OASIS Mailing List ArchivesView the OASIS mailing list archive below
or browse/search using MarkMail.

 


Help: OASIS Mailing Lists Help | MarkMail Help

soa-rm-ra message

[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [List Home]


Subject: Re: [soa-rm-ra] point of action


So how does Point of Action differ from Point of Enforcement or Point of 
Decision?

Michael

At 12:31 PM 8/22/2006, Francis McCabe wrote:
>Action is one of the hardest concepts to model.
>But, we need something because we have to have something to hang RWE
>off of, policy decisions and enforcement, auditing, logging,
>composition, etc. etc. etc.
>
>This is an issue because, in the context of intermediaries, it may be
>non-obvious what actions are actually specified.
>
>On Aug 21, 2006, at 11:15 AM, Michael Stiefel wrote:
>
>>After reading this discussion the meaning of POA is not clear to me
>>at all. Perhaps future discussions will make its meaning and
>>usefulness clearer.
>>
>>Michael
>>
>>At 12:06 PM 8/17/2006, Ken Laskey wrote:
>>>OK for now.  Hopefully the use of poa in the RA will clarify
>>>things or this is going to be a bear to write up for our audience.
>>>
>>>Ken
>>>
>>>At 11:37 AM 8/17/2006, Francis McCabe wrote:
>>>>The POA concept is a general concept that is not limited to
>>>>services.
>>>>So, perhaps, that is what was going though Danny's mind -)
>>>>As to private vs public, we are going to get similar issues with the
>>>>Point of Decision and Point of Enforcement of policies.
>>>>
>>>>One important place for the POA in the RA is as the start of the
>>>>chain of events that lead to the real world effect. Another is that
>>>>the POA acts as one place were policies must be applied. (I cannot
>>>>make up my mind exactly how POA relates POD and POE.) Of course,
>>>>this
>>>>is but one place where policies are applied in the RA.
>>>>
>>>>Frank
>>>>On Aug 17, 2006, at 8:15 AM, Ken Laskey wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Where it fits in the RA is still my question.  In the example in
>>>>>his earlier email, Danny says
>>>>>
>>>>>To draw another analogy for the point of action, I
>>>>>know your mind will be the point of action for
>>>>>processing this e-mail as you read the e-mail.  The
>>>>>e-mail address and the english language is like a
>>>>>service interface.
>>>>>
>>>>>If this example aligns with your meaning, then isn't my mind part
>>>>>of the opaque implementation?  [The jokes are altogether too
>>>>>obvious so first answer the question and later we can collect the
>>>>>best Ken-related responses in a follow-on thread. :-) ]
>>>>>
>>>>>Ken
>>>>>
>>>>>On Aug 17, 2006, at 11:01 AM, Francis McCabe wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>The action being referred to in a service interaction is not
>>>>>>really any private action. As you use a service to do something
>>>>>>then you are performing an action. (There may be consequential
>>>>>>events that follow that are internal.) That action has a point of
>>>>>>action.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Note that with the action-at-a-distance analogy getting clarity on
>>>>>>when and where the action is performed may be quite important. For
>>>>>>example, if you send a message declaring that you have agreed to a
>>>>>>contract, from the service provider's PoV, it is not until it
>>>>>>'groks' the message that it considers that you have actually
>>>>>>agreed.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Frank
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>On Aug 17, 2006, at 7:24 AM, Ken Laskey wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>see below
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>At 09:18 AM 8/17/2006, Rex Brooks wrote:
>>>>>>>>I hope no one is surprised if I quibble with this particular
>>>>>>>>definition, which comes close, in my opinion, but fall just
>>>>>>>>short of the mark. I take exception with the choice of using the
>>>>>>>>concept of force per se, though I do understand and agree with
>>>>>>>>the requirement of making "action" transitive. I would apply a
>>>>>>>>small bit of mental jiu jitsu on this definition, thus:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Action: the application of 'intent' to achieve an effect by an
>>>>>>>>agent on an object.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Thus, the application of "intent" applies equally well to
>>>>>>>>choosing to do "nothing" and allow inertia/momentum to achieve
