Free Essay: Army Knowledge Online

The Army Knowledge Online (AKO) is considered the central intranet for the United States Army which is strictly accessed through the public website of the Army and often used for recruitment and dissemination of relevant information to the public. The use AKO website is mandatory for anyone who has been enlisted in the army, and it enables soldiers to keep track of their daily routines such as their medical records and even the items that they have signed for within the army. Generally, the level of information that AKO enables the soldiers to convey is limitless hence organizations have the potential to make AKO a one-stop stall that meets the overall demands for soldiers. The examination of some of the hardware and software requirements to run the website is critical because the magnitude of the information which is shared by the Army officials via AKO as well as the personal details of the soldiers is vital for security purposes. This paper seeks to examine some of the server-side hardware and software requirements for the information system, the client-side hardware and software requirements, the competitive evaluation of the information system and some of the possible recommendations for improving the AKO information system.

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Server-Side Hardware Requirements

The server-side hardware requirements for AKO information system should be resilient to enable the establishment of a system that is triple redundant. There are several users who depend on the information services of AKO even within different time zones across the world, and because the system is simultaneously used, it has to be robust to support extensive usage. Therefore, by my assumption based on the general academic knowledge of typical server-side hardware requirements, the AKO information system would be Intel-based server hardware with server-high channel disk which is capable of supporting large amounts of data that flow within the system. Consequently, the information system of AKO would explore the use of expandable RAM to reserve the pages and images with frequent online visits. On the same note, server time errors such as the 404 timeouts as well as response time during peak visit occasions should be limited hence the system developer would embark on a webserver hardware that would limit disk inactivity while ensure that users would have adequate CPU and RAM storage for efficient operating system (Pryor, 2016). Therefore, the use of expandable RAM of up to 100 TB would be an essential factor in regards to the server-side hardware requirements.

Server-Side Software Requirements

The server-side software requirements of the AKO information system should be those that are capable of performing redundant processing and supporting the running of applications as well as serving the database and reserving the reverse proxies. Therefore, the most appropriate software requirements for such an information system would be a 64-bit edition of Windows server 2008 or the Enterprise version (Pryor, 2016). Additionally, there would be the need for a software for registration portal for password as well as a systems centre for service management to enhance the support of add-ins and file extension components.

Client-Side Hardware Requirements

The client-side hardware requirements for the AKO information system imply the hardware prerequisites that would aid the accessibility of the information system from a personal device. The hardware requirements would, therefore, include a Windows Pentium Class CPU with 1.2 GHz or higher version. The minimum capacity of the RAM should be 2 GB or more and also the video card specifications should be that which supports the display of 1024 X768 at 96 dpi with a high colour quality of 32 bit together with a CD-ROM which serves as an alternative delivery device and must be accessible by the software inclusive of any drive letters. The computer systems that would be provided by the government for the intended users of AKO information system should have an in-built mutual access card CAC reader to enable the users of the information system to access the AKO website by the use of can and personalized identification numbers (Smith & Wesa, 2016). The smart card readers should also be enhanced with four configuration features which include an embedded keyboard, nine-pins RS-232 Serial Interface, USB 1.0/2.0 Port Interface, together with PCMCIA interface. The accessibility of the system from a personal computer would require the use of a USB card reader which would require initial formatting to enhance compatibility.

Client-Side Software Requirements

The client-side software requirements to access the AKO information system on personal devices would be operating systems such as Windows XP or even Windows 7. The software requirements to access the information system would narrow down as the windows progressively update to enhanced versions. Consequently, the users of the site would need to follow appropriate steps which include the selection of the appropriate internet accessibility options on the computer through the "Gear" icon and deleting all the browser history in the cache and also replacing the trusted sites in the security tab with the link for the military site of https://militarycac.com/. Additionally, the users would also need to clear the content tab and install the security certificates from the CAC card which would enable the efficient sending and receiving of messages as well as accessibility of the AKO website. Consequently, it would also be appropriate to adjust the LAN setup and uncheck the setting options such as "Use automatic configuration script", "Proxy server", and also "automatically detect settings". Lastly, the setting tab labelled "Advanced" should be configured by checking the boxes of SSL or TSL to ensure the prevention of errors during accessibility of the AKO website (Danberry, 2016).

