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Human-Centered Network Visualizer: Visual abstractions of network operations in a tactical environment

We present visualization requirements and designs for the Human-Centered Network Visualizer (NetViz) to assist the US Army Brigade Signals Officer (S6) soldiers with their daily activities. These are based on interactions with both retired and active duty S6 soldiers. To assure information dominance it is increasingly important for the Army that the S6 and Network Operations Group are able to obtain and provide an accurate situational awareness from data received over the network. This paper addresses three challenges faced by the S6: (1) mentally integrating and correlating information from disparate tools, (2) processing and interpreting that information for a commander who may have limited technical knowledge, and (3) reducing the amount of downtime resulting from any disruption through the creation of a contingency plan. The NetViz designs abstract and unify data required by an S6 into a single view. They allow for the visualization of data to support S6 reporting during an update brief. Visual designs for “what if” scenarios and future events also facilitate planning for both the expected and the unexpected. This paper describes our interactions with S6 soldiers along with the resultant visualization enhancement based upon information provided. We also present sample visual abstractions based on these interactions along with definitions of their importance and illustrations of their potential use in field.