Since we are revisiting the naming of the agents again (and again) -
I would like to voice support for the current terminology of requester and provider agent by providing reference following diagram in the Web Services specifications that supports it. We should not let our experiences with the network/internet service provider color our judgement, as the applications that we hope will use NSI are familiar and comfortable with the requester/provider standards terminology.
Web Services Architecture
W3C Working Group Note 11 February 2004
:
http://www.w3.org/TR/ws-arch/#gengag
On Dec 15, 2009, at 8:13 AM, John Vollbrecht wrote:
We will have a call tomorrow at 9ET. I suggest that this be the last
call this year and that we restart calls either Jan 6 or Jan 13. We
can continue exchanges on skype and by email during this time.
I would like to try to have a skeleton document to start discussing by
the middle of January and a document for OGF ready by early February.
To do this we will have to make some assignments tomorrow or soon
after, and probably work in smaller groups to come up with wording.
I have two issues that need to be decided for the document.
1) Naming of two sides of NSI interface. We originally named these
the requestor agent and network service agent. This after significant
discussion, especially about the fact that we should not use provider
because it had connotations of the commercial providers. Later we
decided to go ahead and use the name provider because Network Service
Agent was confusing with other names like Network Service Actor. Also
requestor and provider are terms used by others so seemed reasonable.
The person who was most strongly against using the name provider was
not on the call when we made the decision to change, and he continues
to feel strongly that it is a bad name.
I think we made a decision not to use provider and should not change
it without agreement from the parties involved in the decision.
Therefore I would like to change the name of different sides of the
NSI to something else. Suggestions are a) requester agent- service
agents, b) client agent - server agents.
We need to determine the name in order to make the document. I think
this is a NSI group decision, and I am hoping we can decide tomorrow.
2) There is an issue with naming end points on the transport resource
controlled by an NSA. To explain-
A NS Service agent deals with connections between ports. In NML
terms the ports are part of a group of connected links and nodes. The
edge of the group might be a node or a link. The problem is that in
NML terms a link does not have a port. So we need to have a
different name for the end points of connections. I think the options
are make up a NSI name for the end points, or to have NML define a name.
A couple issues with possible solutions. a) If NSI define a name for
endpoints then it will have to map back to NML concept for port in
case of node and I am not sure what for a link. b) if NML were to say
that both links and nodes have ports, then node ports would not be
physical, or perhaps they would be defined by a connector at the
physical layer.
I note that in G.800 both links and nodes have ports, and where ports
are connected there is a point. This seems useful when saying that
segments are connections between ports and segments are concatenated
at points. I am not sure how it fits with other NML concepts.
This seems a decision that needs input from NML to decide. Probably
this will take some discussion and we may have to have interim names
till we decide.
--
I would like to talk about these on the call tomorrow. We can continue
online if needed.
I will send a second email will a proposed outline of a architecture
doc and call info.
Let me know if you have suggestions for other agenda items.
John
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