This note describes some activities in the DMTF (Distributed Management Task Force) that were initiated by DAIS (Database Access and Integration) or that are of particular interest to DAIS. I take responsibility for errors in these notes :-)

You may like to consider participating in one of the 3 DMTF activities that are listed below. An  employee of a DMTF Board, Leadership or Participating member organization can join any DMTF working group. There are at least two ways non-member companies can participate:
- One person from the whole of GGF (from a non-member company) can join a particular DMTF working group.
- Any number of people from academia can join a particular DMTF group.
There are joining instructions at the DMTF Web-site http://www.dmtf.org/join and information on policy here http://www.dmtf.org/about/policies/dsp4002.pdf

Background:
DAIS ( https://forge.gridforum.org/projects/dais-wg ) working group at GGF (Global Grid Forum) are defining the WS-DAI interfaces for accessing various kinds of data management systems (e.g., relational, XML, object)
DAIS needs to make available the properties of resources being accessed, e.g., relational tables, databases, as XML. To complete the specifications, DAIS needs XML schemas for those resources. DAIS would like the XML schemas to be generated from the relevant portions of the DMTF CIM (Common Information Model). DAIS would like the XML schemas to be publicized by the DMTF so DAIS and others can just refer to the appropriate namespace in the specifications.
CIM is being extended to include additional items, such as relational tables, that are useful for DAIS and other groups working in the area of relational database.  

The GGF DMTF Work Register:
This is a joint agreed list across GGF and DMTF of action items of mutual interest with dates and timeframes. The following work item is being added to the GGF DMTF work register:    
The DMTF will publicize the following over time:
(1) namespaces to identify XML schemas for properties produced from a particular version of a CIM model
(2) the XML schemas themselves
The provision of such a namespaces will enable:
a. GGF specifications (and other specifications) to refer to the XML schemas for properties without embedding the schemas in the body of the specifications
b. XML schemas for properties for CIM resources to be consistent across multiple specifications
Note that, because the DMTF guarantees the  backward compatibility of CIM versions within a major version number, future  specifications are assured of being semantically compatible.(Model additions must be proper extensions).  

The following activities of interest to DAIS are taking place in these DMTF groups:
(1) The DMTF WIP Group (WBEM [Web Based Enterprise Management] Infrastructure and Protocols Group)
chair: Jim Davis jim.davis@wbemsolutions.com.mess.up.email.address  
This group meets bi-weekly on Wednesdays at noon US eastern
One of this group's goals is to supply a namespace for the DAIS Working group for inclusion in the WS-DAI specifications. The goal is to define the namespace scheme by the end of August 2005.  Some considerations that DAIS have regarding the namespace:
Whether there will be one namespace per DMTF CIM version
Whether there will be multiple entry points into the model (e.g., at the root, at the SQLObject etc)
I've discussed the namespace requirement with this group and we agreed the August 2005 date for the namespace as a goal.

(2) The DMTF WS-CIM Group (a sub-team of the WIP Group):
co-chairs: Andreas Maier maiera@de.ibm.com.mess.up.email.address and Josh Cohen
This group meets bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 3pm US eastern
One of this group's goals is to define the mapping from the CIM to XML schema. This group does not have a target date yet for completing the mapping work.    
I've discussed the kind of XML schema that the DAIS group needs with Andreas and with Andrea Westerinen (an XML schema that uses XML as its underlying model, and not another model - e.g., not a representation of UML in XML)

(3) The DMTF Database Group
chair: Todd Guay todd.guay@oracle.com.mess.up.email.address
   This group meets bi-weekly on Mondays at noon US eastern    
This group is reviewing proposed extensions to the database portion of the CIM model to incorporate constructs such as relational schemas, tables, routines, that DAIS and others need.  This work is still in the definitional and review stage and is expected to be completed in a few months (especially if you help :-). Other database types could be considered in the future if there is interest in the DMTF Database Group, but I don't think they are in the group's plan at this point.  
As well as having some sessions with the group on the relational model and how it should be attached to the current CIM model, I've discussed GGF and academic participation in the database group. Todd was most welcoming.

Susan Malaika