creating a set of formal design documents in a graphical style based on a formal syntax. The final product of MaSE is a diagram describing the deployment of a system of intelligent agents that communicate through structured conversations. MaSE was created …

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Distributed Object System Engineering For Terminal Aerodrome Forecast Validation And Metrics Processing, James S. Douglas Mar 2000

Distributed Object System Engineering For Terminal Aerodrome Forecast Validation And Metrics Processing, James S. Douglas

Theses and Dissertations

Distributed object systems are a very complex intertwining of heterogeneous hardware, software, and operating systems coupled with communication networks of varying protocols and capacities. Distributed components offer improved performance through parallel processing, improved expansion and scalability opportunities through modularity, improved availability through replication, and improved resource sharing and interoperability through interconnection. This research provides a distributed system design methodology to validate terminal forecasts and gather metrics for the Air Force Weather Agency. Proven principles such as component reuse and architectural development are applied through the use of parameterized types and design patterns. A client/server measurement model is developed to show …

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A Comparative Analysis Of Cockpit Display Development Tools, Matthew J. Gebhardt Mar 2000

A Comparative Analysis Of Cockpit Display Development Tools, Matthew J. Gebhardt

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, no standard methodology exists that enables cockpit display engineers to evaluate software tools used in the development of graphical cockpit displays. Furthermore, little research has been accomplished in comparing current software development tools with traditional hand-coded methods, This research effort discusses a framework for analyzing cockpit display software development tools and follows through with a detailed analysis comparing today's hand-coding standard, OpenGL, with two of today's cockpit display software development suites, Virtual Application Prototyping System (VAPS) and Display Editor. The comparison exploits the analysis framework establishing the advantages and disadvantages of the three software development suites. The analysis framework …

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Three-Dimensional Data Visualization Of Electronic Military Intelligence Using The Project Broadsword System, Michael L. Goeringer Mar 2000

Three-Dimensional Data Visualization Of Electronic Military Intelligence Using The Project Broadsword System, Michael L. Goeringer

Theses and Dissertations

Today's military electronic infrastructure solves many problems while creating others. Using computers, battlefield and global awareness is brought to bear through the near real-time linking of sensor platforms from around the globe. These intelligence networks produce vast amounts of data that must be parsed, interpreted, digested and stored by information gathering systems. As the amount of intelligence data continues to increase, these text-based systems become cumbersome and inadequate. To ensure vital information is not overlooked or discovered too late, other forms of intelligence product management and data navigation need to be investigated. This thesis explores procedures for enhancing the capabilities …

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Data Warehouse Techniques To Support Global On-Demand Weather Forecast Metrics, Meriellen C. Joga Mar 2000

Data Warehouse Techniques To Support Global On-Demand Weather Forecast Metrics, Meriellen C. Joga

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force pilots and other operators make crucial mission planning decisions based on weather forecasts; therefore, the ability to forecast the weather accurately is a critical issue to Air Force Weather (AFW) and its customers. The goal of this research is to provide Air Force Weather with a methodology to automate statistical data analysis for the purpose of providing on-demand metrics. A data warehousing methodology is developed and applied to the weather metrics problem in order to present an option that will facilitate on-demand metrics. On-line analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining solutions are also discussed.

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A Human-Centered Approach For Designing Decision Support Systems, Sean G. Kern Mar 2000

A Human-Centered Approach For Designing Decision Support Systems, Sean G. Kern

Theses and Dissertations

The choice to include the human in the decision process affects four key areas of system design: problem representation, system analysis and design, solution technique selection, and interface requirements specification. I introduce a design methodology that captures the necessary choices associated with each of these areas. In particular I show how this methodology is applied to the design of an actual decision Support system for satellite operations scheduling. Supporting the user's ability to monitor the actions of the system and to guide the decision process of the system are two key considerations in the successful design of a decision support …

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An Intelligent User Interface To Support Air Force Weather Product Generation And Automated Metrics, Darryl N. Leon Mar 2000

An Intelligent User Interface To Support Air Force Weather Product Generation And Automated Metrics, Darryl N. Leon

