Dear all, The minutes taken from the GNI BOF are shown below. T.Kudoh presents the agenda of the GNI BOF. G. Zervas presents the Grid Network Interface (proposal to create a working group). 2 Drafts are proposed for the GNI: 1st Requirements and Architecture, 2nd interface specification. Short discussion about the standards track at OGF (standard requires two independent implementations) Questions about submitting the standard to other bodies like IETF and OIF. These bodies try to address similar issues but with a different scope (e.g. OIF standardizes the UNI interface to a GMPLS control plane). It is also noted that these are completely different disconnected communities (vendors/telcos/...) G. Zervas points out that some vendors are involved and collaborating in the GNI activity (Nortel, KDDI, Alcatel - Lucent). They need to be part of the effort, and also there should be some grid people represented. F. Travostino asks about name of the GNI BOF middleware and mentions that can be adopted by a non grid middleware, because the name of the interface suggests that is only for grid applications interfacing the network. Maybe MNI (Middleware NI) would be a better name to attract communities other than the grid one? G.Zervas answers that the GNI covers all the use cases (not just grid, also other middlewares and plain applications), but the name Grid Network Interface is because of the OGF. F. Dijkstra asks if it is only an interface to a single domain in a network or to a control plane. G. Zervas answers that it can be both, but that it is the network part that handles these details. E. Grasa presents the ongoing GLIF efforts to define a common API to request network services (based on the work of existing projects like Phosphorus, IDC, Autobahn, G-Lambda, ...) Discussion about GLIF being an alternative track to the OGF GNI initiative. It is clarified that the GLIF work has a shorter timeframe and a more experimental focus: the goal is to have a first implementation that can be used by the community in a relatively short period of time (about 6 months) and then iterate to improve the interface. However the work of the GLIF will be done in coordination with the OGF GNI activity and can provide valuable feedback for the GNI specification. It is pointed out that the GLIF is not a standards body, so it cannot and does not pretend to create any alternative standard. Joan Antoni presents Harmony (Phosphorus WP1 system) interfaces, focusing on the northbound interface (which allows grid applications to reserve network resources). S. Figuerola encourages other people to participate in the process of defining the interface between Harmony and other projects with a similar scope (Phosphorus G2MPLS, IDC, Autobahn, G-Lambda, Enlightened). I.Monga asks if, in case the GNI was standardized, this would meet the requirements of such interface. S. Figuerola answers that they have to finish gathering the requirements for the interface between Harmony and other projects. I. Monga makes a presentation about bridging the gap between grids and networks. G. Zervas comments that Inder's presentation is very consistent with the GNI because it must be generic enough to accommodate different network services (circuits, L1/2/3 VPNs, etc). David asks if the interface has mixed operations (some for the administrator and some for the applications). It is clarified that both the applications and users can access the GNI. J. Vollbrecht presents the DCN network controlled by the IDC. T. Miyamoto presents the needs and requirements for the GNI from a telecom operator point of view. F. Travostino says he will wait for the other BOF before having any judgement. End of GNI BOF You can find the GNI BOF minutes also in a doc format on the link below: http://www.ogf.org/gf/event_schedule/attendees.php?id=1279 Thanks again for your participation, interesting and valuable comments and views that are taken on board and considered during the next phase of creating the joint WG. If you feel that something is missing or is not accurate please don't hesitate to point it out. Best Regards, George ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- Georgios Zervas MIET, MIEEE Senior Research Officer Photonic Network Research Lab Department of Electronic Systems Engineering University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK Tel : +44 (0) 1206 874233 web : http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~gzerva/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---