Why ClearCube Technology for Multiple Independent Secure Networks (MILS) Solutions? Client Cube KM Moving desktops to the datacenter.
Why ClearCube for Multiple Independent Secure Networks? In the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, it s raining fire, the sound of helicopters and gunfire drowns out voices, and chaos seemingly reigns. This is the fog of war and the tactical edge. But what if, hours before engaging the enemy, U.S. forces had tossed a small robot with a built-in camera over a concrete wall or into a burned-out structure to gain a view of enemy activity? And what if those images were logged into a database and accessed by officers planning the assault and by squad members using a handheld computer while advancing on the ground? Perhaps then the gunfire and helicopters would be those of U.S. forces descending on the adversary, a unified front facilitated by a team-wide plan of action. Whether it was planned hours earlier or unfolded within seconds, that firefight could have been executed with a stream of digital communication. That is situational awareness. The principle behind it is wide in scope, but in the simplest form, it is knowing what is going on around you. FCW 2012 ClientCube KM supports 1 to 4 zeroclients per switch In order to make critical decisions in complex, dynamic areas, Command needs persistent real-time uncompromised situational awareness. The operator/analyst must see all updates to his displays in real time and traverse through multiple networks -- but seamlessly and instantly interact and work as if there was only one network. That has been the desired goal for multiple independent secure networks since the beginning. That goal has not been easy to achieve efficiently. The challenge still exists, created by simultaneous information updates being delivered to the desktop s single set of peripherals from multiple classified networks at the same moment in time. Rear Front view However, for the first time, the challenge has been met with the creation of ClientCube KM. ClientCube KM is the answer to the problem that has plagued command centers with multiple security domains (e.g., Top Secret/SCI, Secret, Confidential, and Unclassified, etc.) for years. ClientCube KM support 4 simultaneous network connections 2013 ClearCube Technology - All Rights Reserved 2
ClientCube KM allows an operator/analyst to view and seamlessly interact with multiple secure domains in real time in a completely secure 100% hardware-implemented manner. ClientCube KM provides uncompromised situational awareness for the operator/analyst in a normal workflow manner on a desktop platform that saves space, power, and effort. From a single device with a single set of peripherals, the operator/analyst can see his Windows desktops from up to 4 separate network sources simultaneously, mouse over to the Windows display of the desired network, click, and connect his mouse/keyboard/audio for instantaneous interaction with his applications. Each secured network operates in complete isolation. With ClientCube KM, video to each display is constant and uninterrupted from separate sources. The operator/analyst can see updates such as email, video streams, program output, etc., from multiple networks but he is Mouse driven network access increases ease of use and productivity prevented from commingling any data such as cutting and pasting from one source to the other because the sources are separated/isolated in the datacenter and do not communicate with each other. The only capability that moves between the sources is keyboard/mouse/audio activation. ClientCube KM can map four displays into four quadrants, or 8 or 16 displays into four quadrants. ClientCube KM comes equipped with 40 pre-set display layouts to accommodate up to 16 displays, supporting four displays per zero client. Customized orientations are also supported by using a software configuration tool. Once configured, ClientCube KM retains the layout it has been assigned. Hotkey presets offer 40 standard configurations 2013 ClearCube Technology - All Rights Reserved 3
The operator sees when a mouse cursor moves from one quadrant to another, and hears a mouse click in the new quadrant that indicates that ClientCube KM has assigned the mouse, keyboard and speaker to that quadrant. The display boundary directly correlates with the source zero client, so in essence, ClientCube KM senses when the operator moves from one secure network to another by way of the mouse cursor position. The front of the KM switch also illuminates for the network/zero client/display where the cursor currently resides. The operator/analyst s work flow is completely natural. Networks with color frames that serve as identifiers (green, red, yellow, blue, for instance) are clearly visible on the operator s displays, just as they would be in a normal secure operational setting using four individual PCs at the desktop. The mouse cursor showing on the display of the designated network is clearly visible as well. The operator simply clicks the mouse to interact with whichever network he/she desires. ClientCube KM provides uninterrupted workflow by allowing the operator/analyst to seamlessly move from network to network without having to stop and push buttons to select the source. Finally, the multiple domain chasm has been crossed with a 100% hardware based product, ClientCube KM, that supports multiple secure level networks by using zero clients to support multiple displays using one mouse and one keyboard. ClientCube KM versus Distributed PCs The most prevalent deployment implementation to date in command centers with multiple secured networks is distributed PC networking. Every network requires a separate PC and separate sets of peripherals at each operator station. This strategy is straightforward but not space efficient, power efficient, operator-friendly, easy to manage, completely secure, or cost-effective. More secure Distributed PCs process data locally and have local hard drive storage, memory, operating systems, and USB ports that enable data to be extracted from the network or malware/viruses to be introduced to the network. Locating hard drives and data in the worker areas is asking for trouble and security breaches. ClientCube KM vs. Distributed PCs More secure Reduced number of peripherals Better workflow Better managed Better desktop space utilization Better power utilization Better working environment Faster restoration of service Support for both physical and virtual desktops ClientCube KM processes data remotely in the secure data center and has stateless zero clients with no local storage, memory, and operating systems. Policy-based USB enable/disable is controlled by the network administrator. Data never leaves the data center. Only pixel changes are transmitted from the host processing platforms, either physical Blade PCs or SmartVDI virtual desktops, over PCoIP AES 256 bit encrypted links to the ClientCube KM zero clients desktops. 2013 ClearCube Technology - All Rights Reserved 4
