[acs-wg] An AA creation use case

[Ziu, Peter]

Keisuke, 

I believe that the most prudent solution needs to take into account the following two principles:

 - the repository needs to be able to handle (within the limits of the hardware set) any amount of application contents and associated data for a system (one notional AA).

 - Something must maintain the notion of the version and integrity of system (via one notional AA), through proper referential integrity and signature.


In response to your questions:

>I'd like to ask everyone which of the below is the real issue we
>are facing:
>- Name for the things to be registered; i.e. AA file in my diagram, or
>   Archive description and Application contents file(s) (includes DD) in
>   Tom's one. If this is an issue, I can be so much flexible about how
>   we can call it (them).

I am not particularly hung up on names right now, that is a refinement issue, and not a defining structure.  The issue is whether there should be a porttype which has a method for pushing an entire and complete physical AA into a repository.  Here is my take on the issue:

 - In the case of an ACS implementation, sending an entire AA imposes a need to "know" about a physical file format.  This is contradictory to our statement that "we will not define how an ACS will store it's data".  For example, if my implementation of ACS requires a method in the porttype that requires the acceptance of a physical AA file, then I must parse the AA file into parts in order to store it into the format that my implementation has chosen.  Perhaps my AA file is stored in thousands of DB2 or Oracle records, since using one record to store an AA file will most likely fail at some point when too big.  

If I had porttypes that allowed me to remotely construct an AA, we can punt on a physical format and an entire physical AA transmission format.  Providing we have the appropriate porttypes to remotely construct, inspect, and retrieve parts of an AA, then we only need to define on the wire how to move parts of an AA around, yet we can still maintain the notion of an AA and it's integrity, since the interface that constructed it can enforce it's integrity.  This is why Tom has outlined sending the entire AAD (hope that the correct acronym) when replicating.  The receiver of the replica can inspect and traverse the AAD to find the parts to pull the file over in chunks...  especially if there was "modified date" time stamp info on each individual part, then we could explore the replication model I outlined.


>- A physical format of the archive; a zip is described in the strawman.
>   If this is an issue, we can focus on this topics. However, it is not
>   mentioned as this so far.

 - I think this is what Tom has been trying to focus on in his .ppt last meeting.  I seemed to have put my physical file comments in the previous question, sorry.


>- Partial update of the archive in the repository (It seems to me a
>   separate issue that can be discussed independently.)

 - it is related since defining how parts of an AA are created, accessed, modified, and removed have implications that, in the case of physical file formats, would need to be known by ACS if an ACS impl. decided to just write the received AA file to disk, and then later have to modify it.

>- Assuming IDE products to be bound to ACS specification (IMHO, it's
>   desirable, but the decision remains up to the vendors.)

I am not sure I understand this question.  No matter what porttype spec we come up with, as long as we do not create any issues for the IDE's or ant (or any other client type), we should be ok.  I think that having the client create one file will have scalability issues to remote clients of ACS for large AAs.

>- Or anything else?

That's my take.

Pete


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-acs-wg at ggf.org [mailto:owner-acs-wg at ggf.org]On Behalf Of
Keisuke Fukui
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 4:48 AM
To: Thomas Studwell; acs-wg at ggf.org
Subject: Re: [acs-wg] An AA creation use case


Folks,

Today we gone through a good amount of discussion in the call
on this. I'm comfortable with trying to find a better placement
of the things in this way. I also appreciate Pete's time check
today:-) I think it's valuable for us to brainstorm this so that
we can have a logically correct, feasible and adoptable
specification for our purpose.


Having said that, I'd like to clarify the real point of the discussion:
At first I thought it is a matter of whether register() or create(),
then it turned out that it is the use case where the archive is created.
Now it again becomes ambiguous to me what is the real matter behind
the two different definitions for AA (or AA file).

I'd like to ask everyone which of the below is the real issue we
are facing:
- Name for the things to be registered; i.e. AA file in my diagram, or
   Archive description and Application contents file(s) (includes DD) in
   Tom's one. If this is an issue, I can be so much flexible about how
   we can call it (them).
- A physical format of the archive; a zip is described in the strawman.
   If this is an issue, we can focus on this topics. However, it is not
   mentioned as this so far.
- Partial update of the archive in the repository (It seems to me a
   separate issue that can be discussed independently.)
- Assuming IDE products to be bound to ACS specification (IMHO, it's
   desirable, but the decision remains up to the vendors.)
- Or anything else?

FYI, when I say we will standardize transport format of AA, it is to me
means to define:
- An XML schema of the Archive Descriptor (AD).
- At least one physical format of the archive that contains everything
   needed either in real entity or in external reference.
- Required piece of information (or file), optional one and extension
   mechanisms in an archive besides the AD.
Is it a wrong assumption?

Please be open to discussion. I'm trying to be fair in the process.
I'm just struggling for the best way to address to everyones points.
I appreciate any contributions to improve our concept. Thanks in advance!

  -Keisuke