From bobc at nfldinet.com Wed Oct 7 09:41:23 2009 From: bobc at nfldinet.com (Bob Courchaine) Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 09:41:23 -0500 Subject: [Oscmis] Any developers out there? In-Reply-To: <406ec4200910070733o299df5afi17a6df87c4894817@mail.gmail.com> References: <406ec4200910070733o299df5afi17a6df87c4894817@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <406ec4200910070741s50e93571v772f464bfda06b51@mail.gmail.com> good morning, all! i've been looking over the OSCMIS code base and am hoping there are other developers doing the same and interested in talking about what they see. the code appears to be relatively clean and well thought-out. now the process of coming up w/ design docs, etc so that work on extending/enhancing can begin and progress rationally. i've been coding CF for more than ten years and compared to most i've seen this will be a pleasure to work on. any developers interested in striking up a conversation? not sure if this is the list for this kind of discussion but it's a good place to start. i'm also available off-list at my personal email (bobc at nfldinet.com) if you think that's more appropriate or if there's another mailing list more amenable. looking forward to hearing from you! Bob Courchaine Northfield, MN From Robert.Levy at asmr.com Thu Oct 15 07:45:14 2009 From: Robert.Levy at asmr.com (Robert Levy) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:45:14 -0400 Subject: [Oscmis] OSMIS License/request Message-ID: <7C0B19ED56211D418B7EF2BE809C24110239A761@s1asmmail.asmhq.local> I would like to receive a license and instructions to access the OSCMIS software/download instructions. Thank you. Very respectfully, Rob Robert D. Levy ASM Research, Inc. Senior BPR Specialist | FHCC -JIF Support Team Comm: (703) 645-0420 | Fax: (703) 645-0432 | www.asmr.com Mobile: (608) 481-1961 | Direct: (703) 752-9766 | DSN: 555-8765 Email: rlevy at asmr.com | VA GAL: robert.levy3 at va.gov | AKO: robert.levy2 at us.army.mil USAF Global: robert.levy.ctr at pentagon.af.mil Extraordinary Commitment, Extraordinary Results The information contained in this message may be privileged and/or confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by replying to this message and deleting the material from any computer. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OSCMIS_OSLicense_LEVY_20091015.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 461194 bytes Desc: OSCMIS_OSLicense_LEVY_20091015.pdf URL: From hotzdb at centcom.mil Tue Oct 20 12:43:30 2009 From: hotzdb at centcom.mil (Hotz, Daniel B. Mr. (DoD)) Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:43:30 -0400 Subject: [Oscmis] Request a copy of the Open Source Corporate Management Information System Message-ID: <1962E3BECAA5DA45A6F4365EA72405F004000B0B@HQNMLR01C05.centcom.mil> <> Thank you. Dan Daniel Hotz USCENTCOM J6-T, Deputy MCSE, Security+ YA-02 (GS-13) 813-827-3130 312-651-3130 DSN Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them. ~Albert Einstein -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: document2009-10-20-170708.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 931357 bytes Desc: document2009-10-20-170708.pdf URL: From socwork at mail.sdsu.edu Wed Oct 21 02:40:45 2009 From: socwork at mail.sdsu.edu (socwork at mail.sdsu.edu) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:40:45 +0200 Subject: [Oscmis] ***SPAM*** Returned mail: Data format error Message-ID: Your message was not delivered due to the following reason(s): Your message was not delivered because the destination computer was not reachable within the allowed queue period. The amount of time a message is queued before it is returned depends on local configura- tion parameters. Most likely there is a network problem that prevented delivery, but it is also possible that the computer is turned off, or does not have a mail system running right now. Your message was not delivered within 1 days: Server 213.6.104.211 is not responding. 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Name: SignedLicense.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1005594 bytes Desc: not available URL: From Michael.H.Davis at navy.mil Thu Oct 22 09:48:15 2009 From: Michael.H.Davis at navy.mil (Davis, Michael H CIV SPAWAR, 5.0.2 / CSE) Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:48:15 -0700 Subject: [Oscmis] FYI - DISA makes 50 apps available - DISA and OSSI - CMIS In-Reply-To: <200910221313.n9MDD27e085780@lfi-cits-03.langley.af.mil> References: <8408487.1256054487156.JavaMail.root@1105newsletters.com> <3D8720294A3E1941832BB9BA84B7832289EF55@nawespscez02v.nadsuswe.nads.navy.mil> <200910221313.n9MDD27e085780@lfi-cits-03.langley.af.mil> Message-ID: <3D8720294A3E1941832BB9BA84B78322A1BD30@nawespscez02v.nadsuswe.nads.navy.mil> It's really about DISA's CMIS and now partnership with OSSI to make it "open" for all. (see enclosed links) I Think it's a great idea and much needed in the government, yet I wonder about the "built in IA / security" and C&A products that come with that (and also support DOD reciprocity therein)... No small factor... As a complete offering would have these elements as part of their "PPL" The DISA folks I copied will know more than I. Whether "their methodology is worth entering into a major C2 weapon system." is an interesting question, as it seems they took an overall "applications" approach, versus whole system like NECC, which has significant development hurdles as we all know... How all that operates in an "open" SOA/Service environment (and common infrastructure or CCE), is unclear to me (as is their C&A process), but it seems no one has got that to work yet... And as we know, clearly not the level of IA / security