Adarga Systems, LLC

Progress Through Engineering

OUR MISSION:

To provide customers with industry-leading, engineering-based approaches geared towards identifying and implementing practical solutions addressing a wide range of business needs.

OUR COMPANY:

We are a minority-owned company comprised of senior IT professionals with over 70 years combined experience. We are experts in the design, deployment, and maintenance of major data center applications. From software development, tiered storage, databases, high-speed networks, and FISMA security, we have the requisite experience in all aspects of integration required to create a robust system of systems.

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What We Do

SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

We provide system architecture solutions accounting for all aspects of your application, infrastructure, business processes, and security requirements. This all-encompassing view allows us to design a system that is secure, modular, flexible, and easily maintained.

Our engineers work with you to develop a simple, but comprehensive system architecture that provides a robust and reliable web presence, while protecting your data with a multi-level security enclave model.

Our team will help you analyze your business needs, and define a data model that supports your goals while enabling a flexible, scalable solution. When developing our solutions, we always account for adaptability, deployment speed, and simplicity of maintenance.

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Our systems engineering support encompasses both sides of the systems development V-Model; from Concept of Operations (CONOPS), to requirements management and impact analysis, we guide you through the definition phase and help you manage and understand the potential changes to your systems. Additionally, we provide support for the definition, design, and development of internal and external interfaces.

Once requirements and interfaces are thoroughly defined, we collaborate with your development team to ensure design decisions meet the specified requirements. We provide engineering support for conducting system performance and RMA analysis, and we also assist in developing various engineering documents like Interface Control Documents (ICDs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), backup and recovery practices, and Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP).

Our team focuses on ensuring that the solutions under development meet requirements specific to your business needs, and that your organization is ready to operate the system upon deployment.

SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

As systems integrators, we help you prepare system validation and verification plans. From strategic planning and procedural development, to actual execution and results analysis, our support encompasses the full spectrum of validation and verification.

We excel at anticipating and solving problems found during systems integration and throughout post-deployment operation; we help identify root causes, evaluate proposed solutions, and construct a cost-effective approach for resolving all systems issues. We are experts in multiple development models: Agile, DevOps, Spiral, Waterfall, and many others.

Our goal is to help you select FOSS or COTS solutions that meet your specific and unique requirements, and integrate these solutions into your systems infrastructure. We work hard to ensure the proposed solutions not only meet your requirements, but that they align perfectly with your business model and existing staff capabilities.

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PROJECT: Architect, Design and Deployment of a Multi-site System with COOP Capabilities

In the early 2000s, it became evident that mission critical systems were not exclusive in requiring backup facilities and plans for supporting Continuity of Operations (COOPs). We were tasked with evolving the architecture of an extant, operational system to meet COOP requirements. The solution was deployed in three states; each site was fully operational and capable of assuming more than 100% of the total operational load. This solution not only meets COOP requirements but:

Ensures operational readiness and simplifies COOP events, as all sites are always functional and accessible.
Makes efficient use of all resources; rather than having half of the infrastructure waiting to be used in case of a COOP event, each component continuously runs in support of system operations.
Reduces testing and training costs, as the multi-node infrastructure is consistently exercised, and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) apply to normal operations and COOP events.

Our solution involved the utilization of database replication mechanisms to exchange messages and information across sites. Each site operated independently; problems or changes at one site did not affect the operation of other sites. This single system approach enabled the configuration of each site to be maintained in sync with the others, allowing task assignments and load balance activities across all sites to be easily modified.

PROJECT: Migration of a Multi-site Large System to Linux

In the past five years, Linux has taken the enterprise by storm. Linux provides a cost-effective solution that not only reduces hardware costs, but also simplifies the adoption of open source tools. We have migrated a mission critical system developed in C++, C, Java, and various scripting languages from AIX to RHEL. The migration to a Linux environment included various tasks:

Problem Definition: This included the identification of all software components affected, evaluation of Linux compatibility, and creation of a plan for version upgrades and testing.
Detailed Impact Analysis: This included the impact analyses for replacing the AIX xlC C++ compiler with GNU gcc compiler and switching from Big-Endian to Little-Endian architecture.
Performance Evaluation: We conducted performance analysis and vendor evaluation when selecting appropriate Intel-based hardware for Linux solution deployment.
Project Coordination: We coordinated procurement activities, facility readiness, application changes, development of test plans and procedures, and the update of all related technical documentation.
System Integration: We ensured that the hardware and OS were properly installed and configured, the facility diagrams were properly updated, the application was updated, and all components were ready for formal testing activities.
Validation and Verification: We provided support for system tests of functionality, reliability, performance, maintainability, and security.
Operations Training: We updated the standard operating procedures, upgraded the operations support tools and security practices, and trained operations and system administration staff for management of the new system.
Deployment Planning: Once the system was fully integrated and properly tested, the operations documentation accurately updated, and the staff adequately trained, we prepared a deployment plan to ensure the upgrade had minor impacts on a 24/7 application.

