Subject: 47th IETF: B2BXML BOF

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2000 09:11:29 -0500

Business to Business XML Data Communication Strategies BOF (b2bxml)

Tuesday, March 28 at 1545-1800
================================

CHAIR: Michael Condry <[email-masked]>  

DESCRIPTION:

Recently many companies see advantages in using XML to represent data 
for web-based information exchanges, such as in Business-to-Business 
(B2B) communications.  Strategies to address this are evolving, 
expoliting different technologies such as SOAP; however, the problem 
specification and protocol requirements need to be clarified by the 
IETF community before solutions are considered. This BOF discusses the 
problem space for B2B XML communications in order to determine the 
problem area requirements.  We will examine existing B2B approaches to 
ensure that the problem space is well defined.

Our goal will result in a charter to formulate suitable requirements
for this space and potentially endorce solutions that support these
requirements.

AGENDA:

The main objective of the agenda is to detail the problem space 
requirements for application level communication strategies using XML 
encoded data. The Agenda items are:

a. Problem Space Examples - examples such as order-requests and 
   directory updates. Examples will point out the expected usage
   characteristics of this protocol and greatly assist in formulating 
   the problem requirements.
b. Problem Scope description - discussion of the problem space in general.
c. HTTP and firewall issues - the web uses HTTP; it is widely prevalent 
   and is generally used to penetrate firewalls. Is this the correct 
   transport to get through firewalls; are there other transport issues 
   that need consideration?
d. Protocol options - what protocol characteristics are suitable for the 
   situations to be addressed. RPC may be best to endorse the operations 
   paradigm or possibly a messaging strategy might be needed.
e. Characteristics of the solution: Enumerating attributes that will 
   probably be scooped out in any requirement document: Platforms, 
   performance, codeside, adminstation/updates, bandwidth, packet size, 
   security, handling failed message delivery, etc. Note these 
   characteristics point out security issues and administration/maintenance
   issues.
f. Strategies for addressing this problem space. Review how solution 
   strategies such as SOAP and other approaches address the issues 
   enumerated in this problem space.
g. Charter discussion and project milestones.
h. Open mike.