OSF DCE SIG | D. Hartman (OSF) | |
Request For Comments: 37.1 | October 1993 |
This report provides a summary of DCE technology news for September '93, continuing in the style of the April status report, RFC 37.0.
Highlights of this report include the following:
All DCE licensees have received the 1.0.2 update. This release includes a number of additional features and enhancements to DCE, see the list in the April status report (RFC 37.0) for details. This release successfully completed system testing for all components. DFS fixes were included in the 1.0.2a update. 1.0.2 is the last release of the 1.0.X series which contains a complete set of files (which came about due to changes in how we handle source copyrights). 1.0.2a includes only changed files.
We get very good reports from licensees re: the quality and performance of the 1.0.2 release. We are in the process of converting our development environment at OSF to use DFS as its base distributed file system.
For future releases (1.0.3, 1.1, and the foreseeable beyond):
We will offer a 1.0.3 release to customers with support contracts. This release includes changed files for defect fixes, new platform support, and some incremental functionality outlined below. The 1.0.3 release will be delivered automatically to those with active support contracts. The code will be covered under the existing license and price list. (The 1.1[.X] release(s) will have a new price list.) We are currently planning to release the core in December and DFS in January.
Enhancements in 1.0.3 include:
1.0.3 will not contain any other 1.1 functionality. It will be system tested using test configurations similar to 1.0.2/a, and will meet similar exit criteria. It will include at least 200 bugs fixes each to core and DFS code, as well as fixes to documentation and tests. We are investigating whether DFS can meet the core component low severity defect density goal of 0.3/KLOC for 1.0.3, vs. previous 0.5 density. All defects opened by the end of 1.0.2 will be addressed in 1.0.3.
1.1 is making excellent progress at the moment. The list of projects is finalized, contracts are signed and project specs, plans and staffing are well in hand for all core components. (DFS planning is on a different schedule.)
The most significant 1.1 project changes since April include additional administrative enhancements, including:
These administrative projects are scoped and planned currently, and have draft specifications available.
The following list of RFCs are base documents for 1.1 specifications. This will provide an overview of what to expect in 1.1 functionality. Exact contents, syntax and semantics are of course subject to revisions. We will update documents to reflect changes as we complete the work. These documents are available via ftp from machine grabbag@osf.org, login as dce-rfc and use password dce-rfc.
The following projects currently have no RFC description, but design notes are available and can be furnished upon request.
Project plans show functional completion of 1.1 work between October '93 and April '94, projecting to a 3Q '94 release given our quality goals. We're comfortable with this as a delivery commitment, so licensees can make plans accordingly. Keep in mind that DFS enhancements are not included in the committed 1.1 functionality on that schedule.
Early access to 1.1 code will provided by a 1.1 beta program. The beta program will allow us to track the status of the new code. Beta participants will benefit by gaining access to 1.1 code in (approximately) April, keeping in mind that this beta code will not meet production quality criteria. There will be no cost to beta participants, except a prerequisite that all beta participants be DCE source licensees with full support service. If licensees ship 1.1 beta code, they will need to pay royalties per the 1.1 price list. This price list will be available before Beta begins.
All DCE documentation will be revised for 1.1. Major areas of focus include documenting new features, adding examples and other explanatory material, adding descriptions of error messages and defining guidelines for application developers to improve inter-application useability.
Exit criteria for 1.1 continue as with previous releases, plus in addition we are adding objective test coverage measurements for all new functionality. The 1.1 release will be tested for portability and interoperability with the 1.0.3 release (which is equivalent to 1.0.2/a). Programs which use only 1.0.X features will work unmodified with either 1.0.X or 1.1 libraries and servers. Programs which use 1.1 features will need to access 1.1 libraries and servers for only those functions.
Interoperability continues as a popular program at OSF. OSF members voted the interoperability (i14y) activities as the most important things OSF can do over and above producing high quality implementations of DCE. I14y includes the AES, interoperability test events, validation suites and conformance recognition (sometimes referred to as certification). Details on i14y programs follow.
The IFEST in April and Challenge in May were huge successes. They demonstrated conclusively that DCE products are available and interoperate. OSF has a brochure available detailing the results of Challenge '93 for those who couldn't attend. Contact literature-request@osf.org if you would like this brochure. We plan to build on the success of these programs for '94, as detailed below.
OSF is developing an Interoperability Partner Program (IPP) to provide a means of identifying and labelling systems that comply with DCE specifications from OSF. Details of the program will be developed in conjunction with OSF membership. We expect the program to look something like the following:
The large number of details involved in this program will be addressed on an ongoing basis by all interested OSF members, so watch this space for further news. (The next meeting is planned during SIG week November 1-5.)
[We are not using the term "certification" for this program, as "certification" is already used by a number of organizations (including OSF) to refer to programs with different requirements.]
This test suite of ~150K lines of code covers the RPC API, the DCE transfer syntax (aka NDR), and the protocols for both connectionless and connection-oriented RPC. The validation suite is a part of the Interoperability Partner Program. Licensees may also wish to run the validation suite to test interoperability with platforms that have different byte orderings, floating point format or character representation. The validation suite is available for licensing today.
The RPC AES is being printed by Prentice Hall this month. (900 pages!) The time service AES material has been reviewed by X/Open, with the directory service currently undergoing X/Open and OSF member review. Security and threads AES sections are making good progress; we expect to have these sent to X/Open for review by the end of the year. DFS AES material will be developed during 1994. X/Open will include these in XPG specifications. These AES sections will complete Revision A of the AES, which corresponds to 1.0.X. We will update these with 1.1 features to produce Revision B when 1.1 products are in the marketplace.
