The Defense Information Systems Agency is a United States Department of Defense combat support agency with the goal of providing real-time information technology (IT) and communications support to the President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, the military Services, and the Combatant Commands.
As part of the Base Realignment and Closure, DISA is in the process of moving from Arlington, Virginia to Fort Meade in Maryland, and will complete the transition by September 2011.[1][2]
DISA's role in DoD information management continued to expand with implementation, in September 1992, of several Defense Management Report Decisions (DMRD), most notably DMRD 918. DMRD 918 created the Defense Information Infrastructure (DII), now more commonly understood as the GIG. At the same time DII was implemented, the concept for the Defense Information Systems Network was created. The DISN consolidated 122 DoD networks, offering more efficient support to the warfighter.[3]
Mission
DISA, a Combat Support Agency, engineers and provides command and control capabilities and enterprise infrastructure to continuously operate and assure a global net-centric enterprise in direct support to joint warfighters, National level leaders, and other mission and coalition partners across the full spectrum of operations.
Core Mission Areas
Command and Control
- Command and Control (C2) systems enable information superiority on the battlefield. They provide the commander with the information to make effective decisions and they provide the warfighter the capability to access the information necessary to complete their mission. DISA's C2C portfolio contains the Net-Enabled Command Capability (NECC), Global Combat Support System Combatant Command/Joint Task Force (GCSS (CC/JTF)], Global Command and Control System- Joint (GCCS-J), and Multinational Information Sharing (MNIS).
Computing/Application Hosting
- DISA provides computing services that allow DoD to better execute its missions. From
1813 computing centers, DISA delivers hosting and information processing services that enable sharing of information through an assured, accessible, net-centric storage and processing environment.
Contracting and Procurement
- Purchasing telecommunications and information technology (IT) products and services for the military is one of DISA's key roles within the Department of Defense (DoD). DISA’s contracting and procurement personnel use a variety of contract vehicles to increase acquisition speed, reduce costs, and ensure the men and women of USA armed services have the services and capabilities they need to fulfill their missions. In the past fiscal year, DISA administered 84,083 contracts — valued at approximately 6.8 billion dollars.
GIG Engineering
- The Global Information Grid - commonly referred to as "the GIG" - is the combination of technology and human activity that enables US warfighters to access the information they need, when they need it. DISA plans, designs, constructs, and analyzes the effectiveness of the U.S. military's cyberspace. In addition, DISA establishes the technological standards that make the GIG secure and reliable.
Information Assurance
- DISA ensures that information is accessible to the joint forces, while protecting the network -and the information on it - from being accessed by our adversaries. In order to achieve mission assurance and promote safe information sharing, DISA makes data ubiquitously accessible while simultaneously restricting access, promotes the safe sharing of information, prevents attacks by having network protections in place and detects, diagnoses, and reacts to attacks quickly.
Multinational Information Sharing (MNIS)
- DISA's Multinational Information Sharing (MNIS) Program ensures that coalition forces can work together and communicate effectively. DISA establishes the standards for information formatting and encryption, and facilitate the sharing of that information in a single joint environment. DISA’s efforts ensure joint forces share a common operational picture and contribute to enhanced intelligence, informed decision-making, and mission success.
Net-Centric Enterprise Services
- Net-Centric Enterprise Services (NCES) enables information sharing by connecting people and systems that have information (data and services) with those who need information. NCES is creating better access to information, enhancing its reach, richness and depth, as a way to promote superior decision-making across the DoD community. DISA is building the infrastructure that enables net-centric operations to drive collaboration among people and systems.
Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Services
- Within the DoD, DISA leads the effort to provide innovative, responsive, and cost effective SATCOM services to customers. DISA is involved in all segments of the SATCOM environment:
- Commercial SATCOM: DISA is the sole authorized provider of commercial SATCOM services to the DoD.
- DoD Teleport System: DISA provides deployed warfighters with voice, video, and data reachback capabilities.
- Joint Internet Protocol Modem (JIPM): DISA is developing a net-centric communication footprint within the DoD Teleports to ensure the secure transmission of Internet Protocol over satellite communication systems.
- Presidential Communication Modernization (PCM): DISA provides state-of-the-art, modernized voice, video, and data communications capabilities for the president and his staff.
- Global Electromagnetic Spectrum Information System (GEMSIS): DISA is transforming spectrum operations into a responsive, agile, and on-demand capability to ensure spectrum access for warfighters.
Spectrum
- DISA's Defense Spectrum Organization (DSO) is the center of excellence for electromagnetic spectrum analysis and the development of integrated spectrum plans and long-term strategies to address current and future needs for DoD spectrum access. DSO provides direct operational support to the [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff], Combatant Commanders, Secretaries of Military Departments, and Directors of Defense Agencies to achieve national security and military objectives.
Testing
- Today's information technology (IT) systems and equipment must be able to communicate not only within a specific branch of the military, but with other services, agencies, and coalition partners. DISA's [Joint Interoperability Test Command] (JITC) is recognized throughout DoD and industry for their diligence in extensively testing and providing joint certification for the [net-centric] systems employed by US armed forces. The testing and certification of the IT systems and equipment prior to downrange deployment is a critical component of ensuring warfighter success.