Competitive Analysis of the System

The Army Knowledge Online is an information system that has no matching or competing system that can provide similar knowledge-based data regarding military operations such as military schools and lessons learnt as well as the military training services. The strengths of AKO include the fact that it utilizes MilSuite which comprises of collective online systems with the aim of improving the approaches of secure alliance for the Department of Defense. The system also features other essential applications such as milTube, milWire, milBook and milWiki (Danberry, 2016). These particular applications provide advanced services for the users in the Armed Forces such as uploading of activity documentaries. Such features that are incorporated in AKO information system can only be found on Facebook and YouTube except for the fact that the military site is encrypted and cannot be accessed without a CAC access code in case of verification of sensitive information. Consequently, AKO is also enhanced with Milbook extension which provides access to social media sites behind the firewall of the Department of Defence hence providing a pathway for classified crowd to have open discussions (Danberry, 2016). Therefore, even though there are competitive websites like Facebook and MySpace, AKO cannot serve as a replacement because it is outstanding in the way it provides protection of networks that serve military and government operations.

Recommendations for Improving the System

AKO information system is an online interface that undergoes a systematic improvement and is under close surveillance for external and internal security threats hence should be equipped with features that facilitate occasional updates of security features alongside the request of login credentials such as user names and passwords. The current information system does not require an update of security features like password after some particular duration, and that imposes the risk in case the users change their login credentials after long period with no requirement of update of security features. Consequently, one cannot access the information system without their CAC access card or else they will be denied access and neither can a user reset their login details. Therefore, the system should provide the option of almost 6-9 questions as well as the prompting the option to create personalized security questions which would enhance security.

On the other hand, the AKO information system should also be enhanced with the option to prompt users to engage in activities as they are logged in to enhance safety against inactivity. Due to unavoidable circumstances of multi-tasking which can sometimes lead to inactivity when operating on the website, the user can always be prompted before the site can automatically log off the user. The aspect of providing users with prompts in case of inactivity can also deem significant primarily when the information system is being used as a resource to facilitate training programs. Consequently, the feature can also enable the customization of the site by the users which can enable the users to continuously operate on the website without often requiring authentication by re-imputing the personalized identification number.

Additionally, the military information system has a section within which users can share their ideas about the website on the tab that is labelled "Tell CPT AKO/Tell 1SG". Hence, the feedback gathered from the users from this section can be used to facilitate the improvement of the site except one has to search for it. However, AKO could explore the use of algorithms similar to other enterprise websites that would generate a summary of the duration users spend online and establish prompts regarding their experience. The innovation of this feature into the system will enable the users to express their opinions of their experiences on the site so that necessary action can be implemented by the support desk before the next login session.

Conclusion

Summarily, the AKO information has the potential to continue to be resilient in the data protection of the Department of Defence against various security threats, either internal or external. However, the system should open up for the suggestions and ideas of frequent users because such information will continue to challenge the system hence the services provided by the information system technician and the help desk. Therefore, given the dynamic technological transformations, the information is likely to get more sophisticated just like there have been transformations from the use of floppy disks to the use of compact discs and the concept of cloud computing hence the server-side hardware and software specifications should equally improve. Even though various innovations will always be in the forefront to determine the various channels of technological communication, Army Knowledge Online (AKO) will always keep the lead in innovation to enhance the safety of military information and merge with the ever-rising technological competition.

References

Danberry, M.J.(10 December 2016) MILITARYCAC.COM, Accessing DoD Enterprise Email, AKO, and other DoD websites with Internet Explorer & Edge on your Windows computer. Retrieved from https://militarycac.com/files/Making_AKO_work_with_Internet_Explorer_color.pdf

Pryor, B. A. (2016). Assessing the Army's Software Patch Management Process. Defense Acquisition University Aberdeen Proving Ground United States. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/1040604.pdf

Smith, A. D., & Wesa, C. F. (2016). NRHP Eligibility of the Fort Huachuca, Arizona, Elevated Water Tank (Facility 49001) and Reservoir (Facility 22020) (No. FH-14-17). Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Champaign United States. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/1014076.pdf