needed... As we continue to propose that NO ONE gets the enterprise access control right to make all this work... Automatically... And cross domain / COI... As your USAF ACC efforts also show... (of course we suggest that "ZBAC" can help make that aspect more tractable and more effective too, though we all have many systemic IA&A elements to still work to get "cyber IFF" to work... Whether that is ABAC to ZBAC) DISA's internally developed Corporate Management Information System, CMIS is a Web-based federal workforce management and administrative software suite with nearly 50 applications and tools to manage human resource, training, security, acquisition and related functions ... The objective of the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and the Open Source Software Institute (OSSI), is to perform the COOPERATIVE WORK described in the SOW in partnership with academia, the private sector and other organizations to: (1) research enhanced capabilities and functionality (i.e. security and other unique features) for DISA SOFTWARE; and (2) create DERIVATIVE WORKS such as GOVERNMENT-Off-the-Shelf and commercial products that may be integrated with DISA SOFTWARE for use by the DOD, the GOVERNMENT, state and local governments, and the public. OSSI is tasked with making available copies of the Open Source Corporate Management Information System (OSCMIS) under the Open Software License version 3.0. To get a copy of their license go to http://www.oss-institute.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=332&Itemid=210 And / or engage OSCMIS at oss-institute.org -----Original Message----- From: Strini, Bob A CTR USAF ACC ACC/A8CI [mailto:Bob.Strini.ctr at langley.af.mil] Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 6:22 To: Davis, Michael H CIV SPAWAR, 5.0.2 / CSE Cc: Vandemeulebroecke, Peter CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-ATLANTIC, 60000; Hendricks, James D CAPT SPAWAR, 51720; Stewart, Mike M CIV SPAWAR, 51300; Howell, Terry D CIV PEO C4I; Zimmerman, Lee CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-PACIFIC, 53030; Cereola, Joseph CAPT SPAWAR, 5.0 Subject: RE: FYI - DISA makes 50 apps available for others to use and improve Mike, I just went to the link provided and Gov't Comp News (GCN) talks about what was done but no links to actually contact DISA was provided. The list of apps developed is not readily available. Does anyone on this email trail (DISA?) have a link or POC that can support the sharing of the apps? Appreciate any help to determine if what they developed and their methodology is worth entering into a major C2 weapon system. R, Bob Strini GCIC/JI ACC/A8CI http://www.disa.mil/news/pressreleases/2009/ossi_031709.html DISA AND OSSI LAUNCH FORMAL COLLABORATION OF FEDERAL IT SYSTEM ARLINGTON, Va - The Defense Information Systems Agency announced the establishment of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Open Source Software Institute (OSSI) today. The agreement will pave the way for collaboration and partnerships between the federal government, non-profit organizations, academia, and industry to research and develop cutting-edge software for users in DoD, governments at all levels, and the public. The CRADA focuses on release of an open source version of DISA's internally developed Corporate Management Information System. CMIS is a Web-based federal workforce management and administrative software suite with nearly 50 applications and tools to manage human resource, training, security, acquisition and related functions for more than 16,000 DISA users worldwide "CMIS is a core product within the DISA's IT systems," said Jack Penkoske, Director of Manpower, Personnel and Security. "We have a lot invested in CMIS and many other government agencies want to adopt it. Why not let them, using the CRADA and an open source model? And why not also open it to industry, academia, and the Open Source community? This approach not only lets them use CMIS but also lets us leverage their good ideas and modifications to improve DISA's system, and we believe this will be a win-win for all involved." The announcement was made during a presentation at the National Security Agency and DISA Technology Transfer Showcase hosted at the John Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. The event featured executives from both agencies who provided insights into their latest technologies made available for licensing through Technology Transfer programs. "We did not want to re-invent the wheel," said Richard Nelson, DISA's Chief of Personnel Systems Support Branch at the Manpower, Personnel and Security Directorate. "We knew we had a solid product with CMIS, and we use it every day. After we decided the best way to create enhancements and modifications was through a collaborative partnership involving the non-profit sector, academia and industry, we looked for a partner who had experience with government, specifically DoD, as well as commercial and open source community connections. OSSI has provided technical and open source licensing expertise as well as insights in adoption and distribution strategies. And in using the CRADA vehicle, we can collaboratively pursue the three foci of research, development, and training to support of this project." "Creating an Open Source CMIS is important in several ways," said John Weathersby, Executive Director of the Open Source Software Institute. "First, software developed by Government employees falls under "public domain." By distributing the program under an open source license, the Government retains access to the system without having to worry that they'll have to repay for the development of something that was originally created with