Game engines process a lot of data under strict deadlines. Therefore, measures to increase performance are important in this area. Data-Oriented Design (DOD) promotes principles that are meant to increase performance by better cache utilization. The purpose of this thesis is to examine a selection of these principles to give a better understanding of how DOD affects CPU time and the rate of cache misses, with focus on the area of game development. More specifically, the principles examined are removal of run-time polymorphism, iteration over contiguous data, and lowering the amount of data in hot loops. Also, the Entity-Component-System pattern is examined, which is based upon DOD principles. The approach was to first present a theoretical background on the subject, and then to conduct tests by implementing a simulation of movement and collision detection utilizing said principles. The tests were written in C++ and executed on an Intel Core i7 4770k with no rendering. CPU time was measured in updated entities per μs, and cache utilization was measured in the form of cache miss rate. The results showed that the DOD principles did increase performance. Cache miss rate was also lower, with the exception of when removing run-time polymorphism. The conclusion is that Data-Oriented Design, used in game development, is likely to result in better performance, mostly as a result of better cache utilization.

Runtime performance is essential for real time games, the faster a game can run the more features designers can put into the game to accomplish their vision.A popular architecture for video games is the Entity Component System architecture aimed to improve both object composition and performance. There are many tests for how this architecture performs under its optimal linear execution.This thesis presents a performance comparison of how several popular open-source Entity Component System libraries perform when fetching data from other entities during iteration. An object-oriented test is also done to compare against and verify if the known drawbacks of object-orientation can still be seen within these test cases. Our results show that doing a random lookup during iteration can cause magnitudes worse performance for Entity Component Systems.

Despite more than a decade-long process to transition aircraft maintenance practices from paper-to electronic-based systems, some organizations remain unable to complete this transition. Researchers have indicated that while organizations have invested resources in technology improvements, there remains a limited understanding of the factors that contribute to effectively managing technology-enabled change. The purpose of this case study was to identify and explore socio-technical (ST) factors that inhibit an effective transition from a paper-based system to an electronic-based system for aircraft maintenance. A conceptual model applying theories of change management, technology acceptance, systems thinking, and ST theory informed the research. Thirteen participants provided data via semistructured interviews, field observations, follow-up interviews, other documentation, and a questionnaire. Data were analyzed with open and axial coding techniques to identify themes, which were then crosschecked and triangulated with observation and follow-up interview data. Findings revealed communication issues, a fundamental misconception in training, and a false assumption that all personnel easily acquire computer literacy. Benefits gained from this study should assist maintenance, repair, and overall (MRO) organizations within the Department of Defense to improve current and future technology implementation as the research underscores real-life issues from a comparable organization. The implications for positive social change provide a greater understanding of technology-enabled change and contribute to the development of best practices for technology initiatives that address common ST issues in the MRO workplace.

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This study examines the framing of environmental policies within two military organisations;the Swedish Armed Forces and the United States’ Department of Defence. Additionally, key similarities and differences between the two were described and discussed, as well as which possibilities and challenges each organisation faces moving forward. By using a two-part method consisting partly of a content analysis performed through the chosen theoretical framework of Human Nature Relationships (HNR), along with Carol Bacchi’s policy analysis tool ‘What’s the problem represented to be’ (WPR) when examining both organisation’s respective sustainability reports from 2020, underlying problems were identified and analysed from a critical environmental perspective. The results show that the two policy documents were framed seemingly differently, where the SAF derives their sustainable efforts from the UN Sustainable Development Goals with these being clearly integrated into the operations internal goals, and the DoD mainly mentions sustainability in relation to a bigger picture of cost efficiency. Despite these differences, at their core the organisations both show signs of upholding environmental worldviews which place humans as more valuable than nature, which can be identified through the recurring priority of fulfilling military interests and thereby perceiving sustainable efforts as important, but inevitably, less than. Therein, the main challenge for both organisations stems from the task of balancing differing interests – military interests contra the needs of nature. Possibilities here arise partly from already existing developments, on part of the SAF, and from financial resources on part of the DoD. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of these aspects along with recommendations for future research.

The Army Acquisition Officer lacks proficient experience needed to fill key leadership positions within the Acquisition Corps. The active duty Army officer is considered for the Acquisition Corps functional area between their 5th and 9th years of service as an officer – after completing initial career milestones. The new Acquisition Corps officer is the rank of senior Captain or Major when he arrives to his first acquisition assignment with a proficiency level of novice (in acquisition). The Army officer may be advanced in his primary career branch, but his level decreases when he is assigned into the Acquisition Corps functional area. The civilian grade equivalent to the officer is a GS-12 or GS-13 whose proficiency level is advanced in his career field. The purpose of this study is to use a systems analysis approach to decompose the current acquisition officer professional development system, in order to study how well the current active duty officer flow works and how well it interacts or influences an acquisition officer's professional development; and to propose a potential solution to assist in the management of Army acquisition officers, so they gain proficiency through not only education and training, but also the hands-on experience that is needed to fill key leadership positions in the Army Acquisition Corps. An increased proficiency and proven successful track record in the acquisition workforce is the basis to positively affect acquisition streamlining processes within the Department of Defense by making good decisions through quality experience.

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International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 22-25, 2001 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The US Government originally funded the development of the Common Airborne Instrumentation System (CAIS) to address industry-wide compatibility, maintenance, and commonality issues. Although initially targeted for US Department of Defense (DoD) programs, CAIS is also being used throughout the world in many commercial applications. This paper provides a fresh look at the evolution of the CAIS concept starting with some historical background of the CAIS Program, an overview of the CAIS System Architecture and recent trends in the use of “Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS)” products and technology.

There is a lack of African American representation in the Department of Defense's (DoD's) Senior Executive Service (SES) Corps. In 2011, only 11.4% of the DoD's SES members were African American. This disparate representation is problematic because it contradicts the creation of a diverse workforce, which in turn limits opportunities for African Americans to join the elite DoD SES Corps. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of 9 African American SES members in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Defense Agencies, and Defense Field Activities to determine factors contributing to their promotions into the SES Corps. The theoretical framework for this study included Burns and Bass conceptualization of transformational leadership, as well as the social learning theories of Bandura and Vygotsky. A snowball sampling technique was used to recruit the participants for face-to-face or telephone interviews. The interview questions focused on the attributes participants perceived as influencing their career progression into the SES. Upon transcribing interview data, an open coding process was used to categorize information collected followed by thematic analysis to facilitate further understanding. Findings indicate that professional qualities such as the ability to perform core executive functions, training, and education contributed to their SES progression. Furthermore, transformational leadership was perceived as being important in SES service. The implications for positive social change stemming from this study include direct recommendations to DoD human resource directors to capitalize on current African American leaders to serve as mentors to emerging leaders in a way that is consistent with transformational leadership.

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