>>>>>>>>an effect,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>but the application of nothing does not require an agent as the
>>>>>>>transferral entity if there is nothing to transfer, unless
>>>>>>>however you identify the agent as a way of establishing context
>>>>>>>for your intended nothing.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>or to require action by some other agent to achieve, prevent or
>>>>>>>>allow an effect. In the study of heuristics, one of the least
>>>>>>>>well explored results is exactly this, the intentional refusal
>>>>>>>>to act per se, which, I contend, constitutes a decision, which
>>>>>>>>is, in and of itself, an action at a choice-point branching of a
>>>>>>>>decision-tree.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>BTW, this answers the last question below: Yes! and full
>>>>>>>>responsibility or culpability applies. Needless to say, this is
>>>>>>>>utterly critical to security. Choose not to apply a patch in
>>>>>>>>time, and you are caught holding the hot potato if bad things
>>>>>>>>happen to good systems.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>So the follow-up question is: what can be identified as the poa
>>>>>>>while still maintaining the SOA principle of opacity of the
>>>>>>>implementation of services and their underlying capabilities?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Cheers,
>>>>>>>>Rex
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>At 7:55 AM -0400 8/17/06, Ken Laskey wrote:
>>>>>>>>>Some comments from Frank that didn't get back to the list:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Ken:
>>>>>>>>>  The POA *is* the action as it is applied.
>>>>>>>>>  If the service is the glove, the POA is the iron fist:)
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>  Different people have different definitions of action, (try
>>>>>>>>>define:action in google). None of these definitions is all that
>>>>>>>>>satisfactory to me.
>>>>>>>>>  My definition is adapted from John Sowa:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Action: the application of force by an agent on an object with
>>>>>>>>>the intention of achieving an effect.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>  I.e., its a kind of event. The POA is a characterization of
>>>>>>>>>that event. (One reason I like this definition is that is
>>>>>>>>>includes all human actions but excludes rocks rolling down the
>>>>>>>>>hill hitting other rocks.)
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>  The service interface is the characterization of what it means
>>>>>>>>>to perform an action. It is not the action itself though.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>  Hope that this throws a little light on the matter.
>>>>>>>>>Frank
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Per Danny's response, I think he caught my question well with
>>>>>>>>>the final line of his response below:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>One question
>>>>>>>>>>we can ask is can we identify a point of action
>>>>>>>>>>meaningful to the reference architecture that would
>>>>>>>>>>not have a service interface?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Ken
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>On Aug 17, 2006, at 1:55 AM, Danny Thornton wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>To draw another analogy for the point of action, I
>>>>>>>>>>know your mind will be the point of action for
>>>>>>>>>>processing this e-mail as you read the e-mail.  The
>>>>>>>>>>e-mail address and the english language is like a
>>>>>>>>>>service interface.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>The SOA has many points of action, each point of
>>>>>>>>>>action potentially affecting many other points of
>>>>>>>>>>action.  We can identify points of action in a SOA
>>>>>>>>>>relevant to the reference architecture.  One question
>>>>>>>>>>we can ask is can we identify a point of action
>>>>>>>>>>meaningful to the reference architecture that would
>>>>>>>>>>not have a service interface?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Danny
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>--- Ken Laskey <<mailto:klaskey@mitre.org>klaskey@mitre.org>
>>>>>>>>>>wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>The following are from my notes at the ftf
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Point of Action (poa)
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>-       Frank: anchoring mechanism for numerous
>>>>>>>>>>>things, e.g. policy