public funds." "Secondly, since CMIS is now released under an open source license, commercial, academic and non-profit entities can adopt and support the system, as long as they adhere to the license agreement. There are two license variants available from OSSI: the Open Source License v.3 and the Academic Free License v.3," he said. "And finally, this demonstrates that the Government is looking forward to find ways of using open source as a valuable tool within their IT enterprise," Weathersby said. "We applaud DISA's foresight and believe it will enhance the viability of the CMIS program. It is a wise use of both technical and economic resources. We look forward to working with DISA and other government agencies who are joining this effort and will provide a schedule for updates and support services in the coming days." -----Original Message----- From: Davis, Michael H CIV SPAWAR, 5.0.2 / CSE [mailto:Michael.H.Davis at navy.mil] Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 12:45 PM To: Cereola, Joseph CAPT SPAWAR, 5.0; Zimmerman, Lee CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-PACIFIC, 53030 Cc: Vandemeulebroecke, Peter CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-ATLANTIC, 60000; Hendricks, James D CAPT SPAWAR, 51720; Stewart, Mike M CIV SPAWAR, 51300; Howell, Terry D CIV PEO C4I Subject: FYI - DISA makes 50 apps available for others to use and improve So, seems the time has come for "government-sponsored open-source software" BUT will the major SW vendors play well there? Even as those 50 apps are "COTS" based... Seems SOA should also be done this way... (where "Services / Agencies" provide their best core / global services to the common DoD pool...) (yet we sort of tried that with "DII COE" and....)(still, the commercial world already does that well - rather like all those apps/services for the Ipod...;-)) Still, I bet they did not integrate in "adequate security" yet... As NO ONE really has.... (re: distributed transitive trust, security service chaining, etc...) ;-(( YET if they come with a C&A package TOO, a pedigree of sorts (aka, a PPL package)that can be actually used wrt DOD reciprocity, THAT will be impressive....;-)) DISA makes 50 applications available for others to use and improve By Joab Jackson Oct 12, 2009 The Defense Information Systems Agency is taking a new approach that could promote the reuse of its applications at other agencies by making its internal software open source. http://www.1105newsletters.com/t.do?id=3555994:194304 Web link's article verbige is enclsoed belew for easier skiming..... For seemingly as long as the Defense Department has deployed software, its leaders have pursued an elusive goal: software reuse. After a military service spent the money to develop a piece of software or commissioned a contractor to build an application, information technology chiefs have sought to find a way for other branches of the military to reuse that code. Software reuse could save money and increase uniformity of operations. Now, the Defense Information Systems Agency has latched onto a new approach that could help achieve that goal by making its own internal software open source. Earlier this year, DISA released as open source a suite of more than 50 different applications, collectively named the Open Source Corporate Management Information System (OSCMIS). http://gcn.com/articles/2009/08/18/disa-open-source-application.aspxThe idea is that other government agencies and commercial firms could reuse the software for their own purposes. And if a few of the users are savvy enough to make a few changes that improve the underlying code and then share those improvements with DISA, everyone involved would reap the benefits of the open-source model. The team at DISA's personnel systems support branch have written about 50 open-source applications that could not be obtained commercially. The idea was the brainchild of Richard Nelson, chief of DISA's personnel systems support branch at the Manpower, Personnel and Security Directorate. Nelson has a team of seven hot-shot developers who developed the applications in the OSCMIS package. Like the rest of the military, DISA relies mostly on commercial software. However, for at least some office tasks, the agency could not find an affordable or appropriate commercial offering. Commercial products were either too expensive or did not fit the government's workflows and requirements. In some cases, software that could handle the task did not exist. The OSCMIS package is a collection of programs written by Nelson's staff that fill those gaps. The developers started creating the applications in 2006, and most applicatins use Microsoft SQL Server for a database and Adobe ColdFusion for the Web-based user interfaces. They are production use programs - already used on a regular basis by more than 16,000 military personnel worldwide. The 50 programs handle duties such as human resources management, training, security, acquisition and related functions. Twenty-three were developed in the last half of 2008, including more than a few that were complex in scope. "The merits of the team's approach are apparent in the speed, ease of use, and accuracy of the delivered solutions," said Barry Leffew, vice president of Adobe's public-sector division. Although the suite of applications is a success story, Nelson took an uncharacteristically brave step for a program manager: He opened his code for outside inspection and use. He consulted with DISA's legal team, and in March, the agency signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the Open Source Software Institute (OSSI), a nonprofit organization that promotes the open-source model to government, to help release