IT Talk

October - December 2013 Volume 3 • Issue 4

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

BYOD and Mobile 

Computing at NASA
IT Talk

Oct - Dec 2013 Volume 3 • Issue 4

Office of the CIO

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20546

Chief Information Officer

Larry Sweet

Editor and Publication Manager

Eldora Valentine

Graphic and Web Design

Michael Porterfield

IT Talk is an official publication of the 

Office of the Chief Information Officer 

of the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration, Headquarters, 

Washington, D.C. It is published 

by the OCIO office for all NASA 

employees and external audiences.

For distribution questions or to 

suggest a story idea, email:

eldora.valentine-1@nasa.gov

To read IT Talk online visit:

www.nasa.gov/offices/ocio/ittalk

For more info on the OCIO:

v www.nasa.gov/ocio

v insidenasa.nasa.gov/ocio

 (Internal NASA network only)

v www.nasa.gov/open/

facebook.com/NASAcio

 twitter.com/NASAcio

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Message from

the CIO

BYOD and Mobile 

Computing at NASA

Exchange ActiveSync 

Policies Applied to all 

NOMAD Mailboxes

Digital Banner

Service at HQ

2013 LAUNCH

Materials

System Forum

In this Issue
Message from the NASA CIO

The last few 

weeks have been 

extremely difficult 

for our NASA team 

members. But I 

am very thankful 

we now have the 

opportunity to 

move forward once again. FY 2014 will no 

doubt be challenging for us, but I am confident 

we will make great strides and accomplish 

our goals. Information technology at NASA 

has been, and will remain, a critical enabling 

capability for our Agency and the Nation. 

Our strategy calls for the ability to support 

current and future missions, both reliably 

and affordably, with an increasingly flexible, 

mobile workforce. So my vision is simple:

҆ We must clarify our purpose 

for existing at NASA. 

҆ We should enable the mission and 

move with deliberate intent. 

҆ We must be a value-added service.

҆ We must be customer-focused.

҆ We must be connected to our many 

Federal initiatives: protecting our 

national assets, seeking out efficiencies 

and reducing costs, and adopting 

IT that makes NASA better.

I have focused my attention on several 

priorities and will continue to do so in the 

new fiscal year. They include the following:

҆ Strengthen the NASA CIO Leadership 

Team by embracing collaboration 

with CIO leadership at the Centers 

and building trust within the OCIO.

҆ Develop an IT program that adjusts to 

the challenging budget environment 

by being more adaptable and flexible, 

moving towards more “services-ondemand,” adopting more cloud services 

and new offerings, and Improve IT service 

performance (such as through I3P) by 

focusing on enterprise services and our 

desktop service contract; without getting 

hung up on “basic services,” we must 

recognize that a strong foundation is 

needed to build the rest of the house.

҆ Improve IT governance by addressing 

each recommendation outlined by the 

IG, assessing roles and responsibilities 

for IT decision making, and looking 

at current model execution.

While we may face a lot of growing pains 

in the coming months, I am confident that, 

with good teamwork and a positive, can-do 

attitude, we will have a successful year.

~Larry

New Headquarters

CIO Selected 

On September 8, 2013, NASA 

Headquarters officially welcomed Victor 

Thompson in his new role as NASA 

Headquarters Chief Information Officer 

(CIO) and Director of the Information 

Technology and Communications 

Division (ITCD). Mr. Thompson has been 

a familiar face at NASA Headquarters 

these past 5 years while serving 

as Deputy Director/Deputy CIO in 

ITCD. With 32 years of management, 

computer technology, and software 

application engineering experience to 

draw upon, Mr. Thompson is uniquely 

positioned to help Headquarters achieve 

cost-effective, efficient delivery and 

utilization of innovative IT services 

in support of NASA’s mission.

In describing his vision, Mr. Thompson 

said that ITCD’s viability as a reliable 

and respected IT service provider will 

depend on its flexibility, its willingness to 

embrace new thinking and technologies, 

and its ability to implement valueadded solutions. Achieving this vision 

will require extensive collaboration 

and partnerships with the Mission 

Directorates and the establishment 

of strong, trusting relationships 

with our contracting vendors. l

Larry Sweet's first Face-to-Face Meeting as new NASA CIO

NASA OCIO IT Talk Oct - Dec 2013 3
Stop.Think.Connect—Protecting NASA’s Information Technology Assets

October has been designated as the 10th 

Annual National Cyber Security Awareness 

Month. This is an opportunity to engage and 

educate NASA employees and private-sector 

partners in effective cyber security practices. 

Each of us has an important role to play. 

Emerging cyber threats require engagement 

from the entire American community—

from government and law enforcement to 

the private sector and, most importantly, 

members of the public—to create a safe, 

secure, and resilient cyber environment.

Living in the 21st century, we are more 

interconnected today than ever before. 

Few of us need to be reminded of the 

impact that cyberspace has on our lives. 

From the kitchen table to the classroom, 

from business transactions to essential 

government operations and services, cyber 

security is an issue that touches all of us. 