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force pilots require dependable weather reports so they may avoid unsafe flying conditions. In order to better gauge the accuracy of its weather products, Air Force Weather has established the requirement for an Air Force-wide automated weather metrics program. Under the guidelines for this program, forecasts will automatically be compared to observed weather to determine their accuracy. Statistics will be collected in the hopes of determining forecast error trends that can be corrected through education and training. In order for the statistical data produced by such a program to draw reliable conclusions about forecast accuracy, however, the correct format …

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Formal Object State Model Transformations For Automated Agent System Synthesis, David W. Marsh Mar 2000

Formal Object State Model Transformations For Automated Agent System Synthesis, David W. Marsh

Theses and Dissertations

Automated agent system synthesis is the process of generating code from a requirements specification with appropriate inputs from the software engineer. Object-oriented (OO) specifications are frequently used to model intelligent software agent systems and software requirements in general; formal representations capture precisely the intentions of the specifier. Portions of OO specifications can be classified as the structural, functional, and state (or dynamic) models; major strides have been taken in the development of transformations for creating code from formal OO specifications, specifically the structural and functional aspects, and are captured within the AFIT Wide-Spectrum Object Modeling Environment (AWSOME). This research creates …

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A Method Of Focusing The Attention Of The Decision-Maker On Uncertain Information, John F. Moesner Iv Mar 2000

A Method Of Focusing The Attention Of The Decision-Maker On Uncertain Information, John F. Moesner Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Military decision-makers need to be able to synthesize large amounts of information quickly and make accurate and timely decisions. However, all too often, when a decision-maker is bombarded with important information that has an uncertainty associated with it, that information is often neglected. One method of dealing with this type of information overload is through proper data orientation. By reducing the clutter of irrelevant information, the proportions of useful and relevant data can be increased. At the same time, the attention of the decision-maker is directed to the critical tasks or centers of gravity. The WATCHDOG Decision Support Tool is …

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Knowledge Base Support For Design And Synthesis Of Multi-Agent Systems, Marc J. Raphael Mar 2000

Knowledge Base Support For Design And Synthesis Of Multi-Agent Systems, Marc J. Raphael

Theses and Dissertations

AgentTool is an AFIT-produced, AFOSR-sponsored multi-agent system (MAS) development tool intended for production of MASs that meet military requirements. This research focuses on enabling MAS design and synthesis tools like agentTool to store, retrieve, and filter persistent, reusable, and reliable agent domain knowledge. This "enabling" is vital if such tools are expected to produce consistent, maintainable, and verifiable agent applications on short timetables. Enabling requires: 1) modeling the agent knowledge domain, 2) designing and employing a persistent knowledge base, and 3) bridging that domain model to the knowledge base with an extensible domain interchange grammar. The achieved interchange grammar, called …

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Implementation Of Speech Recognition Software For Text Processing: An Exploratory Analysis, Sean P. Abell Dec 1999

Implementation Of Speech Recognition Software For Text Processing: An Exploratory Analysis, Sean P. Abell

Theses and Dissertations

The rationale behind implementing new information technologies is often to gain productivity improvements associated with the substitution of machinery for labor. However, the literature shows little direct evidence of a positive relationship between information technology investment and subsequent productivity benefits. This thesis reports on the examination into the productivity implications of implementing speech recognition software in a text processing environment. More specifically, research was conducted to compare text processing speeds and error rates using speech recognition software versus the keyboard and mouse. Of interest was the time required to input and proofread text processing tasks as well as the number …

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Network Security Versus Network Connectivity: A Framework For Addressing The Issues Facing The Air Force Medical Community, Franklin E. Cunningham Jr. Dec 1999

Network Security Versus Network Connectivity: A Framework For Addressing The Issues Facing The Air Force Medical Community, Franklin E. Cunningham Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force has instituted Barrier Reef to protect its networks. The Air Force medical community operates network connections that are incompatible with Barrier Reef. To overcome this problem, OASD(HA) directed the Tri-Service Management Program Office (TIMPO) to develop an architecture that protects all military health systems and allows them to link with all three services and outside partners. This research studied the underlying networking issues and formed a framework based on data from network experts from the Air Force's medical centers and their base network organizations. The findings were compared TIMPO and a composite framework was developed that more …

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Towards A Game Theory Model Of Information Warfare, David A. Burke Dec 1999

