Meeting Report

National Committee for Information Technology Standards (NCITS)

L8, Data Representation, Special Interest Group Meeting on ISO/IEC 11179 Projects

September 15 & 16, 1999 at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD

 

 

Attendees:

Branch Archer                         AFMSA/HIRS

Bruce Bargmeyer                    Environmental Protection Agency

Jim Carpenter                          Bureau of Labor Statistics

Joe Christensen                       Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australia

Tommie Curtis                        Science Applications International Corporation

Lesa Faris                               Marasco Newton Group

Larry Fitzwater                       Environmental Protection Agency

Lois Fritts                                Science Applications International Corporation

Ray Gates                                Manulife Financial, Canada

Dan Gillman                            Bureau of the Census

Cordell Green                         Marasco Newton Group

Michael Huhns                        University of Southern Carolina

William H Kenworthey, Jr.     Self

Judith Newton                         National Institute of Standards and Technology

Douglas Mann                         Battelle

Phong Ngo                               Science Applications International Corporation

Genevieve Speier                    Health Care Finance Administration

 

 

Judith Newton chaired the meetings.

 

Prior to the meeting, Judith sent an agenda with links to the major documents to be discussed. She also sent out messages with information necessary for attending the meeting via conference call. A teleconference bridge was available each of the meeting days for national and international dial-in calls. All persons, from any country, who are interested in the projects, are invited to call during the meetings. Anyone from outside the US, who wants to call in, should send a message to Judith Newton (jnewton@nist.gov) or call her at +1 301 975 3256 so that any special arrangements can be made. We can phone out to international parties, who wish to participate in the meeting. For example, we originate the call to Joe Christensen at his home, in the middle of the Australian night, so that he can participate.

 

We also set-up "NetMeeting", as a means of making documents visible to persons who dial in.

Documents, such as the metamodel, which we project on a screen in the meeting room, can be viewed simultaneously to anyone logged in to NetMeeting. LBNL provided the NetMeeting server site. NetMeeting is free software distributed with Internet Explorer. All are invited to both phone in and use Net Meeting, if you cannot attend in person.

 

1. Administrative Issues

 

1.1 WG2 Convener

 

At the time of the meeting, Eliot Christian was meeting with the W3C XML-Query Work Group as liaison from SC 32/WG 2. However, he will not be able to continue acting as WG 2 convener. The SC 32 chair will name an interim convener for the upcoming WG 2 meetings. The issue of selecting a new convener will be placed on the appropriate meeting agendas for the coming SC 32 and WG 2 meetings.

 

2. Web sites

 

In early September, the NIST FTP/HTTP server used for L8 and some SC 32/WG 2 materials went behind a firewall. All of the files have now been moved outside the firewall. Some of the old aliases URLs work, but some of the URL links embedded in documents no longer work. These or will be fixed, but it will take a while. 

 

The alias URL http://www.nist.gov/L8 still works, showing the directories on the web site.

The anonymous FTP address is: www.sdct.itl.nist.gov username: anonymous, password: your email address. When connected via FTP, change working directory to L8 and read the readme file.

 

The transfer of the WG 2 web site to the NIST computer has not taken place. Contract assistance is being sought and it is taking a long time to get the contract in place. We are still looking for an easy way to assign document numbers, so that this can be done automatically.

 

3. Open Forum

 

Arrangements are in place for the Open Forum on Metadata Registries, which will be held January 17 -21, 2000 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. The web site for the Open Forum is: http://www.nist.gov/openforum2000 Registration is now open. Bruce Bargmeyer passed out a copy of the draft agenda. The immediate action is for people to distribute the call for participation to groups who may be interested in attending. Publicity for the Open Forum should be sent out quickly, so that potential participants have time to make plans. Several people agreed to send the call to various lists.

 

Standards committee members are urged to sign up early, since the block of reserved rooms may not be enough for all participants.

