SDL User Guide

Welcome to the SDL User Guide. This documentation is for end-users, analysts, and operators who need to understand and interact with the SOF Data Layer.

What is SDL?

SDL is a modular, container-native data platform that enables defense and intelligence organizations to collect, process, fuse, query, and disseminate mission-critical data — from cloud data centers to disconnected tactical edge nodes. A single software baseline adapts its runtime behavior to the deployment environment, ensuring operators work with an identical interface whether running at scale in the cloud or on a ruggedized server in a forward operating base.

For a detailed overview of the platform’s architecture and capabilities, see the Platform Overview.

Core Capabilities

SDL provides a comprehensive set of capabilities organized around operational needs:

Capability Description

Federated Query & VKG

"Zero ETL" queries across heterogeneous data sources via virtual knowledge graph

Streaming & Processing

Real-time event streaming and transformation hub supporting 14+ tactical formats

Policy Engine

Data-policy-as-code with row/column-level obfuscation and classification enforcement

Data Tiering & Storage

Hot/warm/cold storage tiers with metadata lake (Bronze, Silver, Gold)

DDIL & Edge Operations

Bandwidth-aware streaming with priority queues and automatic reconnection sync

Semantic Interoperability

BFO/CCO-compliant ontology layer with OBDA virtual mappings and SPARQL query

Getting Started

If you are new to SDL, start here:

  1. Platform Overview — Understand the platform architecture and deployment model

  2. Data Pipelines — Learn how to work with data transformation workflows

  3. SDL Examples — Hands-on demonstrations and demo scripts

Operational Guides

For day-to-day platform operations:

  • Data Pipelines — Configure and manage data transformation workflows

  • SDK — Programmatic access via the platform SDK

Video Demonstrations

See SDL capabilities in action with video demonstrations covering mesh synchronization, federated query, streaming pipelines, cross-domain transfer, and more.

Need Developer Documentation?

If you need to install, configure, or deploy SDL, refer to the SDL Developer Guide.