[wsbpel-implement] 9/29/2003: Interoperability Definition Draft

[Monica Martin <monica.martin@sun.com>]

As requested today, these are derived definitions from previous work 
done including inputs from ISO IEC, ebXML IIC and other venues including 
those in the testing arena, such as NIST (National Institute of Science 
and Technology):

Interoperability includes products (such as information systems), 
services or processes that can interoperate or work together. Software 
interoperability is defined as two or more software implementations of a 
specification working together. This does not mean that the 
implementations are conformant to the specifications implemented. The 
software interoperability is typically tested under controlled 
environment and via an interoperability trial. Issues arising out of 
these trials may be addressed by:
o    Usage guidelines
o    Best practices
o    Input for new conformance tests
o    Technical recommendations
o    Specification upgrade

 From a test perspective, interoperability testing is:
Process of verifying that two implementations of the same specification, 
or that an implementation and its operational environment, can 
interoperate according to the requirements of an assumed agreement or 
contract. This contract does not belong necessarily to the 
specification, but its terms and elements should be defined in it with 
enough detail, so that such a contract, combined with the specification, 
will be sufficient to determine precisely the expected behavior of an 
implementation, and to test it