Network testing
CenGen’s cyber network range capabilities cover the full spectrum of testing environments – from individual hosts, to single enclaves and local area networks, to world-wide Wide Area Networks (WAN). The Government will receive higher success with lower risk by utilizing CenGen’s existing testbed facilities which provide secure, virtual and proven testing and security verification. CenGen’s network range capabilities are designed to operate separately as testbed and field facilities or jointly in a complimentary hybrid. Both ranges can be easily expanded to support hybrid capability to augment live range testing with emulated networks.
CenGen’s diverse field testing assets are available for both field and emulation test ranges. The full scope of these assets give CenGen the ability to fully evaluate and test Network Centric warfare, both in the field and in the laboratory. CenGen supports network centric field testing on a routine basis and is always ready to support testing with proven results.
CenGen’s current range capabilities include:
Laboratory Based Emulation Suite Range
CenGen’s Laboratory Based Emulation Suite Range realistically simulates future range architectures and protocols. Salient features of the range:
- Scalable
Over 400 hardware based nodes scalable to thousands of nodes via virtualization
- Dynamic and Flexible
Modular design to support the emulation of complex and emerging heterogeneous networks
- Realistic
Realistic emulation of hardware based systems at both the application and transport layer without requiring tactical hardware
- Automated, Repeatable and Reconfigurable
Utilizing a secure and non-intrusive control back channel, the testbed is highly automated at all stages; from imaging to execution to harvesting and analysis of data for various network concepts and architectures
- Data Collection and Analysis
Applications and test tools developed support both field and lab based testing critical for effective research and development as well as evaluation of emerging technologies targeted for the advancement of Net-Centric Warfare
Live Field Range
CenGen’s Live Field Range supports physical implementation of networks by utilizing tactical network assets. It can stand up to complex tactical heterogeneous networks and provides the ability to evaluate operational hardware and software in tactically relevant environments:
- Scalable
Ability to physically implement and integrate highly mobile, complex, and large scale networks (50+ nodes) over a large operational area (100 km x 100 km) consisting of dismount, vehicular, and airborne platforms
- Dynamic and Flexible
Supports tactical and surrogate hardware, software, and communications protocols to provide realism
- Realistic
Supports complex heterogeneous networks and incorporation of advanced networking technologies with the ability to support wired, wireless, or hybrid topologies
- Automated, Repeatable and Reconfigurable
Has a robust and responsive data collection process and system to provide high fidelity test data and unbiased results. Capable of migrating to a fully automated process utilizing a non-intrusive secure commercial ad-hoc back channel
- Data Collection and Analysis
An arsenal of test tools allow us to load a network centric system with user application data, voice, video, and file transfer to collect the end user experience and allow for distributed real time status and accurate post analysis. These tools can be used fully distributed (for field experiments without a control network), or fully controlled (for lab testing with a control network)