As a NASA employee, we encourage you 

to remain aware of cyber security risks 

and to implement effective IT security 

practices to protect our IT assets. 

These practices include the following: 

1. Set strong passwords and do 

not share them with anyone. 

2. Keep a clean machine—your 

operating system, browser, and other 

critical software can be optimized 

by installing regular updates. 

3. Maintain an open dialogue 

with your family, friends, and 

community about Internet safety. 

4. Limit the amount of personal 

information you post online, and 

use privacy settings to avoid 

sharing information widely. 

5. Be cautious about what you receive 

or read online—if it sounds too 

good to be true, it probably is.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month 

reminds us that being safer and more 

secure online is a shared responsibility. 

Remember, cyber attacks can occur any 

time. We need to remain vigilant and 

utilize the best practices identified during 

National Cyber Security Awareness Month. 

Cyber criminals are opportunists, and they 

can seek out and exploit vulnerabilities 

at any time. By exercising effective cyber 

security practices, we will not only keep our 

families, personal assets, and information 

more secure, but we will also help to 

improve the overall security of cyberspace.

Cyber security begins and ends with you! l

Digital Banner Service at Headquarters

Digital banners have arrived at NASA Headquarters! The 

Information Technology and Communications Division 

(ITCD) keeps the Headquarters community informed 

through a variety of communication tools, including the 

Web, electronic newsletters, IT notices, and Headquarters 

Television. The digital banner is the latest addition 

to this list, providing employees with information on 

program and mission updates, Exchange Council events, 

Computer Training Center classes, and new programs, 

such as the early adoption of NASA Personal Identification 

Verification (PIV) smartcards. Conveniently located in 

both the east and west lobbies, digital banners present 

employees with important messages each day as they 

enter and leave the building. ITCD plans to acquire 25 

more kiosks so that every floor will have digital banners 

at each elevator bank displaying information relevant to 

that floor, including a floor map and emergency exits.

Measuring about 7 by 3 feet, the digital banner screen 

is eye-catching, vibrant, easy to read, 508-compliant, 

and environmentally friendly. The banners attract 

attention by continuously rotating among 10 to 

15 different screens. Because of these attributes, 

messages draw greater interest than traditional posters 

and banners do. The kiosk also includes scheduling 

software that allows each message’s duration and 

frequency to be customized. For example, as an 

event approaches, the kiosk can show that event’s 

message more often in order to increase exposure.

At a time of shrinking budgets and rising environmental 

concerns, Headquarters recognizes the value that digital 

banners provide. Replacing printed posters and banners 

with digital messaging reduces consumption of precious 

resources, which in turn reduces NASA’s environmental 

footprint. Compared with typical production, cost 

savings in materials alone can average $4,026 per 

month. Additional savings accrue because one digital 

banner can be pushed to every device throughout the 

building instead of printing multiple copies. Digital 

banners also eliminate the time, physical labor, and 

potential safety hazards associated with posting and 

removing printed notices throughout the building.

Headquarters employees can even access specific banners 

by using the interactive feature at the bottom of the screen.

Touching one of the first four icons brings up messages 

within that category: Operational banners provide building 

information, such as renovation schedules; Training 

banners provide Computer Training Center and other class 

schedules; Events banners provide information on a variety 

of activities at Headquarters; and Safety banners provide 

details about flu shots, blood drives, and other medical 

issues. Touching the fifth icon, Sound, allows the visually 

impaired to hear a voice recording of the on-screen text. 

Headquarters employees can look forward to seeing even 

more kiosk features in the future. To learn more about 

digital banners, contact Cynthia Miller at 202-358-0622. l

4 www.nasa.gov
Ann E. Dixon, STI’s Contract Program Manager, Wins 

NASA Public Leadership Medal

By Lynn Heimerl, Agency STI Program Manager

Ann E. Dixon was recently awarded 

a NASA Public Leadership Medal 

at NASA Langley Research Center. 

Dixon heads the NASA Scientific 

and Technical Information (STI) 

Program’s services contract and 

facilities, which are collectively 

called the NASA Center for 

AeroSpace Information (CASI).

The NASA STI Program acquires, 

organizes, preserves, and 

disseminates NASA’s research 

results through the assistance 

of the CASI contract, which is 

currently managed by Chugach 

Federal Solutions, Inc. 

As manager of CASI, Dixon 

successfully managed budget 

reductions while supervising 

a highly qualified and diverse 

workforce. Utilizing her program 

management professional (PMP) 

skills, she formed and led content 

and information technology project 

teams in an effort to completely 

digitize all NASA STI (back to 1915). 

As a consequence of Ms. Dixon’s 

highly effective leadership, NASA 

became the first Federal agency 

to fully digitize its current and 

legacy STI collections. This allows 

NASA scientists and engineers to 

quickly locate and leverage STI, 

giving them a competitive edge and 

helping them to succeed in their 

jobs. She achieved a 140-percent 

increase above the contract 

digitization metrics, resulting in 

the completion of all digitization 

2 years earlier than required by 

NASA. Ms. Dixon implemented 

innovative and creative options for 

cost reductions of existing facility 

utilities, postage, and maintenance 

that resulted in annual savings of 

$40,000 ($200,000 over 5 years). 