>>>>>>>>>>>enforcement, evaluating needs & capabilities
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>-       Ken: how does poa relate to service
>>>>>>>>>>>interface?  Frank:
>>>>>>>>>>>service interface includes actions you can perform;
>>>>>>>>>>>each instance of
>>>>>>>>>>>use consists of performing action; actual action is
>>>>>>>>>>>poa; interface
>>>>>>>>>>>vs. poa is class vs. instance relationship; the
>>>>>>>>>>>physical action is
>>>>>>>>>>>the point of action
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>-       [Ken] Given a policy is a desire of one
>>>>>>>>>>>participant and an
>>>>>>>>>>>agreement as part of the execution context for
>>>>>>>>>>>participants to abide
>>>>>>>>>>>by that policy (i.e. the other participant(s) agree
>>>>>>>>>>>to make that
>>>>>>>>>>>policy theirs), the policy enforcement point becomes
>>>>>>>>>>>the point of
>>>>>>>>>>>action for enforcing the agreed-upon policy.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>-       [Frank alternative] A policy is a constraint
>>>>>>>>>>>that represents
>>>>>>>>>>>the desire of a participant. A contract is a
>>>>>>>>>>>constraint that
>>>>>>>>>>>represents the agreed desires of two or more
>>>>>>>>>>>participants. A [policy]
>>>>>>>>>>>enforcement point is the point of action for
>>>>>>>>>>>enforcing constraints
>>>>>>>>>>>that represent either policies or contracts.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I've reread this and am still having problems
>>>>>>>>>>>differentiating between
>>>>>>>>>>>service interface and point of action.  It appears
>>>>>>>>>>>that poa is more
>>>>>>>>>>>general because it is the location to which a user
>>>>>>>>>>>would send a
>>>>>>>>>>>command for action.  If the receiver is a service,
>>>>>>>>>>>then the poa would
>>>>>>>>>>>seem to be the service interface.  In the policy
>>>>>>>>>>>example, if the
>>>>>>>>>>>enforcement mechanism is accessed through a service,
>>>>>>>>>>>the PEP could be
>>>>>>>>>>>said to have a service interface.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I still seem to be missing something.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Ken
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>---
>>>>>>>>>>>Ken Laskey
>>>>>>>>>>>MITRE Corporation, M/S H305     phone:  703-983-7934
>>>>>>>>>>>7515 Colshire Drive                        fax:
>>>>>>>>>>>   703-983-1379
>>>>>>>>>>>McLean VA 22102-7508
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>__________________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>>>>>>>>>Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection
>>>>>>>>>>around
>>>>>>>>>><http://mail.yahoo.com>http://mail.yahoo.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>---
>>>>>>>>>Ken Laskey
>>>>>>>>>MITRE Corporation, M/S H305     phone:  703-983-7934
>>>>>>>>>7515 Colshire Drive                        fax:
>>>>>>>>>703-983-1379
>>>>>>>>>McLean VA 22102-7508
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>--
>>>>>>>>Rex Brooks
>>>>>>>>President, CEO
>>>>>>>>Starbourne Communications Design
>>>>>>>>GeoAddress: 1361-A Addison
>>>>>>>>Berkeley, CA 94702
>>>>>>>>Tel: 510-849-2309
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>--
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>----------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>>>>>>--- -------------
>>>>>>>   /   Ken
>>>>>>>Laskey
>>>>>>>   \
>>>>>>>  |    MITRE Corporation, M/S H305    phone:  703-983-7934   |
>>>>>>>  |    7515 Colshire Drive                    fax:
>>>>>>>703-983-1379   |
>>>>>>>   \   McLean VA
>>>>>>>22102-7508                                              /
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>----------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>>>>>>--- --------------
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>>>>--- --------------------
>>>>>Ken Laskey
>>>>>MITRE Corporation, M/S H305     phone:  703-983-7934
>>>>>7515 Colshire Drive                        fax:        703-983-1379
>>>>>McLean VA 22102-7508
>>>
>>>--
>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>>------------
>>>   /   Ken
>>>Laskey
>>>  \
>>>  |    MITRE Corporation, M/S H305    phone:  703-983-7934   |
>>>  |    7515 Colshire Drive                    fax:
>>>703-983-1379   |
>>>   \   McLean VA
>>>22102-7508                                              /
>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>>-------------
>>
>




[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [List Home]