NCJ Number
49008
Date Published
1977
Length
320 pages
Annotation
THIS VOLUME DESCRIBES METHODOLOGIES FOR STUDYING USER REQUIREMENTS AND FOR ANALYZING AND DESIGNING COMMUNICATION NETWORK CONFIGURATION; THE APPLICATIONS OF THESE METHODOLOGIES IN OHIO ARE ALSO ILLUSTRATED.
Abstract
THE STACOM USER REQUIREMENTS STUDY WAS PERFORMED TO SUPPORT THE PRIMARY STACOM PROJECT OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING STATES WITH THE TOOLS NEEDED FOR DESIGNING AND EVALUATING INTRASTATE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS. THE USER REQUIREMENTS TASK WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DEVELOP AND USE TOOLS FOR PREDICTING FUTURE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMUNICATIONS TRAFFIC. THESE TOOLS INCLUDE TECHNIQUES OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS FOR EXTRAPOLATING PAST TRENDS INTO FUTURE TRAFFIC PREDICTIONS AS WELL AS SURVEY AND INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES FOR ESTIMATING TRAFFIC IN DATA TYPES THAT DO NOT YET EXIST. NETWORK DESIGNERS USE THESE ESTIMATES OF EXISTING AND NEW DATA TYPES TO SUGGEST FUTURE INTRASTATE NETWORK DESIGNS THAT MINIMIZE COST AND STILL SATISFY PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS OF THE MAIN PHASES OF THE STUDY, TRAFFIC PROJECTION AND NETWORK DESIGN, ARE SUMMARIZED. NETWORK DESIGN TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED CENTER AROUND A COMPUTERIZED TOPOLOGY PROGRAM WHICH ENABLES THE USER TO PRODUCE LEAST COST NETWORK TOPOLOGIES THAT SATISFY NETWORK TRAFFIC REQUIREMENTS, RESPONSE TIME REQUIREMENTS, AND OTHER SPECIFIED FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS. A BRIEF, OVERALL DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING OHIO CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND A NEW SYSTEM TO SUPPLEMENT IT IS PROVIDED. THE EXISTING AND NEW DATA TYPES IN THE AREA OF TRAFFIC GROWTH MODELING AND GROWTH PROJECTIONS ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL, INCLUDING DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES AND A NEW DATA FORECASTING METHODOLOGY. A SEPARATE SECTION DEALS WITH THE PRINCIPAL NETWORK AND ANALYSIS DESIGN TOOLS DEVELOPED AND UTILIZED DURING THE STACOM PROJECT. RESULTS OF A COST ANALYSIS OF THE VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR THE OHIO NETWORK ARE ALSO PRESENTED. NETWORK FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS ARE OUTLINED, AND A COMPARISON OF NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS WITH THE REQUIREMENTS IS PRESENTED, GRAPHS, TABLES, AND DIAGRAMS PROVIDE BACKGROUND DATA ON THE STUDY. APPENDIXES CONTAIN COPIES OF THE PROJECT'S STATE LEVEL QUESTIONNAIRE AND USER AGENCY SURVEY. REFERENCES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. FOR VOLUME 1 (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY) AND VOLUME 2 (NETWORK DESIGN SOFTWARE USERS GUIDE), SEE NCJ-47221 AND 47894 RESPECTIVELY. (VDA)