the source code of the programs for other organizations to inspect and possibly reuse. Because DISA, as a government agency, cannot copyright its programs, OSSI holds the copyright and offers OSCMIS under Version 3 of the Open-source License. By making the code open source, DISA "hopes to get access to more developers in the common community," Nelson said. The programs are fully functional, but there are always more features that could be added and technical issues to be resolved. "My people are extremely fast, though we have to keep tweaking stuff, too, as regulations and procedures change," Nelson said. "So there is no way they'll be able to finish out the whole suite itself." By placing OSCMIS in the open-source community, others might enhance the software as a byproduct of inserting it into their own systems. "DISA was able to recognize and leverage the open-source economic model," said John Weathersby, president of OSSI. By now, most industry observers note that the open-source model of collaborative development is one that can pay off by sharing the development among everyone who uses the product. In government procurement practices though, the open-source model is still largely a novel one. Last month, Nelson and OSSI held a demonstration of the software's capabilities in Washington, showing a packed room how some of the programs worked. Many officials, from agencies such as the General Services Administration and Air Force, showed an interest in the applications, although just as many people in the audience had questions about the process of releasing government software as open source, which Nelson and his team are documenting. The questions Nelson received were broad and varied. Can it still be called open-source if it relies on proprietary products from Microsoft and Adobe? Nelson replied that open-source databases could be used in place of SQL Server, though the stored procedures would need to be rewritten. Someone else asked if the code would be posted online. Not yet, replied Nelson, adding that the OSCMIS distribution could be obtained on a DVD from DISA if requested by a government agency and through OSSI if requested by a nongovernment organization. After demonstrating the software, Nelson's office has had requests every day from other government agencies for the package. Although it's too early to tell if the idea of government-sponsored open-source software will take off, much less pay off, Nelson and DISA have done much to generate interest in the possibility. "It takes leadership within an organization to recognize the opportunity of open source and to have the fortitude to go for it," Weathersby said of DISA. "They're working outside the box." -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: smime.p7s Type: application/x-pkcs7-signature Size: 5216 bytes Desc: not available URL: From Pete.Sarvay at itt.com Fri Oct 23 10:50:50 2009 From: Pete.Sarvay at itt.com (Sarvay, Pete -Systems) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:50:50 -0600 Subject: [Oscmis] OSCMIS License Message-ID: This e-mail and any files transmitted with it may be proprietary and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this e-mail are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of ITT Corporation. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. ITT accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: oscmis.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 2825424 bytes Desc: oscmis.pdf URL: From Richard.Nelson at disa.mil Fri Oct 23 13:22:49 2009 From: Richard.Nelson at disa.mil (Nelson, Richard C CIV DISA MPS) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:22:49 -0400 Subject: [Oscmis] FYI - DISA makes 50 apps available - DISA and OSSI -CMIS (UNCLASSIFIED) In-Reply-To: <3D8720294A3E1941832BB9BA84B78322A1BD30@nawespscez02v.nadsuswe.nads.navy.mil> References: <8408487.1256054487156.JavaMail.root@1105newsletters.com><3D8720294A3E1941832BB9BA84B7832289EF55@nawespscez02v.nadsuswe.nads.navy.mil><200910221313.n9MDD27e085780@lfi-cits-03.langley.af.mil> <3D8720294A3E1941832BB9BA84B78322A1BD30@nawespscez02v.nadsuswe.nads.navy.mil> Message-ID: <949039E52B09B547AF896D8DE13034B103924007@rarotonga.disanet.disa-u.mil> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE All, I'm the DISA program manager for OSCMIS. What we're doing here is making available something we already use all across DISA worldwide--a fully PKI enabled (CAC only access) suite of Web based Federal workforce automation and administration tools and automated workflow capabilities. Although it's built to run together, it is possible to separate out component pieces and use them standalone or in more limited sets if that's what the end user wants. This suite is fully accredited in our environment with another three year Authorization to Operate in August 2009. Of course, since it's a copyrighted open source product, it can also be modified at will by users to remove or modify that capability. We do recommend to one and all NOT to use login/password of any length as those are inherently unsafe. We know. Without hacker training or tools or familiarity with the applications, OS, or products themselves, my developers cracked major products' 16 character login and password encryption on a product given to us to rebuild and incorporate into OSCMIS. It took them an average of 10 minutes for each product. We use the Open Software License v.3 specifically because unlike the GPL type licenses, the OSL allows creation or extension of proprietary products to interoperate with OSCMIS--yet remain proprietary. We are very much industry friendly, and want them to create new products that are compatible with OSCMIS that we ourselves and others might use as well as others, and we have NO problem with their making money on their own work! We also want them to learn the Federal processes used in OSCMIS to build better products of their own that are inherently more useful to the Federal government. I've included some public handout information about what we're providing in the attachments. It's also on the codebase disc. Navy is already licensed for OSCMIS, so other Navy commands can obtain copies of the codebase simply by asking for it. Regards, Dick Nelson Chief, Personnel Systems Support Branch (MP42) Manpower, Personnel & Security Directorate Defense Information Systems Agency 701 S. Courthouse Rd. ATTN: MP42 richard.nelson at disa.mil Voice: 703.607.4464 Cell: 410.353.2316 Fax: 703.607.4511 A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Greek Proverb -----Original Message----- From: oscmis-bounces at oss-institute.org [mailto:oscmis-bounces at oss-institute.org] On Behalf Of Davis, Michael H CIV SPAWAR, 5.0.2 / CSE Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 10:48 AM To: Strini, Bob A CTR USAF ACC ACC/A8CI; Zimmerman, Lee CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-PACIFIC, 53030; Cereola, Joseph CAPT SPAWAR, 5.0; OSCMIS at oss-institute.org Cc: Christensen, Peter H.; Schaefer,Lorrayne J.; Howell,Terry D CIV PEO C4I; Liebermann, Roxanne J GOVT CIV DISA PEO-GES; Hendricks, James D CAPT SPAWAR,51720; Stewart, Mike M CIV SPAWAR,51300; Purdy, Brian E CIV DISA PEO-GES; Turner,Steven S CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-PACIFIC,55650; Morrow, Tim; Johns, Kenneth CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-ATLANTIC,582J0 Subject: Re: [Oscmis] FYI - DISA makes 50 apps available - DISA and OSSI -CMIS It's really about DISA's CMIS and now partnership with OSSI to make it "open" for all. (see enclosed links) I Think it's a great idea and much needed in the government, yet I wonder about the "built in IA / security" and C&A products that come with that (and also support DOD reciprocity therein)... No small factor... As a complete offering would have these elements as part of their "PPL" The DISA folks I copied will know more than I. Whether "their methodology is worth entering into a major C2 weapon system." is an interesting question, as it seems they took an overall "applications" approach, versus whole system like NECC, which has significant development hurdles as we all know... How all that operates in an "open" SOA/Service environment (and common infrastructure or CCE), is unclear to me (as is their C&A process), but it seems no one has got that to work yet... And as we know, clearly not the level of IA / security needed... As we continue to propose that NO ONE gets the enterprise access control right to make all this work... Automatically... And cross domain / COI... As your USAF ACC efforts also show... (of course we suggest that "ZBAC" can help make that aspect more tractable and more effective too, though we all have many systemic IA&A elements to still work to get "cyber IFF" to work... Whether that is ABAC to ZBAC) DISA's internally developed Corporate Management Information System, CMIS is a Web-based federal workforce management and administrative software suite with nearly 50 applications and tools to manage human resource, training, security, acquisition and related functions ... The objective of the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and the Open Source Software Institute (OSSI), is to perform the COOPERATIVE WORK described in the SOW in partnership with academia, the private sector and other organizations to: (1) research enhanced capabilities and functionality (i.e. security and other unique features) for DISA SOFTWARE; and (2) create DERIVATIVE WORKS such as GOVERNMENT-Off-the-Shelf and commercial products that may be integrated with DISA SOFTWARE for use by the DOD, the GOVERNMENT, state and local governments, and the public. OSSI is tasked with making available copies of the Open Source Corporate Management Information System (OSCMIS) under the Open Software License version 3.0. To get a copy of their license go to http://www.oss-institute.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3 32&Itemid=210 And / or engage OSCMIS at oss-institute.org -----Original Message----- From: Strini, Bob A CTR USAF ACC ACC/A8CI [mailto:Bob.Strini.ctr at langley.af.mil] Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 6:22 To: Davis, Michael H CIV SPAWAR, 5.0.2 / CSE Cc: Vandemeulebroecke, Peter CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-ATLANTIC, 60000; Hendricks, James D CAPT SPAWAR, 51720; Stewart, Mike M CIV SPAWAR, 51300; Howell, Terry D CIV PEO C4I; Zimmerman, Lee CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-PACIFIC, 53030; Cereola, Joseph CAPT SPAWAR, 5.0 Subject: RE: FYI - DISA makes 50 apps available for others to use and improve Mike, I just went to the link provided and Gov't Comp News (GCN) talks about what was done but no links to actually contact DISA was provided. The list of apps developed is not readily available. Does anyone on this email trail (DISA?) have a link or POC that can support the sharing of the apps? Appreciate any help to determine if what they developed and their methodology is worth entering into a major C2 weapon system. R, Bob Strini GCIC/JI ACC/A8CI http://www.disa.mil/news/pressreleases/2009/ossi_031709.html DISA AND OSSI LAUNCH FORMAL COLLABORATION OF FEDERAL IT SYSTEM ARLINGTON, Va - The Defense Information Systems Agency announced the establishment of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Open Source Software Institute (OSSI) today. The agreement will pave the way for collaboration and partnerships between the federal