Understanding and Designing Enterprise Architectures

Achieving DIACAP for GeoBase: Challenges Confronted and Lessons Learned

—Daniel Michalec, U.S. Air Force

Headquarters AF Materiel Command (HQ AFMC) recently completed the DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) for its core GeoBase capabilities and services. Completion of DIACAP for the complex AFMC GeoBase architecture is necessary not only to achieve and maintain Authority to Operate for GeoBase capabilities at HQ AFMC, but also to certify compliance with DoD security requirements and establish inherited "type accreditation" for implementation at all nine AFMC installations. The AFMC GeoBase system architecture is based on ArcGIS Server and Oracle, DoD-standard data structures, and a modular design that can efficiently accommodate additional capabilities to support the AFMC mission. Lessons learned include the nuances of implementing appropriate Information Assurance controls, compilation of validation results and artifacts, and posting information in the Enterprise Information Technology Database Repository for a successful DIACAP determination.