Voice, Video, and Data Services
- DISA serves as the single senior manager for all [Defense Information System Network] [(DISN)] activities. It translates customers' long-haul network requirements into effective voice, video, and data network solutions; leverages proven and emerging technologies to ensure joint interoperability, assured security, and best value; evaluates technical operation and user mission effectiveness; and resolves technical support issues for DoD's long-haul networks.
Data Services
SIPRNet
The SIPRNet (Secret [formerly Secure] Internet Protocol Router Network) is a system of interconnected computer networks used by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State to transmit classified information (up to and including information classified SECRET) by packet switching over the TCP/IP protocols in a "completely secure" environment. It also provides services such as hypertext documents and electronic mail. In other words, the SIPRNet is the DoD’s classified version of the civilian Internet together with its counterpart, the Top Secret and SCI Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, JWICS.[3]
NIPRNet
NIPRNet (Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network) (formerly called the Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Network). NIPRNET is used to exchange unclassified but sensitive information between "internal" users as well as providing users access to the Internet. NIPRNet is composed of Internet protocol routers owned by the United States Department of Defense (DOD). It was created by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to supersede the earlier MILNET.[3]
History
Defense Communications Agency
The Defense Communications Agency (DCA) was established May 12, 1960 by then-Secretary of Defense Thomas S. Gates. Its mission was to manage the Defense Communications System (DCS), a consolidation of the independent long-haul communications functions of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
In the 1960s, DCA moved to Arlington, Virginia, and took on several major organizations. The Air Force Office of Commercial Communications Management (now the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization), the White House Signal Agency (now the White House Communications Agency), and the DoD Damage Assessment Center (now the Joint Staff Support Center) all became a part of DCA. DCA also established six regional communications control centers and two area centers for operational control of the DCS.
In the 1970s, DCA subsumed the Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network and the Military Satellite Communications Systems Office. It also became responsible for engineering and operating the Worldwide Military Command and Control System. In the 1980s, DCA absorbed the Joint Tactical Command, Control, and Communications Agency, improving its ability to manage and enhance the interoperability of command, control, and communications systems. The Joint Interoperability Test Command was formed within DCA to provide interoperability compliance testing and certification.
Defense Information Systems Agency
On June 25, 1991, DCA was renamed DISA to reflect its role in providing total information systems management for the DoD. DISA implemented several Defense Management Report Decisions (DMRD), most notably DMRD 918, which created the Defense Information Infrastructure, now known as the Global Information Grid (GIG). DISA consolidated several (148) information processing centers, then operated by the Service Components and Defense Agencies, into 16 Defense megacenters and, within a few years, consolidated them further into five mainframe-processing centers known as Defense Enterprise Computing Centers (DECC) operated by DISA. The Joint Spectrum Center and the Defense Technical Information Center also became part of DISA. Employment peaks at more than 12,000 military and civilian members.[3]
With the onset of the Global War on Terror and Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, DISA has been at the heart of providing the telecommunications and information systems that enable 21st century joint warfighting. The build up for Iraqi Freedom is the largest implementation of telecommunications and information technology in the history of warfare.
DISA, today, is in the forefront of the development of net-centric enterprise services, which will enable information sharing by connecting people and systems that have information with those who need information; development of net-enabled command capabilities, which will revolutionize command and control supporting joint warfighting; providing network services; and providing computing services that support more than 8 million users of more than 1,400 applications, using more than 1.7 petabytes of storage. DISA’s Computing Services is the number-one provider of Defense personnel, payroll, logistics, accounting, and medical records processing.[3]
DISA has been awarded five Joint Meritorious Unit Awards and continues to offer DoD information systems support, taking data services to the forward-deployed warfighter.
DISA's mission, responsibilities, functions, relationships, and authorities, under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration/DoD Chief Information Officer (ASD (NII)/DoD CIO) are outlined in DoDD 5105.19, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), 25 July 2006.[4]
Accomplishments
GIG-BE
The Global Information Grid Bandwidth Expansion (GIG-BE) Program was a major Department of Defense (DOD) net-centric transformational initiative executed by DISA. GIG-BE created a ubiquitous “bandwidth-available” environment to improve national security intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, information assurance, as well as command and control. Through GIG-BE, DISA leveraged DOD’s existing end-to-end information transport capabilities, significantly expanding capacity and reliability to select Joint Staff-approved locations worldwide. GIG-BE achieved full operational capacity on Dec. 20 , 2005.[5]
On-going Innovations
Rapid Access Computing Environment (RACE): Under the joint guidance of DISA's Computing Services and Chief Technology Office, in October 2008, DISA made operational a user-self service provisioning portal, which allows DoD users to provision LAMP or Windows servers within its secured computing environment within 24 hours. This is one of the first forays into cloud computing by the United States federal government.
Forge.mil: In April 2009, DISA made operational an open source/government source software lifecycle development cycle patterned after the open source community's SourceForge.net.
Hosting commercial SaaS offerings: In July 2009, the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base confirmed that DISA will host the Air Force instantiation of the RightNow Technologies' COTS personnel customer service and self-service applications at its Defense Enterprise Computing Centers (DECC). RightNow will maintain the software applications in a similar fashion to its privately hosted SaaS offering.
See also
Notes
External links
References
- July 27, 2009. Defensesystems.com, DISA 'private cloud' serves as personnel system: Air Force Personnel Center to shift applications to software-as-a-service model.
- July 29, 2009. Defensesystems.com among top 10 dot-gov sites
