The Once and Future Middleware

1
The Once and Future Middleware
2
Topics

• A Vision of the Future
• A Look at the Present
• A Call to Arms

3
A Vision of the Future

• A researcher can log into their local account and
  then
• browse a digital library with privacy
• release a block of local information to populate
  a Grid directory
• use editorial privileges at SIGSCIENCE journal
• digitally sign and submit a grant proposal
• access restricted scholarly collections with
  privacy
• securely use computing resources and instruments
  distributed across the world
• synchronize computations running on different
  systems
• view colleagues calendars to propose a meeting
• permit a videoconference with a friend from
  overseas
• encrypt their intellectual property for
  protection

4
A Vision of the Future

• And do all that, and more,
• from their office
• from their home
• from a colleagues office
• with a simple, consistent and intuitive interface

5
Where We May Go
6
A Look at the Present
Globus
Directories
Ur- PKI
Non-navigable identifiers
7
The Last Few Days Weve Talked About

• PKI - trust and mistrust models
• Other collaboration tools - PAPI and Shibboleth
• Directories - schema, privacy
• Enabling applications with directories
• Inspiring campus leadership to deploy middleware
• Demonstrating the cost/benefit of middleware
• Authoritative sources of information to feed the
  directory
• Killer applications to drive the directory
• Open source implementations
• Names in directories and PKI

8
And Weve Agreed On

• Middleware is as much policy as technology
• A single global middleware infrastructure is the
  goal
• Upper middleware must connect to core middleware
• Our directories of directories efforts should be
  coordinated
• Privacy is important and hard
• We need more coordination on policies
• Our approach should be standards-based
• PKI is not yet ready
• Radical simplification of policies and roles are
  necessary to automate.

9
And...

• The Dutch, French, Germans, Swiss, Italians, and
  Turks generally speak better English than the
  Americans and English speak Dutch, French,
  German, Italian, and Turkish
• Many Dutch, French, Germans, Swiss, Italians, and
  Turks speak better English than most Americans
• There is much work to be done

10
And Weve Disagreed on

• How to link our Directories of Directories
• Trust models - bridges and hierarchies
• Proactive versus Reactive Attribute Creation
• Certificate Profiles
• What our Respective National Laws Allow

11
A Call to Arms Ulysses

• I am a part of all that I have metYet all
  experience is an arch wherethro'Gleams that
  untravell'd world whose margin fadesFor ever and
  forever when I move...
• There lies the port the vessel puffs her
  sailThere gloom the dark, broad seas...
• Some work of noble note, may yet be done,Not
  unbecoming men that strove with Gods...Come, my
  friends,'Tis not too late to seek a newer
  world...

12

• Tho' much is taken, much abides and tho'We are
  not now that strength which in old daysMoved
  earth and heaven, that which we are, we areOne
  equal temper of heroic hearts,Made weak by time
  and fate, but strong in willTo strive, to seek,
  to find, and not to yield.
• Lord Tennyson