TAP, ADQL and PgSphere

[Alberto Micol]

Gretchen Greene wrote:
> I've been following from a distance on the mailing list.
>
> My question is that you are discussing design of a reference 
> implementation with a single specific open source solution.  
> While this is widely adopted and 'a' viable one,  I'm not sure 
> that it is advantageous to moving forward a universal standard 
> when we currently do not have clear region handling.
>
> While TAP is NOT standard,  we keep moving forward into all 
> possible areas of implementation,  without clearly settling 
> out interfaces.
>
> I would like to clearly see a presentation how the DAL 
> protocols will address the region capabilities in a standard 
> and CONSISTENT mechanism, e.g. how VOSI/Registry interfaces 
> factor into the integration of TAP queries, SIA v2, ...  with 
> service capability.
>
> I advocate prototyping,  i'm concerned to see small groups 
> adopting specific software solutions to drive convenient 
> standards evolution.  I've caught wind of peripheral 
> discussions for observation data model TAP work,  but it seems 
> to be going on in behind the scenes efforts and not clear to 
> me how TAP, Datamodels, Registry, and VOSI are working 
> together.
>
> -Gretchen
>
>
>
>   
Hi Gretchen,

I keep advocating that we need an IVOA Architect to overlook at all 
aspects of the VO
and of the various VO components (including things like: design, 
integration, sustainability,
maintainability, data providers' takeup, balance between standardisation 
and flexibility, etc).

After your email I think I could now even propose a candidate for such 
(imaginative) position/role;
you seem perfectly suited for such job: smart and concrete!

Less imaginatively:
Yes, you are completely right and I fully subscribe what you said.

On the other hand, not as a VO person but as a data provider, I badly need
some help in getting the entire TAP machinery built and configure in my data
centre, and this Pgsphere/ADQL reference implementation might come as
a fantastic gift from the IVOA to the Data Providers.
Perfect from a takeup point of view!

So, while I invite everyone, as you did, to make things consistent, 
standard, pragmatic,
workable, thorough, inter and intra-operable, I gladly and warmly 
welcome such
data-provider-friendly initiative.

Ciao,
Alberto

-- 
Alberto Micol
Telephone: +49 89 32006 261
Fax:       +49 89 32006 898
Virtual Observatory Standards Group Lead
Virtual Observatory Project Office
Data Management and Operations Division
European Southern Observatory