In support of NASA’s goal to increase 

the availability of STI to Agency 

personnel and the public, Dixon 

created and led contractor teams 

that expanded the STI collection 

of documents by 400 percent 

above contract requirements. She 

initiated a social media campaign to 

disseminate STI, making her one of 

the first in the Federal Government 

to use social media in this unique 

manner. This campaign achieved 

an 83-percent increase in users.

Ms. Dixon led the collaboration 

between NASA STI and the National 

Archive and Records Administration 

(NARA) to test their new Electronic 

Records Archive (ERA) system, 

paving the way for NASA’s 

successful use of the system. 

Dixon also leads the team that 

produces the Spinoff publication, 

which has consistently been cited as 

one of NASA’s top accomplishments. 

The NASA Office of the Chief 

Technologist uses the CASI contract 

for Spinoff work. Dixon redefined 

and refocused the Spinoff project 

team to leverage unique skills and 

instituted process improvements for 

Spinoff production that generated 

$65,000 per year in cost savings for 

NASA ($325,000 over 5 years). l

Left to right: Laurie Johansen, NASA STI 

Program’s contracting officer’s technical 

representative, and Ann Dixon

From left to right: Lesa Roe, Langley Research Center Director; Ann Dixon, STI’s CASI 

contract program manager; and Richard Keegan, NASA Associate Deputy Administrator

NASA OCIO IT Talk Oct - Dec 2013 5
BYOD and Mobile 

Computing at NASA

By John Sprague, Enterprise 

Applications Service Executive

As NASA employees, we expect “anytime, 

anywhere” access to our information. New 

devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones), 

applications, and operating systems bring 

tremendous opportunities for productivity 

and innovation, but they also bring 

challenges in securing and maintaining 

NASA information. In the coming months, 

the NASA Office of the Chief Information 

Officer (OCIO) will develop a formal policy 

to govern the use of personal devices, to be 

known as “Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).”

The possible benefits of BYOD to NASA 

employees are as varied as the many kinds of 

devices in use: increased productivity, higher 

employee morale, lowered costs, greater 

innovation, and better work-life balance.

NASA BYOD will encompass the policy 

work of the BYOD Integrated Transition 

Team (ITT), the Mobile Device Management 

Integrated Process Team (IPT), the Institute 

of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 

(IEEE) 802.1x IPT, and the future Mobile 

Applications Management IPT. The Mobile 

Device Management IPT has been developing 

the requirements for a commercial 

product that manages mobile devices.

The first step in managing mobile devices 

was the implementation of Exchange 

ActiveSync policies on all NASA e-mail 

accounts on September 10, 2013. Notices 

regarding this change went out via e-mail in 

early September. These ActiveSync policies 

have been established to ensure that any 

mobile device that connects to NASA e-mail 

servers, whether it is Government-furnished 

or personally owned, meets minimum security 

standards. It is important to enforce these 

minimum standards, such as basic lock out 

code protection, to safeguard NASA data on 

your device in the event that it is lost and/

or falls into the wrong hands. IEEE 802.1x 

is an international standard for network 

access control, and the IEEE 802.1x IPT’s 

task is to identify long-term user/device 

network identification, authentication, 

and management requirements and to 

develop an implementation plan. 

The NASA OCIO held the first BYOD ITT 

kickoff meeting on August 15. Team members 

representing Centers, Mission Directorates, 

the Office of the General Council, the Office 

of Human Capital Management, IT security, 

and others met to start forging a BYOD 

policy that fits NASA. Their main goal is 

to develop a formal policy governing the 

use of personal devices to access NASA 

information. Sub-teams were formed 

to accomplish the following tasks: 

҆ Communicate monthly status 

to stakeholders and coordinate 

with other teams

҆ Identify/benchmark BYOD at 

other Federal agencies

҆ Review the Mobile Device Management 

and IEEE 802.1x charters

҆ Identify relevant NASA publication 

directives, regulations, and 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST) standards

҆ Develop a communication plan 

҆ Identify risks & use cases

҆ Develop business cases

҆ Recommend infrastructure changes 

҆ Recommend incentives 

҆ Draft policy and present it to 

stakeholders for approval

Looking at the big picture, BYOD falls within 

the category of mobility. NASA’s mobility 

vision, adopted at the NASA Mobility Summit 

Meeting in summer 2012, states that NASA 

personnel “will be able to securely and 

seamlessly access and share any authorized 

information, anyplace, anytime, using any 

device.” The aim of NASA’s mobility vision 

is to provide services while protecting 

sensitive data. Participation in BYOD is 

voluntary, and NASA is not compensating 

employees for any costs associated with 

using personal devices. This may change 

in the future, after a full BYOD policy and 

program are developed and considered 

part of the BYOD ITT process; however, 

those details have yet to be determined.

In the meantime, NASA employees are 

required to adhere to certain minimum 

security standards in order to be able to 

connect to NASA data. Minimum standards 

include enabling lock out code protection 

and updating personal devices to the latest 

security patches provided by vendors.

