Chapter 4. Interoperability Profiles4.1. Minimum Interoperability profile29. NATO, through its interoperability directive, has recognised that widespread interoperability is a key component in achieving effective and efficient operations. In many of the operations world-wide in which NATO nations are engaged, they participate together with a wide variety of other organisations on the ground. Such organisations include coalition partners from non-NATO nations, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs - e.g. Aid Agencies) and industrial partners. It is clear that the overall military and humanitarian objectives of an operation could usefully be supported if a basic level of system interoperability existed to enhanced the exchange of information. 30. To support the goal of widespread interoperability this section defines a minimum profile of services and standards that are sufficient to provide a useful level of interoperability. This profile uses only those services and standards that are already part of the NISP, however it presents them as a simple and easy to follow, yet comprehensive protocol and service stack. 4.1.1. Architectural Assumptions31. This document assumes that all participants are using IP v4 packet-switched, routed networks (at least at the boundaries to their networks) and that interoperability will be supported through tightly controlled boundaries between component networks and systems; these may be connected directly or via a third-party WAN (see Figure 4.1 below). A limited set of services will be supported at the boundary, these requiring server-to-server interactions only. Each nation/organisation will be responsible for the security of information exchanged. ![]() Figure 4.1. NATO to National Connectivity 32. Users will attach and authenticate to their local system/network. Information will only be shared using the limited set of services provided. It is also assumed that the information to be exchanged will predominantly be unclassified. 4.1.2. Shared Services33. The complete set of shared services will be a combination of the user-level services supported across the boundary and the infrastructure services necessary to deliver them. The user-level services that realistically can be shared are:
34. To implement these services in a network enabled environment, the following must also be defined:
4.1.3. Minimum Architecture35. The following table defines the service areas, classes and standards that make up the minimum architecture. They represent a subset of the NISP.
Table 4.1. NISP Lite |