Information Label Adjudication
When two pieces of data with separate information labels (e.g., objects, files, part of a
window's contents) are merged or combined, the system automatically adjudicates the
combination of the two information labels, determining the single information label that
properly represents the merged data. This process of adjudicating two information labels is
also called combining the labels or floating one label with the second one. The values
assigned to classifications and the internal compartment and marking bit representations
assigned to information label words determine how the system will adjudicate information
labels.
When the system adjudicates the classifications from two information
labels, the resulting classification is always the classification with the
greater internal integer value. Since all classifications by definition form
a strict hierarchy, specifying integer values for classifications that represent
the hierarchy, with the most sensitive classifications having the highest
values and the least sensitive classifications having the lowest values, will
assure the proper adjudication of classifications.
Considerations for the proper adjudication of words is much more complicated.
The system adjudicates information label compartment and marking bits by
performing a bitwise logical "or" of the bit strings, as shown
in Figure 2, Table 2, Information Label Bit String Combination Example.
Table 2 Information Label Bit String Combination Example
Information Label
| Bit Strings
|
Information Label
| Compartments
| Markings
|
Information Label 1 (IL1)
| 10100000
| 00001111
|
Information Label 2 (IL2)
| 11010001
| 11000000
|
Adjudication (IL1 + IL2)
| 11110001
| 11001111
|
|
Proper adjudication is assured by defining the bit representation of
each information label word such that the desired properties are enforced
when the words are combined via logical "or". Figure 3, Table 3, Label Adjudication Examples shows a number of different
possibilities for the adjudication of the combination of words. In this and
following figures, (NULL) is used to indicate the absence of any word.
As mentioned above, there are two basic types of words: normal
and inverse. Additionally, words can optionally appear in a hierarchy with
other words. To support these different types of words, the encodings allow
for a great deal of flexibility in the association of human-readable word
names with internal bit patterns. Rather than simply assigning names to bits,
the encodings allow word names to be associated with specific bit patterns.
These bit patterns can include compartment bits, marking bits, or both.
The examples shown in Figure 3, Table 3, Label Adjudication Examples are
expanded below, showing how the internal encodings of the words implement
the desired adjudication of normal words, inverse words, words in hierarchies,
composite words, and a more complex example.
In each example, the relevant bit values associated with words are shown
as 1s and 0s. Irrelevant bit positions are denoted with –s. Each example
below shows two labels and their combination, in both human-readable and internal
forms. (NULL) is used to indicate a label containing no words. The bits
shown in the examples below could be compartment bits, marking bits, or a
combination of both. From the standpoint of label adjudication, there is
no difference between compartment bits and marking bits.
Table 3 Label Adjudication Examples
Comment
| IL1
| IL2
| IL1+IL2
|
Normal word
| Word1
| (NULL)
| Word1
|
Inverse word
| Word2
| (NULL)
| (NULL)
|
Both words are normal
| Word1
| Word3
| Word1 Word3
|
Both words are inverse
| Word2
| Word6
| (NULL)
|
Both words are inverse
| Word2
| Word2 Word6
| Word2
|
Hierarchy with Word5 above Word4
| Word4
| Word5
| Word5
|
Word9 is a composite of words 7 and 8
| Word7
| Word8
| Word9
|
Word12 is a non-hierarchical composite of words 10 and 11
| Word10
| Word11
| Word10 Word11 Word12
|
Word13 is inverse and in a hierarchy below Word14
| Word13
| (anything other than Word13)
| Word14
|
|
Normal Words
Normal words are associated with internal bit patterns consisting only of 1s. Normal words can
have one or more 1 bits associated with them. The example below is for the simplest and most
common case, where a single bit is associated with a word. When such a word is combined with
a label containing no words, the resulting label contains just the word.
Word1
| 1-------
|
(NULL)
| ---------
|
Word1
| 1-------
|
|
In the following example, two normal words each associated with different
1 bits are combined. The resulting label contains both words.
Word1
| 1-------
|
Word3
| --1----
|
Word1 Word3
| 1-1-----
|
|
Inverse Words
Inverse words are associated with internal bit patterns containing
at least one inverse bit. An inverse bit is a bit whose 0 value is associated
with the presence of a word and whose value is 1 unless the word is present
in the label. Inverse words can have one or more bits associated with them.
The example below is for the simplest and most common case, where a single
0 bit is associated with a word. When a bit is used inversely, its value
in a NULL label must be 1. When such a word is combined with a label containing
no words, the resulting label does not contain the word.
Word2
| –0––––––
|
(NULL)
| –1––––––
|
(NULL)
| –1––––––
|
|
In the following example, two inverse words each associated with different
inverse (0) bits are combined. The resulting label contains neither of the
words.
Word2
| –0–––1––
|
Word6
| –1–––0––
|
(NULL)
| –1–––1––
|
|
In the example below, two labels containing the above inverse words
are combined. Only the inverse word that appears in both labels appears in
the resulting combination.
Word2
| –0–––1––
|
Word2 Word6
| –0–––0––
|
Word2
| –0–––1––
|
|
Hierarchies of Words
Two words form a hierarchy if their associated relevant bits form a hierarchy (i.e., if one
set of bits includes the other). Words in hierarchies can be either normal or inverse words.
The following example is the simplest case of a hierarchy of two normal words. In this
example, as should be evident from the bits, Word5 is hierarchically above Word4. Therefore,
when the two words are combined, the result is the higher of the two words, Word5. Two words
in the same hierarchy can never appear together in a label.
Word5
| –––11–––
|
Word4
| –––1––––
|
Word5
| –––11–––
|
|
Composite Words
This example is very similar to the above example involving
Word1 and Word3, with the difference being that this example contains a third
word that is the composite of the other two. Word9 is a composite word whose
meaning is "the combination of Word7 and Word8". Such a composite
word might be used rather than having the individual words combined to appear
in the combination label. In this example, the composite word and the words
it combines are a special case of word hierarchies. Therefore, the composite
word cannot appear in the same label with either of the words of which it
is composite.
Word7
| ––––––1–
|
Word8
| –––––––1
|
Word9
| ––––––11
|
|
Non-Hierarchical Composite Words
It is possible to form a composite word without a hierarchy involved.
Non-hierarchical composite words are possible for words that have more than
one bit associated. In the following example, Word12 is a composite of Word10
and Word11, but has no hierarchical relationship with either word. Therefore,
Word12 can appear in the same label with Word10 and Word11. When Word10 and
Word11 are combined the resulting label contains all three words.
Word10
| 1–––––1–
|
Word11
| –1–––––1
|
Word12
| ––––––11
|
|
A Complex Example
Both normal and inverse words can appear in hierarchies. The
example below shows a complex combination of an inverse word and hierarchies.
Word13 is a word whose internal representation consists of one normal (1)
bit and one inverse (0) bit. Because one of the bits is inverse, its value
in any label not containing Word13 will be 1, as shown on the second line
of the example. Word14 is a normal word in a hierarchy above Word13. The
interesting result of this particular combination of hierarchies and inverse
bits is that if Word13 is combined with any label that does not contain Word13,
the resulting label contains Word14 instead of Word13.
Word13
| 10-------
|
(any label
|
|
without Word13)
| –1––––––
|
Word14
| 11––––––
|
|