Development and Operations on the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s Spectrum Collaboration Challenge

Abstract

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) developed a complex test bed of software and hardware called the Colosseum to support the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Spectrum Collaboration Challenge (SC2). Following a development and operations (DevOps) approach was critical to the team’s ability to design and build the Colosseum. Such an approach enhances collaboration between operations and development teams and takes advantage of technology, particularly automation tools. Tasks for the DevOps team included developing software codebases, deploying system configurations, and monitoring hardware system status such as power levels, system temperature, fans, and system uptime. The team accomplished these tasks by following a DevOps approach and using a variety of toolsets. This article describes the processes and tools the team used to design, build, and maintain the Colosseum.