government, non-profit organizations, academia, and industry to research and develop cutting-edge software for users in DoD, governments at all levels, and the public. The CRADA focuses on release of an open source version of DISA's internally developed Corporate Management Information System. CMIS is a Web-based federal workforce management and administrative software suite with nearly 50 applications and tools to manage human resource, training, security, acquisition and related functions for more than 16,000 DISA users worldwide "CMIS is a core product within the DISA's IT systems," said Jack Penkoske, Director of Manpower, Personnel and Security. "We have a lot invested in CMIS and many other government agencies want to adopt it. Why not let them, using the CRADA and an open source model? And why not also open it to industry, academia, and the Open Source community? This approach not only lets them use CMIS but also lets us leverage their good ideas and modifications to improve DISA's system, and we believe this will be a win-win for all involved." The announcement was made during a presentation at the National Security Agency and DISA Technology Transfer Showcase hosted at the John Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. The event featured executives from both agencies who provided insights into their latest technologies made available for licensing through Technology Transfer programs. "We did not want to re-invent the wheel," said Richard Nelson, DISA's Chief of Personnel Systems Support Branch at the Manpower, Personnel and Security Directorate. "We knew we had a solid product with CMIS, and we use it every day. After we decided the best way to create enhancements and modifications was through a collaborative partnership involving the non-profit sector, academia and industry, we looked for a partner who had experience with government, specifically DoD, as well as commercial and open source community connections. OSSI has provided technical and open source licensing expertise as well as insights in adoption and distribution strategies. And in using the CRADA vehicle, we can collaboratively pursue the three foci of research, development, and training to support of this project." "Creating an Open Source CMIS is important in several ways," said John Weathersby, Executive Director of the Open Source Software Institute. "First, software developed by Government employees falls under "public domain." By distributing the program under an open source license, the Government retains access to the system without having to worry that they'll have to repay for the development of something that was originally created with public funds." "Secondly, since CMIS is now released under an open source license, commercial, academic and non-profit entities can adopt and support the system, as long as they adhere to the license agreement. There are two license variants available from OSSI: the Open Source License v.3 and the Academic Free License v.3," he said. "And finally, this demonstrates that the Government is looking forward to find ways of using open source as a valuable tool within their IT enterprise," Weathersby said. "We applaud DISA's foresight and believe it will enhance the viability of the CMIS program. It is a wise use of both technical and economic resources. We look forward to working with DISA and other government agencies who are joining this effort and will provide a schedule for updates and support services in the coming days." -----Original Message----- From: Davis, Michael H CIV SPAWAR, 5.0.2 / CSE [mailto:Michael.H.Davis at navy.mil] Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 12:45 PM To: Cereola, Joseph CAPT SPAWAR, 5.0; Zimmerman, Lee CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-PACIFIC, 53030 Cc: Vandemeulebroecke, Peter CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-ATLANTIC, 60000; Hendricks, James D CAPT SPAWAR, 51720; Stewart, Mike M CIV SPAWAR, 51300; Howell, Terry D CIV PEO C4I Subject: FYI - DISA makes 50 apps available for others to use and improve So, seems the time has come for "government-sponsored open-source software" BUT will the major SW vendors play well there? Even as those 50 apps are "COTS" based... Seems SOA should also be done this way... (where "Services / Agencies" provide their best core / global services to the common DoD pool...) (yet we sort of tried that with "DII COE" and....)(still, the commercial world already does that well - rather like all those apps/services for the Ipod...;-)) Still, I bet they did not integrate in "adequate security" yet... As NO ONE really has.... (re: distributed transitive trust, security service chaining, etc...) ;-(( YET if they come with a C&A package TOO, a pedigree of sorts (aka, a PPL package)that can be actually used wrt DOD reciprocity, THAT will be impressive....;-)) DISA makes 50 applications available for others to use and improve By Joab Jackson Oct 12, 2009 The Defense Information Systems Agency is taking a new approach that could promote the reuse of its applications at other agencies by making its internal software open source. http://www.1105newsletters.com/t.do?id=3555994:194304 Web link's article verbige is enclsoed belew for easier skiming..... For seemingly as long as the Defense Department has deployed software, its leaders have pursued an elusive goal: software reuse. After a military service spent the money to develop a piece of software or commissioned a contractor to build an application, information technology chiefs have sought to find a way for other branches of the military to reuse that code. Software reuse could save money and increase uniformity of operations. Now, the Defense Information Systems Agency has