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Automatic Digital Network (AUTODIN)

The Automatic Digital Network (AUTODIN) has supported the DoD's communications needs for thirty years. This main frame technology is manpower intensive and cannot be easily upgraded to support new information requirements. Its inability to provide the warfighter a wide range of information services, not just messaging, and its high cost of operations and maintenance requires the replacement of AUTODIN. The Defense Message Service [DMS] and the Defense Information Systems Network will replace AUTODIN and its messaging components.

The Automated Digital Network (AUTODIN) Automated Switching Center (ASC) provide the U. S. Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, other government agencies and industrial contractors with a worldwide, high-speed, automatic, electronic, data communications system. The ASCs are responsible for the handling of communications ata and other forms of digital data. The ASC maintains 24 hour operation of major special purpose computers and their peripheral devices for on-line and off-line processing of communications data and other forms of digital data for AUTODIN. The ASC monitors system and tributaries by processing performance effectiveness against system performance capabilities, and provides advisory service and assistance to the AUTODIN tributary station in the areas of AUTODIN operations and communications.

As DMS emerges, AUTODIN will be phased out. DISA has already made progress in closing three of the 14 AUTODIN automated switching centers (ASCs). The ASC located at Taegu Korea closed in June '96 and the ASC in Albany, GA ceased operations in May 1997. Additional closures will be coordinated with the services and their DMS implementation plans. As DISA closes ASCs, customers will transition off telecommunication centers (TCCs) serviced by that ASC to DMS as fast as possible, rehoming any remaining AUTODIN requirements to a remaining TCC. In the initial implementation, organizations will receive sensitive but unclassified (SBU) DMS products to send and receive SBU messaging via DISN, and use the existing AUTODIN components to send and receive their classified messages. As the SBU organizational messaging transitions to DISN, TCC operations will decrease. A small AUTODIN message processing center will remain at each TCC until DMS is approved to process all classification levels. Those TCCs disconnected from ASCs will be reterminated to another TCC in the same geographical area to maintain AUTODIN classified messaging services until classified DMS products are fielded.

The classified messaging requirement remains a difficult challenge. Its implementation will require the use of FORTEZZA cards, high assurance guards and DMS components which support the Message Security Protocol version 4. DISA, NSA, and Lockheed-Martin are working this architecture. The GENSER TS message handling and its implementation in DMS is still being investigated, while the TS/SCI capability should be available using DMS products on a TS/SCI network.

Consequently, in April 1998 the Pentagon said it is likely to maintain hubs for several years after AUTODIN is shut down, to support "key legacy systems," which include nuclear command and control systems that pass Emergency Action Messages (EAM) traffic.

References

• DOD considers extending life of aging Autodin BY BOB BREWIN Federal Computer Week APRIL 13, 1998