Under the current timeline, a draft BYOD 

policy will be presented to stakeholders by 

mid-February 2014. Implementation of the 

recommendations by the Mobile Device 

Management and IEEE 802.1x IPTs will 

follow. Although a communication plan is 

being developed, you can count on seeing 

outreach in the form of e-mail notices, 

frequently asked questions (FAQs), and 

briefings on any upcoming changes. 

Protecting sensitive NASA data is a complex 

effort that involves managing lost or stolen 

devices, encryption technologies, commercial 

security patching, personal data, and privacy. 

It also requires familiarity with features on 

mobile devices that employees may not have 

used before. But the ultimate goal is to enable 

you, the NASA employee, to have a more 

functional and enhanced work environment. 

So what can you do? Follow current policies, 

support the new policy once it is finalized, 

and always remember to protect NASA data!

For more information, or if you have questions, 

please contact John Sprague at john.

sprague@nasa.gov or 202-558-8247. l

6 www.nasa.gov
Mobile Security Requirements: Why Now?

By Daniel Conway, NASA IT Security (ITS) Division

On August 29, 2013, NASA Chief 

Information Officer Larry Sweet 

sent out an Agency message to all 

NASA employees entitled “Bring 

Your Own Device (BYOD) and Mobile 

Computing at NASA,” which included 

a memorandum of minimum security 

requirements for personal mobile 

devices (available online at http://

inside.nasa.gov/ocio/sites/inside.nasa.

gov.ocio/files/files/Minimum-SecurityRequirements-for-Use-of-PersonallyOwned-Mobile-Devices.pdf). The 

memo alerted employees to the 

enforcement of several requirements 

regarding the NASA e-mail system 

that would begin on September 10. 

Many have asked, “Where did these 

requirements come from, and why 

are they coming out now?” Well, as 

we all know, mobile devices (e.g., 

smartphones, tablets, etc.) are playing 

an increasingly important role in our 

lives. As we start to use these new 

and exciting technologies at home, 

we often want to use them in all 

aspects of our life—including at work. 

However, the introduction of such 

devices into the marketplace and then 

into the workplace often precedes 

NASA’s ability to test and secure 

them. As a result, they present unique 

technological, legal, and security 

challenges for you and for our IT staff.

Historically, NASA has not blocked or 

prevented the use of mobile devices 

to access NASA e-mail and resources. 

However, due to the exponential 

growth of these unmanaged systems 

in the NASA environment over 

the past few years, it has become 

imperative for NASA to acknowledge 

and address the risk they present 

to our resources and data. 

So, instead of simply “turning access 

off” and forbidding the use of mobile 

devices (which would have certainly 

addressed the risk), the NASA CIO 

decided to implement a minimum 

set of basic security requirements 

and capabilities to support NASA 

employees while a broader BYOD 

effort is pursued. Many of these 

security requirements are general best 

practices that are already in use by 

employees on their personal devices. 

That being said, we did want to 

address a few questions and 

concerns that have been raised, 

particularly those related to using a 

personal mobile device to connect 

to the NASA e-mail system:

Does NASA now have the ability 

to access any information 

on my personal device?

No, absolutely not. NASA cannot 

access any data on your personal 

device; it can only confirm that 

your device exists and has 

connected to our system. 

Did NASA install any 

software on my device?

No. Any changes in the security 

configuration of your personal 

device to support NASA’s minimum 

requirements take place within the 

device’s own native capabilities. 

No software or additional 

“profiles” have been installed.

Can NASA “control” my device?

No, NASA cannot control your device. 

Any capabilities that are enforced 

by NASA are native capabilities 

that already exist on your device. 

What about the ability for 

NASA to “remotely wipe” my 

device if it is lost or stolen?

The ability to “remotely wipe” your 

device in the event that it is lost or 

stolen does exist; however, NASA 

will never use this capability without 

an explicit request and coordination 

with you. Moreover, NASA is not 

“controlling” your device if and 

when the remote wipe capability 

is used, but is instead requesting 

that the device trigger its own, 

internal, native wipe capability. 

Additional guidance and many 

other frequently asked questions 

(FAQs) can be found online at http://

inside.nasa.gov/ocio/content/faqsregarding-mobile-computing-devices. 

Check back often, as these FAQs 

are being continually updated as 

you and your coworkers provide 

feedback and ask questions. 

The goal of these initial security 

requirements is to enable every 

NASA employee to continue using 

personal devices. We are striving to 

support a better work-life balance 

while also addressing some very 

basic and self-evident risks that 

these devices pose to NASA data 

and systems. Lee Stone, president 

of IFPTE local 30 and co-chair of the 

NASA Labor-Management Forum, 

says, “Labor supports the responsible 

implementation of a voluntary ‘Bring 

Your Own Device’ policy for NASA. 

With the proper balance of privacy 

for the employee and data security 

for the Agency, we hope the policy 

will achieve mutual benefit, as 

well as value for the taxpayer.”

