The Cruise Weapons community wants to evaluate its baseline network and define the characteristics of its Engineering 2000 target network. In this thesis, we develop and execute a methodology for completing these actions. By following this methodology, we compare the community's current requirements with its current capabilities to produce our baseline evaluation. Then, we predict the future requirements and capabilities. From this, we produce our target definition. In our baseline evaluation, we find that the current network does not provide sufficient reach, range, responsiveness, user support, or workgroup support. In addition, we find that it is too complex to maintain or manage effectively. In our target definition, we determine that the future network should be a simple, centrally managed and maintained system that supports all users, including afloat customers and mobile employees. Furthermore, we determine that the network should handle simple messages, multi-version documents, and engineering drawings. In order to provide these capabilities, we recommend that the community streamline its applications suite, discard unnecessary computing assets, produce formal maintenance and management policies, and establish a network operations center. In addition, we recommend that the community implement peer-to-peer networking systems within workgroups, take advantage upgrading LAN technology at the local level, and continue working with DoD service providers for wide area communications

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http://archive.org/details/networkingrequir109458731

Captain,United States Marine Corps

Lieutenant, United States Navy