BBN Technologies

BBN Technologies' Scalable P2P Information Discovery and Response (SPIDAR) ToolKit enables engineers and software developers to rapidly design, build, and deploy large-scale peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. SPIDAR's P2P information technologies support distributed computing and network architectures that span widely dispersed, mobile, and heterogeneous infrastructures.

Using the SPIDAR toolkit, BBN has built powerful smart sensor webs that link disparate peers, (including heterogeneous sensors, remote devices, autonomous software agents, and human operators) that cooperate to perform ground sensor surveillance and tracking.

The SPIDAR toolkit is the enabling technology behind BBN's Smart Security Web for Homeland Defense applications, including intrusion detection and perimeter defense systems.

100% Java for Seamless Network Services & Support

The SPIDAR toolkit is completely Java and provides services and support for:

• Abstraction layer and semantics for peer-to-peer information applications.
• Open standards-based P2P messaging protocols for information advertisement, discovery, and response.
• Information management and distribution services for peer-to-peer applications.
• Agent-based architectures for developing autonomous processing and cooperative tasking capabilities across peer groups.
• Resource management of network resources.

SPIDAR and Project JXTA

The SPIDAR toolkit provides an abstraction layer and semantics between distributed information applications using Project JXTA's peer-to-peer protocols. SPIDAR's JXTA services include:

• Information discovery and response protocols
• Dynamic interest advertisement
• Distributed information management
• Contextual information association
• Peer-to-peer information sharing

Using these services, developers can design scalable, distributed applications that intelligently advertise and share information across peer groups without exceeding overall network capacities.

SPIDAR and the Cognitive Agent Architecture

Agent-based architectures, such as the Cognitive Agent Architecture (Cougaar), may also invoke SPIDAR services. Cougaar agents with SPIDAR capabilities have been developed for distributed planning and execution, and command and control applications.

SPIDAR Applications

SPIDAR applications include:

• Security and Surveillance Networks Using the SPIDAR toolkit, BBN has demonstrated homeland security and surveillance systems for intrusion detection, infrastructure and perimeter defense, border patrol, and surveillance. BBN is currently developing a secure access control system for the Helena Regional Airport Authority and the Transportation Security Agency.
• Robotic Teams Under a DARPA contract, BBN has developed and demonstrated task coordination of multiple robots, each configured with several disparate sensors. The robotic controllers were developed using SPIDAR with the Cougaar Micro Edition for embedded processors.
• Command and Control Networks BBN has designed and demonstrated several distributed command and control applications the U.S. Army's Future Combat System and Objective Force for the Warrior programs. SPIDAR services are invoked to hierarchically manage, distribute, and maintain battlefield information and to access reports across multiple C2 nodes.

SPIDAR Service Packages

SPIDAR packages include:

    P2P services- extends JXTA services

• Discovery and response protocols
• Dynamic interest advertisements and interest groups
• P2P Shareable Objects

    Hypothesis services

• Abstract information processing model
• Information management services
• Information maintenance services
• Context and association services

    Info Market Services

• Advertising policies, resources, constraints, reprioritization
• P2P messaging services
• Pedigree services