Any use of personal devices to 

conduct NASA business at this time 

is purely optional, and in the event 

that you do not feel comfortable, 

or are unwilling to comply, with any 

of these basic requirements, you 

may simply choose not to connect. 

Employees cannot be required or 

expected to use their own devices 

to accomplish their assigned tasks 

if they choose not to do so. 

Look for more information on NASA’s 

support of BYOD in the near future. 

And, as always, thank you for all 

the work you do every day to help 

us achieve NASA’s mission! l

NASA OCIO IT Talk Oct - Dec 2013 7
IT Labs Update

By Allison Wolff, IT Labs 

Project Manager

IT Labs had a very productive year 

in 2013 with new projects, new 

partnerships, and the annual report.

IT Labs’ highly efficient approach to rapid 

IT innovation was put to the test in this 

very lean budget year, but it succeeded in 

funding six new projects while continuing 

support for two existing projects begun in 

2012. Efficiency and collaboration were key 

to project success, and IT Labs continues 

to explore new ways to share the great 

ideas of its contributors across NASA. 

The group began a new video series 

highlighting the work of NASA’s “IT 

Heroes.” The IT Heroes Showcase is a 

streaming presentation that demonstrates 

the work supported by IT Labs. The IT 

Heroes Showcase launched in August with 

“Development of a Gesture-Based Interface 

for the Office.” It is available to view on 

the IT Labs YouTube Channel at https://

www.youtube.com/user/NASAITLabs. 

The FY 2012–2013 Annual Report captures 

all of the incredible contributions from NASA’s 

IT Heroes this year. To read the annual report, 

or to learn more about IT Labs, visit https://

labs.nasa.gov. You will need to enter your 

NASA credentials to access this site. 

Coming soon, NASA employees will be 

able to download a new mobile app that 

lets them carry IT Labs project knowledge 

everywhere. This app displays the new IT Labs 

graphics that were developed via a Center of 

Excellence in Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) 

and NASA Tournament Labs challenge. 

And, last but not least, don’t forget that 

the fiscal year 2014 IT Labs project call 

is just around the corner. There will be 

question and answer sessions prior to and 

during the call to facilitate the submission 

of applications, as there were last year. 

If you have comments and/or questions, send 

an e-mail to HQ-NASA-IT-Labs@mail.nasa.

gov. You can follow IT Labs activities on the 

IT Labs Blog at https://labs.nasa.gov/Blog. l

Exchange ActiveSync Policies 

Applied to All NOMAD Mailboxes

The End User Service Office 

(EUSO) was directed to enforce 

a minimum set of security 

requirements on any personal 

mobile device that attempts 

to access the NASA e-mail 

system, as is currently required 

of Agency Consolidated 

End-User Services (ACES) 

Government-issued devices. 

Both ACES-managed and 

personal devices use Microsoft 

Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) to 

synchronize with NASA e-mail. 

EAS policies are applied to 

mailboxes, not to individual 

devices. Therefore, any 

ActiveSync device connecting to 

a NASA Operational Messaging 

and Directory (NOMAD) mailbox 

will be subject to these policies. 

The application of EAS policies 

was completed on Thursday, 

September 12, 2013. This 

implementation imposes 

certain minimum security 

requirements, including a 

passcode and an inactivity lock. 

A complete list of ActiveSync 

use cases is posted on the 

NOMAD Web site at http://

nomadinternal.nasa.gov/

nomad/documents/ActiveSync_

Device_Use_Cases.pdf.

Most commercially available 

devices are compatible with 

the new minimum security 

requirements. However, NASA 

cannot accommodate every 

single model, brand, and type 

of personal mobile device. As 

a result, there is the potential 

that some (mainly older) 

devices may be unable to meet 

these requirements and will 

therefore be unable to continue 

accessing NASA e-mail. 

To guarantee compatibility, 

employees should ensure that 

their device adheres to the 

standards provided in NASASTD-2804P, which is available 

online at https://etads.nasa.

gov/dcs/current-standards/.

Please take a moment to review 

and familiarize yourself with 

these requirements. Also, keep 

in mind that any use of personal 

devices to access NASA data 

is purely optional. You should 

refrain from using a personal 

mobile device to access NASA 

information and systems 

if you are uncomfortable, 

unable, or unwilling to comply 

with these minimum security 

requirements (you will still be 

able to access NASA e-mail 

via webmail). Because the use 

of personal mobile devices is 

purely optional, employees 

cannot be required or expected 

to use their own devices to 

accomplish assigned tasks if 

they choose not to do so.

NASA cannot offer help desk 

support for your personal 

mobile devices; if you choose 

to use your personal mobile 

device to access NASA e-mail 

and calendaring resources, 

you should make sure you 

have technical support 

through your vendor. l

8 www.nasa.gov
Communication Services Office (CSO)

The transformation phase of NASA’s 

communications services continues. 

The NASA CSO currently operates two 

separate backbone infrastructures: 

one for critical spacecraft and science 

operations, and one for Agency corporate 

services. Three projects have been 

initiated with the goal of optimizing 

these backbone infrastructures to reduce 

costs and improve service delivery. 