 

4. ISO/IEC 11179, Part 3 Revision

 

Considerable progress was made. This work must be complete before the XML and Metadata Query Service work can proceed. Therefore, most of the meeting was devoted to this topic. It should be noted that the agreements made in these meetings about document and metamodel changes are considered to be "committee proposed recommendations". They need to be approved by other WG 2 members at the next WG 2 meeting before becoming final.

 

Joe Christensen, of Australia, reported on progress with the new draft text for Part 3. He is working on a new version. Larry Fitzwater reported on several interim meetings that were held to review the attribute names and definitions for the metamodel. Larry passed out a document that will be discussed at the next meeting. It will also be circulated by email. Doug Mann described the revisions in the metamodel that would be caused by the committee proposed resolutions to issues on the issues list. Ray Gates, of Canada, led the group through discussion of several issues raised as "expert contributions" from Canada. The group proposed resolutions to many of these issues. Ray will update the standing "issues" documents for Part 3 revision.

 

Each issue/proposal as a separate file is located at:

 

http://www.nist.gov/L8/sc32wg2/projects/11179p3r/Proposals/

 

The individual issues/proposals are all combined into two standing documents. The first standing document lists brief descriptions of each issue in tabular form. The second standing document contains a compilation of the full information about each issue, including proposed resolution and status.

 

 The WG 2 standing documents for this project can be found in a directory at the following location:

 

http://www.nist.gov/L8/sc32wg2/projects/11179p3r/standing-documents/

 

A document that contains a tabular listing of the identified issues for the Part 3 revision (in MS Word Format) is named:

wg2sd11a-issue-list-p3r-table.wd6.doc

 

A document that contains a tabular listing of the identified issues for the Part 3 revision (in HTML format) is named:

wg2sd11b-issue-list-p3r-table.htm

 

(The full URL for the above document is (note: you may have to put the URL together if your email system breaks it into separate lines):

http://www.nist.gov/L8/sc32wg2/projects/11179p3r/standing-documents/wg2sd11b-issue-list-p3r-table.htm
 
A document that contains a the full proposals for the identified issues for the Part 3 revision (in MS Word format) is named:
wg2sd12a-issues-list-p3r-documents.wd6.doc
 
A document that contains a the full proposals for the identified issues for the Part 3 revision (in HTML format) is named:
wg2sd12b-issues-list-p3r-documents.htm
 
Here is the full URL to get the HTML version:
http://www.nist.gov/L8/sc32wg2/projects/11179p3r/standing-documents/wg2sd12b-issues-list-p3r-documents.htm
 
These files will be updated by Ray Gates.
 
It was agreed that the draft of the revised Part 3 is not ready to be sent for CD ballot. We decided to create a new "checkpoint" version by October 1. This would include the most recent draft of each part of the revised Part 3. The documents will be placed in a directory at:
 
http://www.nist.gov/L8/sc32wg2/projects/11179p3r/checkpoint/19991001/
(In a rare moment of almost complete unanimity, the group insisted that the checkpoint directory be named "19991001". All present thought this to be a most excellent and beautiful directory name, except your humble reporter, who disclaims and detests it. His hand forced-by-the-will-of-the-group, your obedient reporter created the directory name, projecting it larger than life on a screen for all to admire. However, he was heard to mutter that: "… like a dead crow hanging over a corn field, perhaps this will chase others of a like kind away.")
 
Participants agreed to upload the following to the 19991001 directory:
 
A. The revised Part 3 text - Joe Christensen
B. Issue list table and full issue documents (these will be copies of the standing documents named above) - Ray Gates
C. May 5 version and current version of the metamodel - Doug Mann
D. Attribute definitions - Larry Fitzwater to write a cover page, Doug Mann to upload a file containing the definitions
E. Conformance attributes - Larry Fitzwater to write a cover page and upload a file containing a list of the attributes.
F. A file containing the XML specifications - Frank Olken and John McCarthy
 
Participants are asked to review this material and suggest changes or revisions. Another checkpoint version will be created on December 1, 1999. This will be the version that is discussed in the January 2000 WG 2 meeting.
 

