Underwater Clouds: Utilizing Private Cloud Architecture Aboard U.S. Submarines.

摘要

The Consolidated Afloat Network and Enterprise Systems (CANES) program was tasked with replacing computer networks afloat, to both improve productivity and functionality of the fleet's Information Technology infrastructure. The program, in its first iteration, fails to include half the ships currently in service and is limited to a small number of specific platforms. Upgrading the existing software on the current platforms may pose a useful resolution to this issue. The computer networks on board submarines provide a good opportunity to explore how cloud computing could benefit older platforms. This thesis presents a proof of concept for the use of a Private Cloud architecture on board U.S. submarines and how improving computer networks may be possible by leveraging the currently installed hardware without requiring a complete system reconfiguration. We use the 'Ubuntu Server Private Cloud' as a basic example to illustrate and explore potential benefits and limitations of the Platform as a Service (PAAS) model. The revised system is examined in terms of its application aboard a submarine and explores how it compares to previous network architectures, such as the Client/Server model. The Ubuntu model was chosen for its usability and robust features and because it is open source and free.