The Mission Next Generation Architecture 

(MngA) will implement the new mission 

network architecture required to support 

emerging and upcoming mission 

concepts and requirements, utilizing the 

CSO corporate backbone infrastructure 

wherever possible to reduce the overall 

cost of mission network services. 

Simultaneously, the Backbone Equipment 

Refresh (BB-ER) project will leverage a 

technology refresh to position the CSO’s 

corporate backbone to support these 

mission network needs. Finally, the 

Mission Backbone Transition (MBT) will 

augment the MngA core, including all 

mission service locations, and transition 

existing mission-routed data service to 

the optimized infrastructure in order to 

take advantage of the new capabilities 

provided within the MngA. It is expected 

that at the completion of these projects, 

support for both mission and corporate 

services will be greatly improved and 

provided at a lower cost to the Agency. 

Enterprise Service Desk (ESD)

ESD Releases

The ESD project team continues to forge 

ahead toward the next release slated 

for Nov. 2013. The team is currently 

preparing the following enhancements:

҆ Additional details are being added to 

the system emails that are sent when 

an incident is resolved. This detail 

will help users recall which incident is 

being surveyed. 

҆ A new system notification will 

be sent to P-Card holders upon 

completion of a service request 

which they funded, as a means of 

assisting them with P-Card invoice 

reconciliation.

҆ Center and Org Code details are 

being added to the approver screen 

in Enterprise Service Request System 

(ESRS) to help approvers view and 

sort pending requests. 

҆ New guidance for use of the Urgency 

field is being added to the “My 

Tickets” screen at ESD Tier 0 to help 

users choose correctly. 

҆ A new capability is being added for 

“My Tickets” to allow users to select 

another individual to act as point of 

contact for the incident ticket. This 

effectively adds a possible third party 

to each incident ticket, in addition to 

the existing Customer and Contact 

fields. The change is being made 

to ensure ESD and the I3P service 

providers are talking to the right 

person in reference to the ticket.

Latest Releases into Production

Several changes were made to ESD 

capabilities in Aug.

҆ Users now have the ability to look up 

incident tickets and service requests 

by name or number.

҆ The time-out issue between the APC, 

Order Services, and the Tier 0 website 

was resolved.

҆ Additional details were added 

to system-generated emails for 

service requests to help users better 

understand which request is being 

referenced. These details include APC 

cart contents and a link to delivery 

times for I3P services.

End-User Services (ACES) 

Instant Messenger/Presence Upgrade 

Complete: Microsoft Lync 2013 is being 

implemented as the Agency solution for 

instant messaging (IM) and presence, 

replacing Office Communicator. A pilot 

program was started in late August to 

test features of IM/presence. General 

deployment began on October 17. To 

learn more about IM/presence, refer to 

the training and feature-comparisons 

document located on the NOMAD 

Web site at http://nomadinternal.nasa.

gov/nomad/documentation.html.

Transition from WebEx to Lync: NASA’s 

Web conferencing services will transition 

to Lync 2013. Lync has features 

comparable to WebEx, including the 

capability to conduct online meetings 

for up to 1,000 attendees via a secure 

https Internet connection. An extensive 

pilot test of the new service will occur. 

The deployment schedule for the Lync 

web conferencing transition is being 

revised. Additional information will be 

communicated in the near future.

Nighttime Computer Patching: 

Software and security patches are 

currently distributed during the day 

each Tuesday to proactively protect 

against vulnerabilities and to maintain 

current software versions. Beginning 

in November, this patching activity will 

move to Tuesday nights to minimize 

disruptions during working hours. 

Patches will be released between 9:00 

p.m. and 2:00 a.m. local time. To take 

advantage of Tuesday-night patching, 

computers must be connected to the 

NASA network in a “powered-on” but 

“logged-off” state. Users who take 

their laptops home must connect to 

the NASA network remotely through 

VPN to receive the nighttime patches. 

Machines left in the correct state will 

receive an automatic patch push with 

no user interaction required. Machines 

that are not left in the powered-on/

logged-off state will receive notifications 

on Wednesday morning for patches that 

require user interaction to complete.

OS X 10.8 Upgrades for Macintosh: 

NASA has completed Mac operating 

system upgrades from OS X 10.6 to 

10.8. Upgrades from 10.7 to 10.8 

are in progress. Please contact your 

Center’s subject matter expert (SME) 

if you have a Mac and have not 

been scheduled for an upgrade.

IT Infrastructure Integration Program (I3P) Update

NASA OCIO IT Talk Oct - Dec 2013 9
Langley Rolls Out 

Mobility Service 

By Kevin Boswell, Network 

Engineer, NICS SETE

The NASA Langley Research Center’s 

(LaRC) Office of the Chief Information 

Officer (OCIO) and the NASA Integrated 

Communications Service (NICS) are rolling 

out a service that extends desktop phone 

capabilities to certain smart devices (ACESprovided iOS devices, with future support 

for Android). This allows the device to 

support several popular enterprise business 

telephone system features, such as call 

transfer, conferencing, and forwarding. The 

target users of the service are those who 

periodically work from home, engage in 

frequent business travel, and experience 

poor cellular reception on or off campus. 