Towards A Game Theory Model Of Information Warfare, David A. Burke

Theses and Dissertations

The repeated game of incomplete information model, a subclass of game theory models, was modified to include aspects of information warfare. The repeated game of incomplete information model was first developed to analyze nuclear weapons disarmament negotiations. The central role of information in this model suggested its applicability to IW, which focuses on the defense and acquisition of information. A randomized experimental design was utilized to determine how people behave in a laboratory IW setting and to test the IW game model's basic predictions. The impact of experience and learning on IW performance was also assessed during the experiment. IW …

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Information System Incidents: The Development Of A Damage Assessment Model, Mark D. Horony Dec 1999

Information System Incidents: The Development Of A Damage Assessment Model, Mark D. Horony

Theses and Dissertations

Information system (IS) incidents are on the rise. With low manning and undertrained information security specialists it is difficult for organizations to stop IS incidents from occurring. Once an incident has occurred it is the IS manager's responsibility to ensure that a full and accurate damage assessment has been accomplished. However, most IS managers lack the necessary tools to assess the damage from an incident. This exploratory thesis developed an IS incident damage assessment model (DAM) that can be part of the IS manager's tool kit. During the development of the model, it became apparent that the model was supported …

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Power, Performance, And Perception (P3): Integrating Usability Metrics And Technology Acceptance Determinants To Validate A New Model For Predicting System Usage, Alan P. Fiorello Dec 1999

Power, Performance, And Perception (P3): Integrating Usability Metrics And Technology Acceptance Determinants To Validate A New Model For Predicting System Usage, Alan P. Fiorello

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there are two distinct approaches to assist information technology managers in the successful implementation of office automation software. The first approach resides within the field of usability engineering, while the second approach is derived from the discipline of management information systems (MIS). However, neither approach has successfully produced conclusive evidence that explains what characteristics facilitate system use as well as influence user acceptance of the system. This study reports on the validity of a new model, entitled the Power, Performance, Perception (P3) model, that links the constructs of usability engineering to user acceptance. Additionally, speech recognition software (SRS) was …

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Formal Representation And Application Of Software Design Information, Thomas M. Schorsch Sep 1999

Formal Representation And Application Of Software Design Information, Thomas M. Schorsch

Theses and Dissertations

Formal methods for developing software use mathematical frameworks to specify, develop and verify software systems, especially safety critical systems where error free software is a necessity. A transformation system is a formal method that refines a requirement specification into an implementation by successively adding design decisions in the form of precisely verified design information. Current algebraic representations of design information (specifications, morphisms, and interpretations) and methods for applying algebraic specification design information (diagram refinement) cannot correctly represent and apply design information involving higher level design information. This investigation develops innovative methods for constructing and refining structured algebraic requirement specifications, as …

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Analysis Of N-Tier Architecture Applied To Distributed-Database Systems, Alexandre G. Valente Jun 1999

Analysis Of N-Tier Architecture Applied To Distributed-Database Systems, Alexandre G. Valente

Theses and Dissertations

N-tier architecture has been more commonly used as a methodology for developing large database applications. This work evaluates the use of this architecture instead of the classical Client/Server architecture in developing corporate applications based on distributed databases. The comparison between architectures is performed using applications that execute transactions similar to those defined in the Transaction Process Council Type C benchmark (TPC-C). The environment used for development and testing was the AFIT Bimodal Cluster (ABC); a heterogeneous cluster of PCs, running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 OS. The comparative experimental analysis demonstrated that the N-tier architecture allows more efficient bandwidth utilization between …

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Scan-It: A Computer Vision Model Motivated By Human Physiology And Behavior, John G. Keller Jun 1999

Scan-It: A Computer Vision Model Motivated By Human Physiology And Behavior, John G. Keller

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation details the development of a new computational vision model motivated by physiological and behavioral aspects of the human visual system. Using this model, intensity features within an artificial visual field of view are extracted and transformed into a simulated cortical representation, and a saccadic guidance system scans this field of view over an object within an image to memorize that object. The object representation is thus stored as a sequence of feature matrices describing sub-regions of the object. A new image can then be searched for the object (possibly scaled and rotated), where evidence of its presence is …

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Cobol Reengineering Using The Parameter Based Object Identification (Pboi) Methodology, Sonia De Jesus Rodrigues Jun 1999

Cobol Reengineering Using The Parameter Based Object Identification (Pboi) Methodology, Sonia De Jesus Rodrigues

Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on how to reengineer Cobol legacy systems into object oriented systems using Sward's Parameter Based Object Identification (PBOI) methodology. The method is based on relating categories of imperative subprograms to classes written in object oriented language based on how parameters are handled and shared among them. The input language of PBOI is a canonical form called the generic imperative model (GIM), which is an abstract syntax tree (AST) representation of a simple imperative programming language. The output is another AST, the generic object model (GOM), a generic object oriented language. Conventional languages must be translated into the …

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Methodology For Integrating The Scenario Databases Of Simulation Systems, Emilia M. Colonese Jun 1999

Methodology For Integrating The Scenario Databases Of Simulation Systems, Emilia M. Colonese

Theses and Dissertations

The use of many different simulation systems by the United States Department of Defense has resulted in many different scenario data representations contained in heterogeneous databases. These heterogeneous databases all represent the same data concept, but have different semantics due to intrinsic variations among the data models. In this research, I describe a unified scenario database to allow interoperability and reuse of the scenario data components while avoiding the problems of data redundancy. Using the object oriented approach, the data and schema of the scenario databases, represented in an object oriented model, are integrated into a global database also represented …

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Parallel Digital Signal Processing On A Network Of Personal Computers Case Study: Space-Time Adaptive Processing, Fernando Silva Jun 1999

Parallel Digital Signal Processing On A Network Of Personal Computers Case Study: Space-Time Adaptive Processing, Fernando Silva

Theses and Dissertations

Network based parallel computing using personal computers is currently a popular choice for concurrent scientific computing. This work evaluates the capabilities and the performance of the AFIT Bimodal Cluster (ABC); a heterogeneous cluster of PCs connected by switched fast Ethernet and using MPICH 1.1 for interprocess communication for parallel digital signal processing using Space Time Adaptive Processing (STAP) as the case study. The MITRE RT_STAP Benchmark version 1.1 is ported and executed on the ABC, as well as on a cluster of six Sun SPARC workstations connected by a Myrinet network (the AFIT NOW), and on a IBM SP for …

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Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms: Classifications, Analyses, And New Innovations, David A. Van Veldhuizen Jun 1999

Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms: Classifications, Analyses, And New Innovations, David A. Van Veldhuizen

Theses and Dissertations

This research organizes, presents, and analyzes contemporary Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm (MOEA) research and associated Multiobjective Optimization Problems (MOPs). Using a consistent MOEA terminology and notation, each cited MOEAs' key factors are presented in tabular form for ease of MOEA identification and selection. A detailed quantitative and qualitative MOEA analysis is presented, providing a basis for conclusions about various MOEA-related issues. The traditional notion of building blocks is extended to the MOP domain in an effort to develop more effective and efficient MOEAs. Additionally, the MOEA community's limited test suites contain various functions whose origins and rationale for use are often …

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Image Fusion Using Autoassociative-Heteroassociative Neural Networks, Claudia V. Kropas-Hughes May 1999

Image Fusion Using Autoassociative-Heteroassociative Neural Networks, Claudia V. Kropas-Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Images are easily recognized, classified, and segmented; in short, analyzed by humans. The human brain/nervous system; the biological computer, performs rapid and accurate image processing. In the current research the concepts of the biological neural system provide the impetus for developing a computational means of fusing image data. Accomplishing this automatic image processing requires features be extracted from each image data set, and the information content fused. Biologically inspired computational models are examined for extracting features by transformations such as Fourier, Gabor, and wavelets, and for processing and fusing the information from multiple images through evaluation of autoassociative neural networks …

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Analysis Of Usaf Battlelabs' Communication Infrastructure Over Various Protocols, Rocky A. Favorito, David M. Mcillece Mar 1999

Analysis Of Usaf Battlelabs' Communication Infrastructure Over Various Protocols, Rocky A. Favorito, David M. Mcillece

Theses and Dissertations

As a result of the doctrines exposed in the Air Force's "Global Engagement: A Vision for the 21st Century Air Force," the concept of a "Battlelab" was devised to support and develop the key warfighting capabilities needed in the next century. Although geographically separated, these labs must have the capability to exchange information with each other in a "Virtual Battlelab Environment" (VBE). Although many types of data will be exchanged, only variable-bit-rate (VBR) video and distributed interactive simulation (DIS) traffic are modeled in the VBE. The research described in this thesis utilizes a systems engineering approach to investigate the performance …

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