Reduced number of peripherals Distributed PCs require peripheral sets for each PC, or the use of a KVM switch to share the mouse and keyboard between them. KVMs only allow the operator/analyst to view and interact with one source at a time, and switching from source to source requires the push of a button. For some missions, this type of operation may be completely acceptable. But it limits total situational awareness. ClientCube KM allows one mouse and keyboard to be shared among four zero clients with seamless movement from isolated network to isolated network with complete situational awareness. Better workflow Migrating between distributed PCs takes time and thought on the operator s part. If a KVM switch is not used, the operator/analyst must physically move from system to system, from keyboard to keyboard, from mouse to mouse. He/she may have full situational awareness but with a huge sacrifice in responsiveness and productivity. If a KVM switch is used, full situational awareness is lost because only one network source is viewed and interacted with at one time. ClientCube KM solves both problems. Operator/analysts have full situational awareness and seamless navigation from source to source with just mouse movements and clicks. Work flow is completely natural. Better managed The downside of trying to manage distributed PCs is well-known. Servicing must be done in the work areas, updates/patches are difficult to administer, and the hardware assets are out of the control of the network administrators. ClientCube KM s centralized host resources are much easier to manage, whether using physical machines (BladePCs) or virtual machines (SmartVDI). Updates/patches and servicing, if necessary, are completed in the datacenter and not in the work areas. End point devices in ClientCube KM are zero clients; therefore, no driver or operating systems updates/patches are made there because zero clients have no processors, memory, video controllers or operating systems. Better desktop space utilization Distributed PCs take up quite a bit of space, especially when four PCs need to be deployed for four networks. ClientCube KM is sleek, requiring a fraction of the space and one-fourth the power connections needed by PCs. 2013 ClearCube Technology - All Rights Reserved 5
Better power utilization Multiple distributed PCs require power that may range from 150w to 600w each, depending on the types of applications that are being used. Multiply the power consumption times four per operator/analyst and the range can be 600w to 2400w per station. Then multiply the power consumption per station by the total number of operator/analysts and the scope of the problem in the work areas becomes readily apparent. ClientCube KM s power requirement ranges between 40w and 60w for all four zero clients per operator/analyst station. Better working environment The power that distributed PCs require to operate generates a lot of heat. Two negative consequences result. Fans in the PCs are needed to cool the machines, and fans produce noise. If there are four PCs per operator/analyst the noise gets magnified by a factor of four. In addition, operator/analysts near the PCs will typically turn up the air conditioning to combat the heat generated by four PCs in a confined area. ClientCube KM s energy consumption is so small that almost no heat is produced, evidenced by the fact that it operates entirely without fans. Without fans, ClientCube KM is noiseless. Faster restoration of service Supports up to 4 displays per network. A PC failure can result in a long downtime for the operator/analyst. Restoration of service is typically lengthy, with failure assessment related visits to the work areas, removal of the failed PC, replacement hardware acquisition and dispatch, and re-connection of cabling. ClientCube KM s Sentral software supports source routing, which provides the network administrator with the ability to automatically route the user to a different secondary source in the event of a primary source failure. With hot spares allocated, Sentral can be configured to switch a failed user to an active spare. Operator/analysts using ClientCube KM can immediately resuming work on secondary host platforms without having to wait for a technician to repair or replace their primary systems. 2013 ClearCube Technology - All Rights Reserved 6
Support for both physical and virtual desktops Distributed PCs are physical machines by definition. ClientCube KM supports connection to physical Blade PC machines, SmartVDI virtual desktop machines, or third party virtual desktop machines running VMware View. This flexibility provides the network architect with options for deploying the most appropriate host resource for the tasks at hand emanating from each individual secured network source. Unlike space-consuming, power-consuming, hard to manage, noisy, security-challenged, distributed PC products, ClientCube KM is more efficient, cost-effective, and straightforward, supporting both high performance physical Blade PC requirements as well as virtual desktop requirements in a complete situational awareness setting. Conclusion If you are seeking secure access to multiple domains with natural workflow and complete situational awareness With reduced peripherals With better desktop security With optimized desktop space utilization With less complexity With higher cost effectiveness With total flexibility With vendor independence With no performance compromise With lower power consumption With better management And deployed in the most cost-effective straightforward manner Your answer is not distributed PCs. Your answer is ClientCube KM. 2013 ClearCube Technology - All Rights Reserved 7