Middleware TF: Refocusing Achievements and Future Challenges
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Presentation Transcript
TF-Mobility future Klaas Wierenga klaas@cisco.com TF-Mobility, Umeå, 8 July 2008
Where We Are • Two tasks forces finishing their terms in September 2008 • TF-Mobility • eduroam-NG, metering, other mobile technologies, sensor networks • TF-EMC2 • TACAR, campus issues, directories, diagnostics, federation coordination and Grid liaison
Achievements • eduroam • Well beyond our borders • RadSec • Driving industry trends • TACAR • First stakes in the Grid camp • SCS • Almost universal service • SCHAC • Bologna and more • REFEDS gatherings • Re-focusing federation interoperation
And Focus Problems • Too narrow in TF-Mobility • Most development work has moved to GN2 • Need to find new topics to concentrate on • Too wide in TF-EMC2 • Lots of topics to discuss in meetings • Insufficient time for in-depth discussion • And even more activities wanting consideration
Middleware Is Cool • The basis for any network service • Vendors are already aware of it • And we have made good connections with them • A way for innovation at reasonable costs • Software intensive • Open source implementations are common place • The core for inter-institutional collaboration • Bologna is the word • Liaisons with other bodies: EUNIS
But We Need to Focus • Middleware has a too wide meaning • Depending on the community • And where the community feels the stuff is • Middleware is the layer connecting the stuff to the rest of the world in a seamless manner • Our stuff is academic and research networking • But the definition above is still too wide • And perceived needs must be dealt first • Let’s concentrate on • Enhancing current achievements • Widen their application areas • Explore demanding aspects
Proposed Course of Action • Continue with two TFs, re-focusing them • And making a better share of interests • Concentrated on • Collaborative service definition and deployment • Exploratory pilots • Standards and best practices • Coordination • National activities • Beyond the NREN community • Beyond Trans-European limits
Two New Middleware TFs • With interest areas assigned across the protocol stack • One focused on middleware related to network services • Going beyond mobility technologies • One focused on infrastructure services • Specifically, on identity-related ones • Both for the network and the application layers • Coordinated by ECAM • And continuing with other activities • EuroCAMPs • Grid-NRENs connections
Across the Stack • Bottom layer of the application • PKI • Directories and schemas • {Con-, inter-}federation • Reputation • Top layer of the network • Mobility • Network access • Endpoint assessment • Provider integration The Application The Middleware The Network
TF on Network Middleware • Mobility issues • Beyond and around eduroam • Network access in general • 802.1x on everything • NEA • The other side of TNC • Control planes • Connection with NGN activities • Collaboration with providers • The 3G use case • . . .
TF on Identity Infrastructure • PKI • TACAR and SCS • Schemas • Making SCHAC grow • Directories • Steps towards semantics • Federations, confederations, inter-federations • Including the third ‘A’? • Reputation systems • Starting with e-mail applications • . . .
To Conclude • Middleware activities have made relevant achievements • But need a re-focus • Essentially, keeps things going • If it works, don’t touch it • But redefine goals and areas • Well, touch it a little to keep it working
Possible Activities • Investigate use cases for federated NEA • Remote posture • Definition of ‘cleanliness’ • Policy wrt remediation • DNSsec • Network desktop • LBS • eduToken • Interworking with operators • Eduroam beyond Europe • mesh, ad-hoc, p2p • collaboration with other communities "free services" (municipal, google, yahoo, FON etc.) • reports • universal ethernet (UETS)? • cloud computing? • campus middleware issues wrt networking • Diagnostics? • reputation systems (anti-spam, anti-spit, p2p etc.) • enum