Accelerating information availability to support mission-critical decisions

Because of the scalable design, object stores can hold almost endless amounts of data for long periods of time whether collecting performance and maintenance data from a jet fighter or planning logistics for materiel distribution.

A special ops team spends 12 hours on a secret reconnaissance mission in a remote location. They use a drone to capture coordinates and record video that downloads to a server in the team’s Humvee. At the end of the mission, the team shelters in a cave where there is no communications link to send the collected intelligence from the server back to base for analysis. Reconnecting will have to wait until sometime the next day when they can travel to where a signal is available. Meanwhile, the enemy doesn’t stop; but responsive action hangs on analyzing the collected data.

This scenario, and hundreds like it that confront warriors and decision-makers throughout the Defense Department, are daily occurrences. Massive amounts of mission-critical data are collected at the computing edge, wherever that happens to be. The proliferation of sensor-driven internet-of-things devices found on connected equipment -- ranging from airplanes to air conditioners  --increases the amount of available data exponentially.

Edge technology is essential to tactical applications, but there are limits to edge device capabilities. For instance, data actively collected at the edge must be backed up, but is limited to each device’s unique storage capacity. Typically, device-level storage management follows a first-in-first-out (FIFO) approach. As soon as capacity is reached, older data is deleted to make room for what’s new. For troops distributed far and wide, perhaps for days at a time, that constraint can limit mission fulfillment.

Using data in strategic defense requires access to the bigger picture. Specific edge data can be a critical puzzle piece in a greater context, so it must get shared back to the core processing center as quickly as possible. That’s often an arduous process. Relying on slow VPN connections, physically shipping external media or using good old-fashioned “sneaker-net” means proper data consolidation and analysis can take days or weeks. Yet that analysis is needed to build a more accurate picture and enable holistic decision-making to support mission goals.

Reducing time to data value

New advanced technologies change the dynamic. File solutions combined with object storage technology allows defense units to host data at the edge so it is accessible to whomever needs it, while copying the data to the core processing center in real time.  From there it can be tagged, categorized and shared with other groups to perform analytics that are needed to inform decisions, much faster.

Object storage is a private cloud technology that easily integrates with public cloud, enabling deployment of a hybrid cloud architecture with seamless data movement between the two.

Leveraging artificial intelligence capabilities, object storage can help with strategic plans for greater cloud migration while protecting controlled unclassified information or other sensitive data on the object itself.

Because of the scalable design, object stores can hold almost endless amounts of data for long periods of time. As the dataset becomes larger and more comprehensive, algorithms and analytic models run against it get better, revealing ever more accurate trends.

That offers distinct advantage for any number of use cases, like gathering intelligence, collecting performance and maintenance data from a jet fighter or planning logistics for materiel distribution. The possibilities are almost endless.

Driving operational modernization

When deploying object storage technology, data sent to the core remains accessible; any portion of it can be restored as an active working dataset if needed. That’s helpful in reducing edge storage requirements, since most edge data is only used for a short time. Reducing the edge footprint creates a host of new options to change operational models.

First, there is the physical aspect of reducing equipment and eliminating the need to protect backups in-field (think, no more rotating tape). That greatly simplifies the warfighters’ operational stance.

It also enables agencies to maximize their use of powerful new 5G connectivity. Growing volumes of data at the edge are only strategically useful if they can be effectively transported to the core and viewed by decision-makers across multiple sites; 5G enables that at scale. This is especially valuable for high-performance workloads that DOD leaders must manage.

Faster data access means faster time to action

Advanced weaponry and agile adversaries mean warfighters and commanders face more lethal challenges than ever. The right data can literally make the difference between life and death. By enabling data at the edge and fast analytics at the core, DOD leaders will be armed with the best information available to enable mission-critical decision-making, wherever the mission takes them.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.