5. Content Consistency Technical Report

 

Judith Newton presented a revision of the "Levels of Abstraction" part of this document. She incorporated material with an object-oriented perspective. Lois Fritts presented a revision of Section 5, based on comments that she had received. Judith will combine the two documents, which will then be attached to the New Work Item Proposal. Doug Mann will forward the New Work Item proposal to JTC 1 for ballot.

 

6. Metadata Query Service

 

The New Work Item proposal is out for JTC 1 ballot. Further work on this project requires that the metamodel be stabilized.

 

7. Future meetings:

 

October:

10/06/1999   1:00 PM  -  4:30 PM    NIST North CR-145 -- 11179 Implementers' Coalition

10/07/1999   9:00 AM  - 5:00 PM    NIST North CR-145  -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting  

10/07/1999   9:00 AM  - 5:00 PM    NIST North CR-501 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting  

10/07/1999  NIST Admin Bldg. Dining Room A  -- Lunch      

10/08/1999  9:00 AM  -  05:00 PM    NIST North Room 145 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting

10/08/1999  9:00 AM  -  05:00 PM    NIST North Room 152 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting  

November:

11/08/1999  1:00 PM  -  04:30 PM   NIST North Room 145 -- 11179 Implementers' Coalition

11/09/1999  9:00 AM  -  05:00 PM    NIST North Room 145  -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting

11/09/1999  9:00 AM   - 05:00 PM    NIST North Room 501  -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting

11/10/1999  9:00 AM  -  05:00 PM    NIST North Room 145 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting

11/10/1999  9:00 AM  -  05:00 PM    NIST North Room 501 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting

 

December:

12/07/1999  1:00 PM  - 04:30 PM   NIST North Room 145 -- 11179 Implementers' Coalition

12/08/1999  9:00 AM   - 05:00 PM    NIST North Room 145 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting

12/08/1999  9:00 AM  -  05:00 PM    NIST North Room 152 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting

12/09/1999  9:00 AM  -  05:00 PM    NIST North CR-501 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting  

12/10/1999  NIST Administration Building Dining Room A   -- Lunch      

12/09/1999  9:00 AM  -  05:00 PM    NIST North LR-152 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting   

12/10/1999  9:00 AM -   05:00 PM    NIST North CR-145 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting

12/10/1999  9:00 AM  -  05:00 PM    NIST North LR-152 -- L8 SIG/11179 Projects meeting 

12/10/99 Evening L8 Holiday Party

 

January 2000:

1/17 - 21/ 2000 Open Forum on Metadata Registries, Santa Fe New Mexico, USA

1/24 - 28/2000  SC32 and WG 2 meetings, Santa Fe New Mexico, USA

 

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Directions to NIST Administration Building: From Interstate 270, driving north, take Exit 10. The exit takes you under the freeway. Take a left into the NIST campus at the first stoplight. The Administration Building is the largest building on the campus. Visitor parking is in the large parking lot in front of the Admin Building. Other parking lots nearby are reserved for permit holders.

 

Directions to NIST North: NIST North is Building 820. The address of this building is 820 West Diamond Avenue. Note that the building is located across the street from the main campus of NIST. Instead of turning onto Bureau Drive toward the main Gate of NIST, turn the opposite direction (North) onto Bureau Drive and take the second possible right turn to get to the NIST North building, The building has the name "NIST" on it in large letters. (From Interstate 270, driving north, take Exit 10, which loops under the freeway, and then turn RIGHT at the first stoplight--this is the intersection of West Diamond Avenue and Bureau drive.)

 

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NCITS L8 documents, including this meeting report, are available via Anonymous FTP from www.sdct.itl.nist.gov. Login as "anonymous" use your email address as a password. Change directory to L8 (in upper or lowercase letters) and check the "readme" file for details. The site is also available on the web at: http://www.sdct.nist.gov/L8 Many of the documents are also listed on the L8 Home Page. The URL for the L8 home page is http://www.lbl.gov/~olken/X3L8".

 

If you have questions or comments on this document send email to bargmeyer.bruce@epamail.epa.gov