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Call For Participation: OASIS DCML Framework Technical Committee

Call For Participation: OASIS DCML Framework TC

Date:      Wed, 29 Sep 2004 10:18:10 -0400
From:      Karl F. Best <karl.best@oasis-open.org>
To:        members@lists.oasis-open.org, tc-announce@lists.oasis-open.org,
           xml-dev@lists.xml.org, new-work@ietf.org
Subject:   OASIS TC Call For Participation: OASIS DCML Framework TC

A new OASIS technical committee is being formed. The OASIS DCML Framework (DCML-Frame) TC has been proposed by the following members of OASIS: Darrel Thomas, EDS; Jack Kudale, Computer Associates; Tim Howes and Phillip Liu, Opsware Inc; Dave Roberts, Inkra Networks; Moshe Bar and Joe Pasqua, Qlusters; Ajay Gummadi, Rendition Networks; Kevin Smith, Fujitsu-Siemens; Noam Fraenkel, Mercury Interactive; Josh Sirota, BMC; Barak Perlman, Etagon; and Duke Tantiprasut, Micromuse.

The proposal for a new TC meets the requirements of the OASIS TC Process (see http://oasis-open.org/committees/process.shtml), and is appended to this message. The TC name, statement of purpose, scope, list of deliverables, audience, and language specified in the proposal will constitute the TC's charter. The TC Process allows these items to be clarified (revised); such clarifications (revisions), as well as submissions of technology for consideration by the TC and the beginning of technical discussions may occur no sooner than the TC's first meeting.

As specified by the OASIS TC Process, the requirements for becoming a member of the TC at the first meeting are that you must 1) be an employee of an OASIS member organization or an Individual member of OASIS; 2) notify the TC chair of your intent to participate at least 15 days prior to the first meeting; and 3) attend the first meeting of the TC. For OASIS members, to register for the TC using the OASIS collaborative tools, go to the TC's public web page at http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/dcml-frame and click on the button for "Join This TC" at the top of the page. You may add yourself to the roster of the TC either as a Prospective Member (if you intend to become a member of the TC) or an Observer. A notice will automatically be sent to the TC chair, which fulfills requirement #2 above.

OASIS members may also join the TC after the first meeting. Note that membership in OASIS TCs is by individual, and not by organization.

Non-OASIS members may read the TC's mail list archive, view the TC's web page, and send comments to the TC using a web form available on the TC's web page; click the "Send A Comment" button. The archives of the TC's mail list and public comments are visible at http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/

Further information about the topic of this TC may be found on the Cover Pages under the title "Standards for Automated Resource Management in the Computing Environment" at:

        http://xml.coverpages.org/computingResourceManagement.html

(Please feel free to forward this announcement to any other applicable lists.)

-Karl

Karl F. Best
Vice President, OASIS
office  +1 978.667.5115 x206
mobile +1 978.761.1648
karl.best@oasis-open.org
http://www.oasis-open.org

Proposal: OASIS DCML Framework Technical Committee

Name of the TC

OASIS DCML Framework Technical Committee (DCML-Frame TC)

Statement of Purpose

The Data Center Markup Language (DCML) is an XML-based specification for representing the contents of data centers and information used in managing those contents. The overall goal of the OASIS DCML TCs is to support the development of a holistic set of standards related to the automated management of data center infrastructure. This TC is part of the OASIS DCML Member Section.

The purpose of the OASIS DCML Framework TC is to create a data model and format for exchanging information about the contents of data centers and other IT resources, and the information used in managing those contents. The OASIS DCML Framework TC will continue work on the DCML Framework specification produced by the DCML organization. The Framework specification will be used as the foundation by other OASIS DCML TCs in creating DCML sub-specifications aimed at representing specific types of information. The DCML Framework specification will define the overall approach, concepts and structures fundamental to DCML's description and manipulation of data center elements and the policies governing their management. The Framework TC will define the process by which other working groups extend DCML definitions to support specific classes of applications, for example, the servers, software, applications, networking and storage components, management policies and best practices in a data center.

The goal of the OASIS DCML Framework TC is to enable the systems and people managing data center and other IT environments to exchange configuration, policy and operating information in a reliable, standardized manner that works across a wide variety of products, methods and topologies. An abstract, unified set of descriptions will allow data center managers to

  • enable communication among the many data center management systems
  • swap out and replace components
  • upgrade or augment functions, such as by adding servers or services
  • plan for and execute the configuration and reconfiguration of newly installed hardware and software

all using re-usable referents and methods across a data center as it grows and changes. Among other things, by cooperating in a common set of definitions and methods, vendors and users will facilitate improved management and visibility, and enable increased automation of data center management by describing environments in a format highly accessible to automated processing.

Scope of the TC

The scope of DCML Framework TC is limited to defining a data format for describing components and information used to manage those components, use cases driving the format, and the process by which the data format can be extended. The framework specification will define rules and conventions for naming, extensibility, representation in XML, security, processing of DCML documents, referencing and incorporating outside information, versioning, and other fundamental concepts. However, DCML will be designed to interoperate with a variety of other models and methods potentially useful to a described network or system.

To fully realize the goals described above, much more is needed. For example, data in DCML format must be transferred between systems using some kind of protocol; the data must be accessed using some kind of application program interface; and all this must happen within one or more implementation frameworks. In addition, successful implementation and adoption of the DCML standard may require the development of ancillary materials such as implementation guidelines and certification frameworks. Such things are important work areas for future TCs, but they are explicitly outside the scope of the OASIS DCML Framework TC.

List of Deliverables, with Completion Dates

The DCML Framework TC will produce the following deliverables:

  • DCML Framework Use Case document to be completed by January 2005
  • DCML Framework Specification v1.0 to be completed by March 2005
  • DCML Framework Specification Users Guide to be completed by March 2005

Audience

We anticipate the work of the OASIS DCML Framework TC will be used by a number of groups:

  • Other TCs defining DCML sub-specifications for particular DCML applications (e.g., applications and services, networking, servers)
  • Future TCs tackling the out-of-scope work items mentioned above
  • End users and vendors seeking to create bilaterally agreed upon DCML extensions for particular DCML applications
  • The general public with an interest in learning more about DCML

Language

The TC will conduct its business in English.

Additional Information

Non-charter information for the purpose of launching the TC:

Related Work

To the knowledge of the proposers, DCML is unique in its scope of problem and solution method. DCML will leverage standards developed by other groups as appropriate. The OASIS DCML Framework TC will actively seek out and collaborate with other groups doing complementary work, both inside and outside of OASIS, which may include the following:

  • DMTF Common Information Model
  • OASIS WSDM TC
  • GGF OGSA
  • SNIA SMI

Anticipated Contributions of Existing Work

The proposers intend that the OASIS DCML Framework TC use as its starting point the draft DCML Framework specification developed by the DCML Framework Working Group of the DCML Organization.

First Meeting

The first meeting of the TC will be a teleconference meeting hosted by the OASIS DCML Member Section on 15 November 2004 at 10:00 am Pacific.

On-going Meeting Schedule

The proposers anticipate that the TC will meet face to face at least quarterly, with at least monthly teleconference meetings in between. The TC will also conduct technical discussions via email.

Proposers

TC Convener

Tim Howes, Opsware, howes@opsware.com

TC Chair Nominee

Tim Howes, Opsware, howes@opsware.com

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See other details in the news story "OASIS Forms Four Technical Committees to Advance Data Center Markup Language (DCML)."

See general references in the topic document "Standards for Automated Resource Management in the Computing Environment":
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Document URL: http://xml.coverpages.org/DCML-FrameworkCFP.html  —  Legal stuff