Battlefield network applications of the SHAMAN management system

SHAMAN (Spreadsheet-based Hierarchical Architecture for MANagement) is a novel management framework developed at the University of Delaware; it extends the traditional flat SNMP management model to a hierarchical architecture. Effective management of battlefield networks requires such a hierarchical management architecture wherein managers can dynamically delegate management tasks to intermediate managers. The SHAMAN framework includes a spreadsheet-based intermediate manager with a scripting language and MIB, a polling subsystem, and an event model; a prototype implementation of the system is available. Our research has explored several applications of the SHAMAN system to tactical battlefield networks for the US Army. These applications described in this paper include a Location Management application, an application to reconfigure dynamically changing topology of Tactical Internets, and another application to interface with OPNET simulations of battlefield networks.