Managing a system migration involves careful project planning, monitoring, and execution. Successful migration requires the application of a large and varied skill set, which includes system performance and reliability analysis, facilities management, software development and testing, system integration, and deployment planning. Careful preparation, detailed early analysis, continuous monitoring and adjustment of the plan, attention to detail, and technological savvy were the keys for a successful migration.

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PROJECT: Architect and Design a Large Data Archive System

We have worked with one the largest data archive systems in world. Multi-petabytes of data are stored and managed on this archive system, and multi-terabytes of daily ingest and delivery is common practice. We dealt with the complexities of long term data preservation, technology obsolescence, as well as making data understandable for consumers. This experience enabled us to understand the importance of adopting standards for archive management, data stewardship, and metadata management.

During the deployment of this system, we implemented various technologies:

Multi-tiered Storage: Data is stored on disc for fast access, and moved to tape for preservation and stewardship. A Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) system is utilized to manage data transferal from disk to tape. In our experience, it is necessary to optimize utilization of the HSM software.
Multi-site Storage: Data is kept at two sites at least 50 miles apart, to ensure recovery in the event of storage media failures and natural/environmental disasters. The sites are automatically and continuously synchronized. Data is checked for integrity using message digests and metadata, as each site is independent from the others.
High-speed Networks: Transferring multi-terabytes of data across the country on a daily basis has taught us the following: It is one thing to build and maintain a large capacity network; being able to use that network efficiently and at full capacity requires a very different and refined skill-set. We have experience with the multiple protocols and tools required for efficient network utilization and data integrity assurance.
Large Databases: Although the data is actually stored on disk and on tape, the metadata (information about the data) is stored in the database. Every catalog search is conducted within this database, and it is also where information about every single piece of data managed by the archive is stored.
Technology Refreshment: Long-term data preservation (at least 75 years) requires architecting and designing a system for change from the beginning. We consider how every single component or module can be upgraded or replaced; having well defined internal interfaces, highly modular systems, and very little interdependency among components are fundamental aspects of step-based technology refreshment. One major benefit from this system design methodology is it creates systems that are easy to test and to maintain, therefore reducing the total cost of ownership.
Application Flexibility: When architecting and designing an archive system for a large organization, all high level requirements are understood and defined, but the detailed requirements are not readily apparent. Most organizations do not know every type of data that will be archived, and they are usually unable to anticipate what their organization will need from the archive in the future. Therefore, it is fundamental to architect, design, and implement a highly configurable and adaptable application well-equipped for change.

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Who We Are

Founded in 2013, Adarga Systems is composed of talented, senior-level professionals with over 70 years combined experience in the engineering and information technology sectors. We are experts in the design, deployment, and maintenance of major data center applications. From software development, tiered storage, databases, high-speed networks, and FISMA security, we have the requisite experience in all aspects of integration required to create a robust system of systems.

CONSTANTINO CREMIDIS

PARTNER

Constantino (Tino) has over 25 years of experience in Data Modeling, Database Architecture, Systems, and Software Engineering. Over the last 17 years, Tino supported NOAA and NASA ground systems projects. He has experience architecting and managing large IT projects from concept definition to design, implementation, validation, and verification, concluding in operations support. His experience includes software development, infrastructure deployment, systems integration, and project management.

Tino holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering, and an M.S. in Management of Information Systems. He holds the Project Management Professional (PMP®) designation.

AMY DREW

PARTNER

Amy has over 30 years of experience as a software engineering professional with a wide depth and breadth of experience and expertise across the full systems lifecycle including requirements definition, design, development, testing and deployment. During her career she has served in key roles in the successful development and deployment of multiple mission critical systems across a diverse range of domains for large government clients such as NASA, NOAA and DoD. In addition to serving our customer base, she is a member of the core management team that guides Adarga in its day-to-day operations, as well as determining its long-term growth strategy and direction.

Amy holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics.