Changes between Initial Version and Version 1 of DigitalObjectRegistry-Q408-status

Timestamp:

05/25/10 16:56:43 (14 years ago)

Author:

jtaylor@bbn.com

Comment:

--

DigitalObjectRegistry-Q408-status

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+[[PageOutline]]
+
+= DigitalObjectRegistry Project Status Report = 
+
+Period: Q408
+== I. Major accomplishments ==
+The scope of work on this project is to adapt the Handle System and/or the CNRI Digital
+Object Registry to create a clearinghouse registry for principals, slices, and/or
+components in at least one GENI Spiral 1 control framework, capable of supporting
+limited operations in Year 1. We will also analyze ways in which the Handle System
+and/or a Digital Object Registry could be used to identify and register GENI software,
+including experimenter’s tools, test images and configurations, and test results. Finally,
+we will define the operational, scaling, security, and management requirements, plus
+recommended design approaches, for implementing GENI clearinghouse and software
+registry services. During this foreshortened quarter, CNRI developed an initial technical
+approach to creating a clearinghouse registry, attended and presented at the GEC meeting
+in Palo Alto in October, and made initial contacts with other projects.
+
+During this foreshortened quarter, CNRI developed an initial technical approach to
+creating a clearinghouse registry, attended and presented at the GEC meeting in
+Palo Alto in October, and made initial contacts with other projects.
+=== A. Milestones achieved ===
+There were no scheduled milestones in this quarter.
+
+=== B. Deliverables made ===
+There were no scheduled deliverables during this quarter.
+CNRI created and delivered two presentations and one poster for the GEC meeting
+in October. These are available on the GENI wiki page for the project:
+
+http://groups.geni.net/geni/wiki/DigitalObjectRegistry
+
+== II. Description of work performed during last quarter ==
+
+=== A. Activities and findings ===
+CNRI evaluated the high‐level designs and requirements for the GENI principals,
+components, and slice registries to determine how to leverage its existing
+technologies, such as the Handle System and the digital object repository/registry
+system, to best create a common GENI clearinghouse registry. Those basic
+technologies are described below.
+
+The Handle System provides a unified, distributed, and secure identification system
+that can be directly used to identify all discreet resources and entities within GENI,
+e.g., principals, slivers, aggregates, and components. One of the key features of the
+handle system, of particular interest in this context, is the ability to associate any
+data, or references to data, with each handle identifier, either directly within the
+handle record or through a pointer to external data. This allows the rapid and
+reliable resolution of any of a large set of identifiers to the current state data for the
+identified entity. Another critical functional aspect of the Handle System, beyond its
+ability to provide distributed storage and retrieval, is its secure administration
+mechanisms, which guarantee that only authorized entities can appropriately
+create, modify or delete handle records. This is of special importance within the
+GENI environment, as much of the information will have to be locally managed but
+globally accessible and trusted. For relatively small data items, such as the latest
+version number, the Handle System could be used directly to serve part of the GENI
+clearinghouse function. In other cases it will provide one or more pointers to
+external data, in registries or not.
+
+The CNRI Digital Object Repository provides an object storage and retrieval protocol
+that can be used to provide a common overlay across multiple back‐end storage
+systems. This is a natural fit for GENI and can be used to provide storage capacity
+beyond that of the handle system while providing the same level of distributed
+access and security. This technology could provide a standard distributed storage
+mechanism for experimental data sets, code modules, documentations and any
+other resources.
+
+Finally, CNRI’s digital object generic registry system could be used for registering,
+indexing and providing search capability over any XML data. More specifically, this
+system could be to use it to validate, register, index and provide search capability
+over Rspecs, principals, and code within the GENI framework. A more dynamic
+application of this registry system could be extended to registering slices with the
+intent to record or share slice information with other researchers. And in all cases,
+multiple instances of the digital object registry can be federated to provide a single
+search and access point across multiple registries.
+
+CNRI designed an approach to taking the three specific technologies listed above
+and applying them within the specific context of the GENI Clearinghouse and the
+Experiment Control Tool systems. The technologies could also be used as
+standalone systems within the GENI framework as independent data repositories,
+registries or as a standalone identification system.
+
+In the context of the clearinghouse, CNRI would be able to leverage the registry
+technology and the handle system technology to provide a principal, component and
+slice registry. This approach is shown graphically in the poster that was created for
+the GEC meeting in October, which is included in this report as an attachment.
+
+The principal registry will be the least dynamic of the three but will require the
+highest level of security to make sure that each principal’s identification,
+authentication and authorization are kept up to date within the GENI framework.
+This registry will primarily leverage the handle system but could also use the
+registry for user discovery. The handle system would be used to identify,
+consistently and authoritatively define policies and permissions within the entire
+GENI framework
+
+The component registry would leverage all three technologies, as it needs to
+securely identify all GENI components, make them searchable and potentially
+associate stored code, data sets and other resources with each component. The
+registry would be fairly dynamic, as it would have to be able to provide real time
+information about the status, including availability, of each component.
+
+Finally, the Slice registry would be built in a similar manner to the component
+registry but it would be used to record the life cycles of slices as well as to provide
+real time information about slice status.
+
+CNRI further designed a way to use the CNRI service composition framework, which
+itself leverages the handle system and the registry, to set up slices and to validate
+and coordinate components and resource allocation. Key to this framework is the
+ability to pair resources to matching rules such that a set of resources that compose
+a given slice can be dynamically evaluated for validity of slice composition. Is the
+given resource valid within the slice, is it available, and do you have rights to it? This
+approach would provide an extensible framework for establishing and recording
+experiment and system configuration rules. The ability of the composition
+framework to provide this service will require sufficient level of resource
+description in each relevant Rspec.
+=== B. Project participants ===
+CNRI discussed the project with a number of other GENI projects, but all work done
+this quarter was done by CNRI alone. Names and email addresses of CNRI
+participants are available on the GENI wiki page for the project.
+=== C. Publications (individual and organizational) ===
+No publications were produced this quarter. CNRI produced two presentations and
+one poster for the GEC meeting in October. Those are available on the GENI wiki
+page for the project.
+=== D. Outreach activities ===
+CNRI, specifically project PI Laurence Lannom and Giridhar Manepalli, attended the
+October GEC. CNRI’s President and CEO, Robert Kahn, also attended, although his
+attendance was not covered by this contract. We gave two presentations and
+created a poster for the poster session and engaged in a number of technical
+discussions with other projects on the topic of future collaboration.
+
+Finally, we have participated in a number of conference calls with Harry Mussman,
+Vicraj Thomas of the GPO. These calls were devoted to exploring CNRI’s technology
+base and planning on its use in the current and future GENI environments.
+=== E. Collaborations ===
+
+=== F. Other Contributions ===