Applications Messaging Standard

[Mark Allen]

Dear Apps WG,

One of the first tasks of the Applications working group is to
consider how an applications messaging standard may be developed as
an IVOA standard. Plastic (see IVOA Note: PLASTIC - a protocol for
desktop application interoperability Version 1.00) is a successful
protocol which has been adopted by a several VO Applications and there
is much interest in having a IVOA standard for semantics and syntax of
application messaging.

John Taylor (Royal Obs Edinburgh) and Mike Fitzpatrick (NOAO) have
agreed to lead an initial discussion on this mailing list about messaging
between VO applications in general.

A proposed work-plan and time line are set out below. This is of course
a draft, and is quite ambitious. I would however issue the challenge
to have some well developed examples and demos by the May Interop
meeting in Beijing.

-Mark.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------

Draft Work-plan and Time-line.

1. Investigate the scope of an Applications messaging IVOA standard.

1.1 Open mailing list discussion on messaging between VO apps in general.
- capture major concepts
- identify interested parties
(Feb 2007)

1.2 Prepare a short note on "Applications messaging for VO tools"
- define the scope of an Applications Messaging IVOA standard
- outline the major issues involved, and put the current possibilities
into the context of short and longer term goals.
(end-Feb 2007)

1.3 Draft mission plan for standard development
(Mar 2007)

2. IVOA Apps Applications Messaging Team

- small team (~10) defined by WG Chair and team leads. (Mar 2007)
- finalise mission plan
- develop the standard and to prepare an IVOA Working Draft.


3. First working draft by team (April ?)


4. May Interoperability Meeting (Beijing)
- Working draft to mailing list before meeting
- present status of Applications Messaging to IVOA community
- Awe inspiring demo/examples

5. Working Draft -> Proposed Recommendation





-- 
Mark G. ALLEN
Observatoire de Strasbourg
+33 3 90 24 24 87