He notes that the radio is designed to evolve to a rate of 16 megabits per second and higher during its operational life. The BSN system is designed to interface with all mobile subscriber equipment. To reduce the clutter caused by wiring and to streamline the equipment, the BSN system uses Sun Microsystem's Sun Ray thin client technology, which provides one server per node instead of multiple computers and monitors, he points out. The Sun Ray technology allows for a unique approach to designing the BSNs, Sverapa says. Instead of integrating software packages, independent network management tools can be hosted on a common platform.
Users can then access the nodes from a base or the field.
What's different about this is that as a soldier, I can pull my server out in garrison. I can take it out of the shelter. One of the goals for the BSNs is to connect to as many other Army communications systems as possible. This will allow soldiers to conduct all of their network planning and engineering before going into the field, he adds. The network management decision aid helps warfighters administer the BSNs.