This new service will empower users to

• use their ACES-provided smartphone 

or tablet as their business phone;

• make and receive calls using their 

NASA desktop phone number 

on their smart devices; 

• make and receive calls on Center 

property in areas with poor cellular 

reception by using wi-fi networks;

• transfer calls between smart 

devices, NASA desktop phone 

extensions, and external numbers;

• conduct conference calls between 

external and internal phone numbers; 

• contact colleagues by dialing their 

5-digit NASA desktop extension; and 

• place toll-free calls over wi-fi during 

domestic or international travel.

The LaRC OCIO and NICS collaborated 

to evaluate several solutions ranging 

from cellular repeaters to smartphone 

applications. As a result, LaRC chose 

the ShoreTel Mobility Router (SMR) 

product because of its support of 

multiple smart devices (iOS, Android, and 

Blackberry), seamless integration with 

the current Langley Telephone System, 

client reliability and system availability, 

and overall cost benefits. The service 

made available to all LaRC employees 

with ACES-provided smartphones 

and tablets in September 2013. l

Enterprise Applications Service 

Office/NASA Enterprise Applications 

Competency Center (EASO/NEACC): 

The Office of Education Performance 

Measurement (OEPM) financial integration 

initiative, due for release at fiscal year 

cutover, will link OEPM projects and 

activities to SAP Core financial data using 

work breakdown structure (WBS) as a 

key field. Although it is behind schedule, 

the NEACC has proposed a phased 

approach so that basic capability can 

be delivered in a reduced timeframe. 

The NEACC is consolidating many 

existing service-level agreements (SLAs)/

operational-level agreements (OLA) into one 

document to define the service agreement 

between the NEACC and the Business 

Systems Management Board (BSMB). The 

initial draft is in review, and the approved 

version will replace all previous SLA/OLAs. 

Identity, Credential, and Access 

Management (ICAM) supported the 

migration of an additional 320 users to PIV 

Mandatory, bringing the current Agency 

totals to above the 10-percent goal targeted 

for the end of September. The official 

signing of Federal Information Processing 

Standard (FIPS) 201-2, the Federal mandate 

requiring four certificates on the PIV 

smartcards, was completed. To comply 

with FIPS 201-2, all-new and replacement 

PIV cards must be issued with the new, 

mandatory PIV features (i.e., four certificates 

on the card) no later than 12 months 

after the effective date of the standard.

Web Services and WESTPrime

WESTPrime has completed migration 

and integration of the initial 65 Web sites 

and applications over a 22-week period. 

The WESTPrime team gained “User 

Concurrence” after collaborating with 

application owners, the NASA OCIO, and 

the NASA Security Group in critical design 

reviews and operational readiness reviews. 

Before the migration, WESTPrime designed 

and implemented new open-source 

content management systems. As a 

result, NASA content creators can update 

content in minutes rather than hours 

because NASA.gov has been migrated 

to a cloud-ready Web site in AWS. 

WESTPrime has moved to operations 

and maintenance for the migrated 

applications and Web sites. The 

WESTPrime Operations includes an 

incident management process, change 

control policies, change control board 

(CCB), cloud operations program (help 

desk), and monitoring plan. WESTPrime 

has captured these programs and 

policies in a comprehensive concept 

of operations (CONOPS) document and 

integrated various tools such as a Jira 

Tracking System, CloudWatch and Nagios 

monitoring software, and full integration 

with the Enterprise Service Desk.

A secure onboarding process has been 

documented, which includes a Risk 

Assessment, Identity, Credential, and 

Access Management (ICAM) Roadmap 

and deliberations with application 

owners to determine cloud environments 

and requirements pertaining to 

access, functionality, and security. 

WESTPrime’s Security team has worked 

closely with the NASA Security Division 

to ensure alignment with NASA’s 

and FedRAMP’s security policies and 

procedures. Currently, security controls 

are documented in a system security 

plan template issued by the FedRAMP 

Program Management Office. The 

WESTPrime team has implemented 

security controls such as a logging 

infrastructure, vulnerability management 

program, and a security configuration 

baseline. The WESTPrime team also 

participated in a lessons learned 

meeting with the Department of Health 

and Human Services (HHS) and NASA 

to obtain guidance from HHS based 

on their recent process in issuing 

AWS to their FedRAMP ATO. Through 

implementation of the required security 

controls and extensive security planning, 

WESTPrime also received an ATO from 

NASA for the WESTPrime cloud.

WESTPrime is currently in the process 

of migrating another 75 applications into 

its environment. The migration should be 

completed by the end of the calendar year. 

For question about Web Services and 

WESTPrime, contact Roopangi Kadakia 

at Roopangi.Kadakia@nasa.gov l

10 www.nasa.gov
Glenn’s Graphics & Visualization 

Lab Soaring to New Heights

Recently, the Glenn Research 

Center Graphics and 

Visualization (GVIS) team 

welcomed Dr. Uwe Wössner 

from the University of Stuttgart, 

creator of the Collaborative 

Visualization and Simulation 

Environment (COVISE) software. 

