SHARE Repository Component Specification: Needs Assessment

Abstract

In August 2006, PEO IWS established the Software, Hardware Asset Reuse Enterprise (SHARE) repository to make combat system software and related assets available to eligible current and potential Navy contractors. PEO IWS is seeking ways to improve and mature the capability provided by SHARE. To that end, a research project at the Naval Postgraduate School will produce a component specification and ontology framework for use in SHARE. The framework will expand the information contained in the current metadata, to enable improved search and discovery capabilities and facilitate use of the repository items once they are retrieved. This paper lays the foundation for the research, by providing a characterization of the problem domain by describing the SHARE repository, its contents and its unique attributes. Based on this investigation, we then provide specific recommendations for both near term and long term improvements. The near term suggestions are essentially ''low hanging fruit'', or ideas for quick improvements that can be implemented in a relatively short time frame. The long term improvements are associated with the implementation of the component specification and ontology. Finally, we outline the requirements for the component specification in terms of its intended use within SHARE.