NexGen – Next Generation Engineering

Task Areas

The scope of the Northrop Grumman IT Team's NexGen services includes work in the following task areas:

General Systems Engineering
Information Systems Engineering
Network Engineering
Security Engineering
Information Technology Standards
Program Management

General Systems Engineering
The Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team provides support as specified in individual task orders to include performing engineering planning and addressing engineering issues associated with integration, transition planning, installation, and systems configuration; engineering research, analysis, design, planning, execution and tracking efforts. We also conduct assessments of potential program requirements; assist in the development and implementation of an overall system engineering approach for programs; provide support to develop program dependencies and interfaces; and provide modeling, simulation, and assessment/analysis of networks. The Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team provides this support for the DISN and connected networks; warfighter business applications, emerging technology and products using Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) tools, network and applications performance using COTS tools, IA products and technology, and DISN products and technology. Within this general engineering support area the Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team also provides:

Command Center Support: In this specific area we provide systems engineering and technical assistance support for airborne and command centers, associated ground architectures, and ground entry points and earth stations. Representative of this task is sustainment, improvement, and interoperability support for the NMCS airborne assets, i.e., National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC), CINCSTRAT Airborne Command Post, and other Worldwide Airborne Resources (WABNRES), SLCS airborne platforms, i.e., Air Force One, other Special Air Missions aircraft, and CINC Support Aircraft, and for ground user facilities, nodes, and supporting networks, i.e., White House Communications Agency, National Military Command Center (NMCC), NMCC Site-R, SATSTAR, NORTHSTAR, MYSTIC STAR, and other DISN nodes.

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Information Systems Engineering
In Information Systems Engineering, the Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team support includes engineering support for the application and database areas.

Applications Support: Within the applications area we provide the following types of support:

Requirements analysis, design, engineering, and reengineering of Software Applications.
Development of the infrastructure and any needed interfaces for the migration and implementation of applications
Development of the architecture for network-wide services (i.e., email, HTTP, Java, Distributed Computing Environment (DCE), Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) and/or Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
Development of the software scripts or segments to promote interoperability, provide missing functionality, additional configuration data, correct problems, or generally promote the integration of segments into a desired baseline
Segmentation of already developed COTS or Government off-the-shelf (GOTS) software to enable the integration of new functionalities.

Database Support: Within the database area we provide the following types of support:

Reengineering efforts to include the overall business process; insertion of new mission support applications; definition, prioritization and resolution of problem reports; and analysis of the overall system architecture including aspects of design, development, implementation, and operational transition.
Implement database and system services changes to include reengineering databases; replacing the GOTS replication with a COTS replication capability; maintaining changes to the existing database structure and maintaining software to provide synchronization.
Develop tools and or techniques to assure maximum continuity of operations by minimizing database and data replication downtime associated with database modification or recovery.
Provide database performance tuning in support of improving applications performance and system-wide database contention and concurrent user tuning.
Develop and maintain interfaces to allow existing exterior feeder systems to exchange data and provide unique support required for various database applications.

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Network Engineering
Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team support for this task area involves network engineering for programs, labs, and command systems as defined in individual task orders:

Program Support: Within the program support area we provide the following types of support:

Perform network design, performance monitoring, and fault management for networks, servers, applications, and force generation databases. collect operational performance statistics, analyze data, identify potential problems and recommend engineering solutions for identified problems.
Conduct network architecture design and implementation options in conformance with specified guidelines; and review and update system and network management Concept of Operations (CONOPS).

Lab Support: Within the lab support area we provide the following types of support:

Technical Control Office (TCO) support.
resolve and implement LAN configuration issues and equipment hookups.
analyze, isolate, and coordinate corrective action for communications related problems.
configure communications equipment to satisfy specific test bed requirements of the user.
provide networking capability for customers to ensure customers are isolated from each other to prevent unintentional harmful actions of one customer from impacting other customers.

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Security Engineering
Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team support in the Security Engineering Task Area includes:

Planning, designing, developing, testing, demonstrations, rapid prototyping, integration, site surveys, and installation.
Operation and maintenance of command and control communications, displays, firewall/guards, intrusion detection systems, and information sensors of computer/network systems and infrastructure operations protect and sustain the information assurance requirements for system and information availability, access control, integrity, confidentiality, and non-repudiation provide protection of the operating environments and software including network, operating systems, and databases.
Integrate and implement information assurance features for client/server and web enterprises.
Participate in the planning and conduct Security Test & Evaluations (ST&E), Modified Developmental Tests (MDT), and other testing scenarios support implementation of user, server, and object certificates and other identification and authentication infrastructure elements to include support for DOD Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) implementation strategies.

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Information Technology Standards
Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team support in the Standards Task Area includes providing joint and combined coordination, development, configuration management, and automation support for the Joint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control Systems (JINTACCS) Program, including support for tactical data link, message text format, symbology, and related standards. Representative of this work are technical evaluations of change proposals, technical support of joint and combined interoperability fora, and operations and maintenance support of supporting automation resources. Also included in this task area is support for information standards software and database development and maintenance, and data maintenance.

The Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team can also develop new standards and provide technical analyses. The Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team will identify standards policy issues that arise as well as provide technical assessments of new and emerging technologies that could affect the DOD, DISA, and CINCs/Services/Agencies. The team is capable of supporting the presentation of DISA/DOD contributions to all types of standards bodies, and can evaluate standards for applicability in DOD.

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Program Management
Northrop Grumman IT provides program management services to DISA to effectively plan for, perform, and manage the activities delineated in the NexGen Contract Statement of Work (SOW) and all directed task orders. The following describes various categories of program management services which are representative of activities that Northrop Grumman IT can perform.

Contract Management. Northrop Grumman IT will develop and maintain a Contract Management Plan (CMP) that describes the technical approach, organizational resources and management controls that the Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team will employ to meet the cost, performance and schedule requirements throughout the contract period of performance. Northrop Grumman IT also will provide additional plans/reports as required, i.e., management reporting, quality assurance, configuration management, security management, etc. Northrop Grumman IT also will apply the following disciplines to activities performed under the contract: quality assurance, configuration management, work breakdown structuring, human engineering and security.
Task Order Management. Northrop Grumman IT will develop and update detailed management analysis and planning deliverables, task status reports, and cost reports. The various reports that we provide may include may include task summaries, problem areas or issues, contractor changes, travel, cost summaries, personnel labor costs and hours by tasks and/or subtasks. Northrop Grumman IT also will perform regular management reviews.
Technical Experts. DISA may require support by highly technical experts external to the contractor's organization on a quick reaction basis. Northrop Grumman IT uses external relationships to permit the quick assignment of highly qualified, specialized technical experts on short notice to support high priority tasks.
Internal Management Controls. The Northrop Grumman IT NexGen Team provides internal management controls that include established and documented means to execute and perform quality assurance on deliverables, configuration management, work breakdown structuring, human engineering, and security. We ensure that fielded products satisfy validated requirements and user expectations, are easy to use, augment, modify, and maintain, and are in compliance with specifications and standards for development, life cycle management and quality management. Northrop Grumman IT will conduct audits, reviews, assessments, and inspections for products and processes and retain the documented results in an electronic media accessible by the DISA Program Manager.

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