As one of only a few teams in 

the world to collaborate with 

Dr. Wössner’s development 

staff, the GVIS team was 

pleased to host Dr. Wössner 

as he shared his latest COVISE 

application developments 

and presented his paper, 

“Using Augmented Reality 

and Interactive Simulations to 

Realize Hybrid Prototypes.” 

The information from the 

presentation and the followon technical demonstrations 

helped to expand the services 

of the GVIS lab, enabling 

new capabilities such as

• immersive interaction with 

fluid dynamics and volume 

visualization datasets

• creation of custom 

interfaces for interaction 

and control of visualizations

Services supported by the 

GVIS lab range from the 

visualization of scientific data 

and engineering analysis to 

the development of mission 

scenarios. GVIS also includes 

an immersive visualization 

environment, known as the 

Glenn Reconfigurable Userinterface and Virtual Reality 

Exploration (GRUVE) lab. With 

these unique capabilities, 

researchers and engineers 

are able to explore their data 

with higher resolution and 

more realistic interactivity 

than is currently possible with 

desktop computers. The GVIS 

lab offers a unique forum for 

conveying complex scientific 

concepts to both general 

and expert audiences.

The GVIS team is currently 

developing applications in 

support of aeropropulsion, 

biotechnology, high-speed 

space and terrestrial 

communications, microgravity, 

aircraft safety research, and 

education. For example, it 

developed an interactive threedimensional virtual reality 

experience that simulates 

the new altitude engine-icing 

capabilities of GRC’s Propulsion 

Systems Lab. The team is 

currently working on a project 

that involves the development 

of an application using 

natural user interfaces (NUI), 

including gesture recognition. 

During a recent tour of the 

GVIS facilities, NASA Federal 

Preservation Officer Jennifer 

Groman learned about how 

she could utilize GVIS services 

for historical preservation 

efforts. “What impressed 

me most about both [the 

GVIS and GRUVE] labs was 

the potential of the labs just 

waiting to be discovered by 

the rest of NASA,” she said. “I 

witnessed very cool technology 

that I could see immediate 

applications for in my world, 

but the mystery remains as 

to how to get the word out 

across NASA for others to see 

the very cool resources and 

innovating team at GRC.” To 

learn more about the GRC 

GVIS Lab, please visit their 

Web site at https://ocio.grc.

nasa.gov/gvis/ or send an email 

to grc-gvis@lists.nasa.gov. l

and floor

L-shaped: two parallel screens, one 

perpendicular on an end, and floor

surrounding the viewer, and floor

GRAPHICS & VISUALIZATION

GRUVE

NASA OCIO IT Talk Oct - Dec 2013 11
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of the Chief Information Officer

300 E Street, SW (1225 Eye Street)

Washington, DC 20546

www.nasa.gov

2013 LAUNCH Materials System Forum

IT Talk

By Beth Beck, Open Innovation Program Manager

In the final week of September, NASA 

featured ten Materials System Innovations 

at the fifth LAUNCH forum, which was held 

at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA 

Deputy CIO Deborah Diaz and Deputy CTO 

Jim Adams represented NASA as LAUNCH 

Council members, along with several dozen 

world-class thought leaders from the 

multiple disciplines within the public and 

private sectors. The two-day Forum featured 

innovator presentations and facilitated 

conversations with LAUNCH Council. 

Council comments and recommendations 

were recorded through MindMapr, a digital 

platform created by NASA for LAUNCH: 

http://MindMapr.LAUNCH.org The recorded 

data is tagged and sorted for individuallytailored Accelerator Plans for each innovator. 

LAUNCH was created in 2009 by NASA, 

Department of State, USAID, and Nike to 

seek, find, and accelerate game-changing 

innovations for intractable sustainable 

issues facing humanity, both on and off the 

planet. LAUNCH, recognized as a unique 

public-private collaboration and innovation 

platform, was selected as one of Harvard’s 

Top 25 Innovations in Government in 

2013; and a finalist for the 2012 Service to 

America Science and Environment Medal. 

For NASA, LAUNCH is a collaborative 

innovation incubator, enabling us to:

1. explore unexpected solutions 

from non-traditional sources

2. provide a testbed for new 

ways of doing business

3. broker partnerships among communities 

outside our normal orbit of influence.

Having successfully launched four 

challenges (Water, Health, Energy, and 

Beyond Waste), the LAUNCH team adopted 

a longer-term materials system focus. 

The 2013 materials innovations represent 

early-stage technologies; manufacturing 

and/or chemical processes; data and 

decision-support tools; and technology 

platforms. A few of the innovators include: 

Geckskin, repeatable attach and release 

technology; Ambercycle, molecular 

disassembly of PET through engineered 

enzymes; Artificial Bee Silk, intelligent and 

programmable smart materials; Ecovative, 

biodegradable mushroom materials for 

packaging; and Qmilk, a hypoallergenic 

fiber created from waste milk. 

You can view all the innovator 

profiles at http://www.launch.org/

challenges/systems-2013. l