Challenge Summary
This is the 2nd challenge geared toward wireframes for the NASA Disruption Tolerant Network (DTN) Dashboard. We ran a conceptualization contest to produce a document that explains the high-level requirements, technology and the needs of the client. I encourage you to take a look at that challenge linked at the beginning of this paragraph or the final conceptualization doc (attached).
The goal of this challenge is to take the information from the previous challenge, ask questions if needed, and provide wireframes for a web-based graphical user interface (GUI).
Note: This is complex technology but don’t be overwhelmed. We encourage you to ask whatever questions you may have in the forums. We’re here to help! This is an opportunity for you to look at this information and try to help those not familiar with the data (similar to yourself) and turn it into an easy to understand dashboard.
Round 1
- This will be run as a two-round challenge. Below is the expected deliverables for each round.
- Numbers beside screens correspond to the relevant section in the Conceptualization Document.
Round 1 (Desktop)
- Nodes Screen Default (3.2 and 4.4.5)
- Nodes Screen - View More Info (3.4.2)
- Nodes Screen - Custom View (3.4.2)
- Create New View (3.4.2)
- Schedule Screen (4.4.11)
- Network Traffic (4.4.3 and 4.4.4)
Round 2
Round 2 (Desktop)
- Nodes Screen Default(3.2 and 4.4.5)
- Nodes Screen - View More Info (3.4.2)
- Nodes Screen - Custom View (3.4.2)
- Create New View (3.4.2)
- Schedule Screen (4.4.11)
- Network Traffic (4.4.3 and 4.4.4)
- Search (4.4.12)
- Help (4.4.13)
- User Preferences (4.4.14)
- Any feedback/suggestions provided at checkpoint
Overview
- NASA’s DTN technology is new and is reaching a stage where the information will be available to end users. To help make the information available, NASA is developing a DTN Network Monitoring and Management System (NMS). Basically, DTN is the technology, NMS is the system that is storing the information provided from DTN and makes it accessible. DTNMP is a technology tool utilized by NMS, similar to SNMP, that allows remote polling of a node’s status.
Problem
- Currently users have to use command line tools which is limiting for visualizing complex network status.
- The problem is that NMS lacks visuals and tools/commands that the end user can use.
- NASA wants to make this tool easier to use for more people. This is where we need your help!
Goal
- The goal is to illustrate how a graphic user interface (GUI) would look so that the command line isn’t needed for the average user.
Where to start
- DTN - Take a look at this brief video about DTN. This will give you an overview of DTN and what kind of information the users will be coming to this dashboard for.
- Conceptualization Doc (attached) - IMPORTANT! The final document from the previous challenge. Discusses the project and needs in detail. Sections in this document will be referenced later.
Acronyms / Definitions
- DTN: Delay- and Disruption-Tolerant Networking is an approach to computer network architecture that seeks to address the technical issues in heterogeneous networks that may lack continuous network connectivity. Examples of such networks are those operating in mobile or extreme terrestrial environments, or planned networks in space.
- DTN Overview Video: Click here to view the video
- DTNMP - DTN Management Protocol: This is a technology tool utilized by NMS, similar to SNMP, that allows remote polling of a node’s status.
- NMS: Network Monitoring and Management System
- Remote Node: Nodes are illustrated as the satellites in the video mentioned above - relay points per say
Requirements (Main Focus)
Overall
- Desktop size - 1024px width and height accordingly.
- Wireframe needs to be a clickable wireframe to show the flow
- It needs to monitor and have the ability to manage remote nodes in a DTN
- Visualizations of link connectivity, data rates, buffer capacity and utilization, and anomalies. Each of these will need to show visualizations for actual (what is happening), and historical (what has happened) info.
- The dashboard needs to support showing an arbitrary number of nodes. We don’t know how many remote nodes a DTN may have so we need to be able to see all of this information for each node.
