An Implementers Forum for PLCS PLCS-IF

1
An Implementers Forum for PLCS PLCS-IF

• Material from
• Nigel Shaw and Steve Yates
• Based on earlier presentation byTrine Hansen and
  Nigel Shaw

2
Objectives of this presentation

• Explain thinking
• Outline planned approach
• Get acceptance for direction
• Get others to become involved

3
Objectives for a PLCS-IF

• Somewhere to go for
• Advice
• With problems
• For peer review
• For test files
• For interoperability testing
• For basic conformance testing
• On an on-going, continuous basis
• Not just periodic events

4
Why emphasis on forum rather than testing

• Feedback from existing projects
• Work being done in isolation
• No visible reference authority
• Early experience shows the need is real and
  current
• Early experience not being shared in all cases
• Including problems hit by implementers

5
Character

• Open to all serious implementers
• Implementers is a bigger group than vendors
• Includes user projects
• Closed to non-serious implementers?
• Driven by real user needs
• Enabling serious test data over time
• Discussion forum
• Record of debates resolutions
• Repository of how-to
• Determine testing and education priorities

6
PLCS-IF Needs

• Infrastructure
• Web site
• Wiki or similar
• Linked to (points at) DEXlib
• Willingness to divulge/share
• Covered by suitable NDA to limit abuse
• Acceptance of common objective
• Plus committed (technical) resource to
  participate and respond/develop
• Commitment for 2 rounds of testing minimum
• Facilitation/arbitration and expert
  adjudication

7
Interoperability Testing

• Requires
• Road map for testing development
• Test Data
• Test Recipes
• Tools
• Agreed process
• Tests performed at home
• Reporting by web meeting and conference call
• Supporting infrastructure
• Access to test material, results submission
• Suggest 2 rounds testing per annum as target

8
Interoperability Testing 2

• Establish Rules of Conduct
• It has to be possible to wash dirty laundry
  without having it shown to the world
• Requires
• Non-disclosure agreement (especially for
  mistakes)
• Non-competitive environment
• Constructive approach
• Start with basics taken from core templates and
  work up
• Then focus on content from current projects

9
PLCS-IF input to DEXlib

• Implementers have to deal with the mapping
  problem
• How does this thing in my system go into PLCS
  (DEX)?
• Implementers want to have agreement on their
  approach or be told how to do it right
• Peer review
• Consistency of usage and with capabilities
• Anticipate that some agreed mappings (recorded as
  business DEXs?) will migrate into templates
  (capabilities) over time

10
Publicity

• The existence and results from the PLCS_IF should
  be publicised
• Business level
• Technical content
• Publicity
• Web presence?
• Associated with www.PLCS-resources.org
• Press releases, etc.