The OSF DCE technology management team has spent the summer meeting with licensees to formulate plans for DCE marketing activities. We have identified a number of actions to maintain continued awareness and preference for DCE. These activities capitalize on the current availability of DCE implementations for a number of platforms, and the growing list of DCE-enabled tools and applications. The activities are summarized below.
We are working with users, vendors, analysts, and the press to promote the message that DCE implementations are available now. Users are developing applications, conducting pilot programs and planning/installing systems for production use. Developers are creating tools to simplify development of DCE applications. Third party software packages such as database management systems and system management tools are being updated to use DCE core services, including security, directory, RPC and threads. Over the next several months, we plan to highlight facets of the program in press releases and at conferences. For example, this month we released press statements re: DCE audit plans and publication of the AES. Future topics include DFS, database integration, application development tools, end user case studies, desktop DCE, and technical focus on directory and security technology.
OSF is working with end user organizations to produce case studies on DCE. Those studies will be published by OSF and distributed at trade shows (and through other channels) as well as sent to out press and consultant contact and shared with licensees. Please contact Ann Hewitt (hewitt@osf.org, 617-621-8871) if you have users at your site or your customer's sites who are prepared to talk about their plans for using DCE. Organizations currently working with OSF include JPL, EDS, Bellcore, Secom and others.
Wonder who's shipping DCE products, and for what platforms? We have compiled a catalog of more than 70 products, including DCE implementations as well as DCE-enabled tools and applications. The bulk of these products are currently available, with the rest planned for 1994 delivery. Each catalog entry includes product description, contact information, supported platforms and availability. No DCE fan should be without their own copy! The catalog is available electronically via ftp from machine grabbag@osf.org. Login as dce-rfc, password dce-rfc, and look in directory dce-pl. We can fulfill requests for hardcopy as well; send mail to buchman@osf.org (617-621-8975). Please only one copy per mailing, since we are not charging for this service.
If you would like to include your company's product or service, contact Courtney Grey (grey@osf.org) with product description, contact, platform and availability information. We will include products shipping now, as well as those which are announced or otherwise suitable for inclusion in a general distribution catalog. (No secret/non-disclosure products, in other words.)
Also in response to licensee requests for a dedicated DCE technical forum, we are working on a proposal for a DCE developer's conference. Current thinking is it would be held in the Boston area in March '94. It would be a multi-day, multi-track technical conference covering details of DCE technology, programming, administration and deployment. The conference will be open to all comers subject to a registration fee per attendee. We expect attendees from system vendors, end users, and independent software developers who are interested in the latest information about DCE which is not available in any other form. OSF will sponsor the event. If you would like more information about the conference proposal, contact Ram Kumar at OSF (kumar@osf.org). We will follow up with more specifics when we know them.
OSF offers both technical overview seminars on DCE and in-depth technical courses on DCE Application Development, DCE System Administration and DCE Internals Architecture. The DCE courses can be purchased for customer-site instruction or may be attended as part of our Open Enrollment classes offered in cities around the world.
NEW COURSE -- OSF DCE Application Programming Course with Labs, a new four-day DCE course, is designed to teach students how to develop distributed applications in the OSF DCE environment. Based on OSF/DCE release 1.0.2, the course covers the development of a basic server and a basic client as well as the use of the DCE IDL, objects, CDS, RPCs and Threads. Additional lectures will cover error handling, DCE Security, and advanced DCE programming topics.
UPDATED COURSE -- The DCE Features and Functionality Seminar has been updated to meet the changing needs of the DCE audience. In addition to architectural overview information on DCE, this seminar focuses on explaining the issues in the computer industry that drove the need for DCE and how DCE provides an effective solution for these problems. The seminar provides an example of how DCE can be implemented in a typical corporate environment which includes legacy systems as well as DCE platforms. This seminar is also part of the OSF Professional Services under the DCE Technology Evaluation Package.
NEW SERVICE -- OSF Professional Services provides DCE consulting to a wide variety of customers who are implementing open systems-based technologies. Our newest offering, the DCE Technology Evaluation Package, allows customers to establish the DCE Core Service components in their own environment. The goal is to enable our customers to "test drive DCE's capabilities by setting up a working DCE cell. To achieve this goal, OSF Professional Services has packaged a combination of resources including engineering consulting, a "proof-of-concept" demo application, DCE technical training and a focused technical briefing by a senior DCE consultant. For more information, contact Rich Martin (rfm@osf.org).
Here is a listing of dates for DCE marketing activities:
OSF is managing a group on behalf of X/Open to specify an extensible architecture for integrating name/directory servers. This project is known as the Federated Naming project. It includes technical participation from OSF, HP, Sunsoft, SNI, IBM and Banyan at this writing, and we expect one or two additional participants before the project is all done. The output of this project will be an API specifying a programming interface suitable for use with directory servers which are used to compose a namespace at runtime, along with a protocol which can be exported by directories which wish to participate in the namespace. (Think of it as a backplane for directory integration -- see RFC 18.0 for the general idea.) Keep in mind that it does not increase interoperability of directories, though it provides a methodology for others to accomplish this.
As part of this project, the participants will prototype this API over a variety of existing directory services, including CDS, NIS+, and X.500. OSF expects to incorporate this API in a future version of DCE to allow additional directory servers to participate in the DCE global name space. X/Open will publish and revise the resulting specification. The group has a draft API specification at this point suitable for beginning the prototyping effort. The prototype effort will require a few months to develop and assess, with resulting changes to the spec incorporated at its conclusion.
Doug Hartman | Internet email: hartman@osf.org | |
Open Software Foundation | Telephone: +1-617-621-8818 | |
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Cambridge, MA 02142 | ||
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