- Think about if the user may need to see all of the information pertaining to all nodes at once, or if you think the user would rather focus on one node at a time and how they’d move on to the next node to view its information.
- There will be a lot of information that is helpful to see at a glance/birds eye view so the user can see the overarching navigation map - see 4.4.10 - how could we make it easy for a user to navigation through a massive amount of information?
- Note: Keep in mind this will eventually be responsive to support tablet and mobile - Please design accordingly.
Nodes Screen Default
- Fields for the node need to be displayed and are located in section 3.2 and 4.4.5 of the conceptualization doc
- This is where we really want your creativity - This is the information the user will be looking for and how can we visualize this in an engaging, easy to understand UI.
- Refer to the “possible utilization on the UI” column
- The main screen/tab (however you want to separate) will be the nodes and how many nodes there are.
- Each node should have the name, settings, address, ids, etc
- The layout that you create for one node will be repeated for each node in the DTN
Nodes Screen - View More Info
- Not all information on each node is required to show but should be an option to be selected/viewed by user
- How would a user click to view more info about a node that isn’t displayed by default?
Nodes Screen - Custom View
- If a user does not use/need the default information on each node, there should be a way for a user to set/customize and save what they see for a node.
- If the user made some edits to the view (show/hide different options/metrics), they should be able to save that view
- User can save multiple views and should have the option to switch between them. (Think about this as a Workspace in Photoshop - you have the default layout but can customize and save your own)
Create New View
- If the user didn’t take the above mentioned route of editing an existing view, they can go through a “create new view” process which will give them the option of selecting what they want to see if their view.
- See 3.4.2 “Dashboard user - Select element metrics” for more info
Schedule Screen
- The secondary screen/tab will be the scheduling information. (Again, however you want to separate is up to you. It doesn’t have to be a tab.)
- The schedule is read only - think of this as the schedule that information is sent to each node.
- See 4.4.11 for more info
Network Traffic
- The third screen/tab will be Network Traffic information
- Show the path that the information has taken between the nodes
- Show (using a user-selectable color) the amount of traffic whether it’s low or high
- See 4.4.3 and 4.4.4 for more info on how this information is suggested to be displayed
Search
- See 4.4.12
- The fourth bullet gives suggestions for how the search results could work
- How could we display/highlight the information that is returned from their search?
Help
- This will be an area that helps explain to users how to identify the correct DTN dashboard information
- The information that goes in here isn’t as important as how it’s laid out
- How can we make it easy for a new user to learn about the dashboard, as well as an experienced user to quickly find something they need?
- See 4.4.13
User Preferences
- Just like any type of interface/dashboard there needs to be an area for settings user preferences and a way to configure the system
- We’ll need to allow users to set things like time interval between updates, whether they want to see visuals or numeric values for certain information on the dashboard
- See all options in 4.4.14
Things to think about
- Will be web based (HTML/CSS/Javascript/JSON) so think about browser implications.
Users
- System Engineers, Discipline Experts, Operators, Test Conductors, etc
- Users are not experts in the DTN code
- Users are not experts in how to install or configure the command line tools to get and interact with the information
- Users will be familiar with the data and how to interact with the nodes but need it to be visualized in an easy to understand format
Examples
- Cisco Network Assistant
- Network Management Tools for IP Networks
- NRL’s Common Open Research Emulator (CORE)
- Data Visualization Plugins
- Zabbix
- INSPINIA Bootstrap Theme
Submission & Source Files
Preview Image
Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024px JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it.
Submission File
Wireframes should be built in Axure and be a clickable wireframe. (Axure tutorials available here)
Source Files
All original source files of the submitted ideas. If you would like to submit notes please include notes.txt file.
Final Fixes
As part of the final fixes phase you may be asked to modify content or user click paths.
Please read the challenge specification carefully and watch the forums for any questions or feedback concerning this challenge. It is important that you monitor any updates provided by the client or Studio Admins in the forums. Please post any questions you might have for the client in the forums.