latched onto a new approach that could help achieve that goal by making its own internal software open source. Earlier this year, DISA released as open source a suite of more than 50 different applications, collectively named the Open Source Corporate Management Information System (OSCMIS). http://gcn.com/articles/2009/08/18/disa-open-source-application.aspxThe idea is that other government agencies and commercial firms could reuse the software for their own purposes. And if a few of the users are savvy enough to make a few changes that improve the underlying code and then share those improvements with DISA, everyone involved would reap the benefits of the open-source model. The team at DISA's personnel systems support branch have written about 50 open-source applications that could not be obtained commercially. The idea was the brainchild of Richard Nelson, chief of DISA's personnel systems support branch at the Manpower, Personnel and Security Directorate. Nelson has a team of seven hot-shot developers who developed the applications in the OSCMIS package. Like the rest of the military, DISA relies mostly on commercial software. However, for at least some office tasks, the agency could not find an affordable or appropriate commercial offering. Commercial products were either too expensive or did not fit the government's workflows and requirements. In some cases, software that could handle the task did not exist. The OSCMIS package is a collection of programs written by Nelson's staff that fill those gaps. The developers started creating the applications in 2006, and most applicatins use Microsoft SQL Server for a database and Adobe ColdFusion for the Web-based user interfaces. They are production use programs - already used on a regular basis by more than 16,000 military personnel worldwide. The 50 programs handle duties such as human resources management, training, security, acquisition and related functions. Twenty-three were developed in the last half of 2008, including more than a few that were complex in scope. "The merits of the team's approach are apparent in the speed, ease of use, and accuracy of the delivered solutions," said Barry Leffew, vice president of Adobe's public-sector division. Although the suite of applications is a success story, Nelson took an uncharacteristically brave step for a program manager: He opened his code for outside inspection and use. He consulted with DISA's legal team, and in March, the agency signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the Open Source Software Institute (OSSI), a nonprofit organization that promotes the open-source model to government, to help release the source code of the programs for other organizations to inspect and possibly reuse. Because DISA, as a government agency, cannot copyright its programs, OSSI holds the copyright and offers OSCMIS under Version 3 of the Open-source License. By making the code open source, DISA "hopes to get access to more developers in the common community," Nelson said. The programs are fully functional, but there are always more features that could be added and technical issues to be resolved. "My people are extremely fast, though we have to keep tweaking stuff, too, as regulations and procedures change," Nelson said. "So there is no way they'll be able to finish out the whole suite itself." By placing OSCMIS in the open-source community, others might enhance the software as a byproduct of inserting it into their own systems. "DISA was able to recognize and leverage the open-source economic model," said John Weathersby, president of OSSI. By now, most industry observers note that the open-source model of collaborative development is one that can pay off by sharing the development among everyone who uses the product. In government procurement practices though, the open-source model is still largely a novel one. Last month, Nelson and OSSI held a demonstration of the software's capabilities in Washington, showing a packed room how some of the programs worked. Many officials, from agencies such as the General Services Administration and Air Force, showed an interest in the applications, although just as many people in the audience had questions about the process of releasing government software as open source, which Nelson and his team are documenting. The questions Nelson received were broad and varied. Can it still be called open-source if it relies on proprietary products from Microsoft and Adobe? Nelson replied that open-source databases could be used in place of SQL Server, though the stored procedures would need to be rewritten. Someone else asked if the code would be posted online. Not yet, replied Nelson, adding that the OSCMIS distribution could be obtained on a DVD from DISA if requested by a government agency and through OSSI if requested by a nongovernment organization. After demonstrating the software, Nelson's office has had requests every day from other government agencies for the package. Although it's too early to tell if the idea of government-sponsored open-source software will take off, much less pay off, Nelson and DISA have done much to generate interest in the possibility. "It takes leadership within an organization to recognize the opportunity of open source and to have the fortitude to go for it," Weathersby said of DISA. "They're working outside the box." 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Name: OSCMIS Sitemap.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 110544 bytes Desc: OSCMIS Sitemap.pdf URL: From jmw at oss-institute.org Wed Oct 28 15:13:25 2009 From: jmw at oss-institute.org (John Weathersby) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:13:25 -0500 Subject: [Oscmis] DoD CIO signs Open Source Guidance Memo Message-ID: <1256760805.7452.275.camel@localhost> It's been a long time coming, but here it is. The DoD acting-CIO, Dave Wennergren, has signed an Open Source Guidance Memo which will hopefully provide a bit more clarity in the DoD's continued efforts to utilize open source solutions. Here's the link. http://www.oss-institute.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=363&Itemid=47 The memo itself is pretty straight forward. It states: To effectively achieve its missions, the Department of Defense must develop and update its software-based capabilities faster than ever, to anticipate new threats and respond to continuously changing requirements. The use of Open Source Software (OSS) can provide advantages in this regard. This memorandum provides clarifying guidance on the use of OSS and supersedes the previous DoD CIO memorandum dated May 28, 2003 (reference (a)). Open Source Software is software for which the human-readable source code is available for use, study, reuse, modification, enhancement and redistribution by the users of that software. In other words, OSS is software for which the source code is ?open.? There are many OSS programs in operational use by the Department today, in both classified and unclassified environments. Unfortunately, there have been misconceptions and misinterpretations of the existing laws, policies and regulations that deal with software and apply to OSS, that have hampered effective DoD use and development of OSS. Attachment 2 contains clarifying guidance to address some of those issues. I have asked the Director, Enterprise Services & Integration, to work with your staffs and identify other barriers to the effective use of open source software within the Department, so we can continue to increase the benefits from the use of OSS. Additional information to clarify how existing DoD policies relate to open source software will be posted at http://www.defenselink.mil/cio-nii/cio/oss . Questions concerning this memorandum should be directed to Daniel Risacher, Enterprise Services & Integration, at (703) 602-1098 or email, Daniel.risacher at osd.mil Take the time to review this document. It is a Guidance Memo (not a policy document) which means that it provides "guidance and clarification" on issues regarding open source within DoD. But it is very significant in that it states (in writing) that open source is a viable option and must be considered...and should be dismissed out of hand, as it has been by some. Congrats, btw, to all those men and women who have worked so hard and for so long to see this next step become a reality. Well done. jmw ================================================= from the desk of John M. Weathersby, Jr. Executive Director, OSSI Voice: 202.683.7524 Cell: 601.818.7161 Ad maiorem Dei gloriam ================================================= -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OSSI-Logo_200x42.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8944 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: DoD_2009_OSS.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 107233 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 189 bytes Desc: This is a digitally signed message part URL: From jmw at oss-institute.org Wed Oct 28 15:56:46 2009 From: jmw at oss-institute.org (John Weathersby) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:56:46 +0000 Subject: [Oscmis] mia culpa Message-ID: <1256763406.7452.341.camel@localhost> ?Seems that I left out a word in my earlier note: But it is very significant in that it states (in writing) that open source is a viable option and must be considered...and should NOT be dismissed out of hand, as it has been by some. sorry...long day. regards, jmw ================================================= from the desk of John M. Weathersby, Jr. Executive Director, OSSI Voice: 202.683.7524 Cell: 601.818.7161 Ad maiorem Dei gloriam ================================================= -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OSSI-Logo_200x42.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8944 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 189 bytes Desc: This is a digitally signed message part URL: From jmw at oss-institute.org Fri Oct 30 13:46:10 2009 From: jmw at oss-institute.org (John Weathersby) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:46:10 +0000 Subject: [Oscmis] Update on GOSCON -- Thursday, Nov 5, 2009 Message-ID: <1256928370.7452.643.camel@localhost> Don't forget to sign up for GOSCON!!!!!!! This should be a really good event in Washington next Thursday (Nov 5, 2009) Link to GOSCON HERE Keynote Speakers include: Dave Wennergren , acting DoD CIO who will publicly discuss the recently released DoD Open Source Guidance Memo during the Breakfast Keynote. And, Dr. David Boyd, Director of DHS' Command, Control and Interoperability, Science & Technology Directorate who is the lunch keynote. Complete meeting schedule found here: http://goscon.org/dc-schedule Also drop by the OSSI table and pick up a copy of the Open Source CMIS program. See you next week. Regards, jmw ================================================= from the desk of John M. Weathersby, Jr. Executive Director, OSSI Voice: 202.683.7524 Cell: 601.818.7161 Ad maiorem Dei gloriam ================================================= -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OSSI-Logo_200x42.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8944 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: GOSCON-DC2.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 19620 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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