Oracle Vote

["Martin Chapman" <martin.chapman@oracle.com>]

Just to inform the group that Oracle has voted No for the approval of WSDM MUWS v1.0 and MOWS v1.0 
as OASIS Specifications at this point in time.

The following rationale has been provided with the vote:
 
We are fine with WSDM having TC CD status, but the spec has 
dependencies on unstable specifications: WS-Addressing [1] (work in progress at [2]), 
WS-Resources [3], WS-ResourceProperties [4], WS-BaseNotifications [5], WS-Topics [6], 
WS-ResourceLifetime [7], and WS-ServiceGroups [8].
In addition WS-N uses a different version 
of WS-Addressing than the WSDM specs do. Hence it is premature to 
elevate it to the level of OASIS international specification. In 
particular WS-Addressing is currently being worked on and looks like 
the final version when it finally emerges will be significantly 
different from its various antecedent proprietary versions. In 
particular the debates and changes surrounding reference properties 
and parameters will mean the use of different schema types and usage 
patterns. None of these changes will mean that it can't be used by 
these higher level specifications, e.g. WSDM, etc., but they will need 
to be modified. The current Working Draft of the W3C WS-Addressing Working 
Group [2] includes this status section:

 "This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by  other documents at any time. 
 It is inappropriate to cite this document 
 as other than work in progress."

We think that this will set a dangerous precedent for OASIS. 
Specifications that attain the OASIS international specification level 
ought to be stable and have a certain amount of rigor and interop 
testing. Otherwise the value of the OASIS "brand" will be diluted and 
be ignored. We just don't see how that can be done in a responsible and 
stable way until the underlying specifications are 
mature and are themselves adopted.
 
We note the Committee Draft Errata Discussion [9] and we are 
encouraged by this step, as it seems to validate our position. 
Unfortunately it does not address our concerns for two reasons.
 
One: under OASIS rules:
   "Errata or Corrigenda to a submission are not permitted; if changes 
   are required the Committee Draft must be withdrawn by the TC, edited, 
   re-approved as a Committee Draft, then resubmitted." [10]

Essentially that means that the TC's action have no standing or effect on the 
document that is being balloted. If the TC really wishes 
to implement this course of action, then under OASIS rules the current 
ballot must be withdrawn.

Two: Assuming this process were followed, it would only fix one 
defect, namely the normative reference to WS-Trust. It does not address the 
problems with normative references and dependencies to unstable specifications; all of 
which have been revised since the ballot was out. 
Oracle supports the intent of the TC to 
track those specifications and to make changes as appropriate to the 
WSDM specifications. The inescapable conclusion is that it is premature, 
at this time to elevate the WSDM specifications to OASIS specification.
 
In summary, it is our belief that WSDM should stay at CD until there 
is more implementation experience (particularly interoperability
testing) and its dependent specifications are mature and are stable.
 

[1] WS-Addressing Member Submission: http://www.w3.org/Submission/2004/SUBM-ws-addressing-20040810/ 
[2] WS-Addressing W3C WG draft: http://www.w3.org/TR/2005/WD-ws-addr-core-20050215/   
[3] WS-Resources: http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/wsrf/download.php/9547/wsrf-WS-Resource-1.2-draft-01.doc      
[4] WS-ResourceProperties: http://docs.oasis-open.org/wsrf/2004/06/wsrf-WS-ResourceProperties-1.2-draft-04.pdf
[5] WS-BaseNotifications: http://docs.oasis-open.org/wsn/2004/06/wsn-WS-BaseNotification-1.2-draft-03.pdf
[6] WS-Topics: http://docs.oasis-open.org/wsn/2004/06/wsn-WS-Topics-1.2-draft-01.pdf
[7] WS-ResourceLifetime: http://docs.oasis-open.org/wsrf/2004/06/wsrf-WS-ResourceLifetime-1.2-draft-03.pdf
[8] WS-ServiceGroups: http://docs.oasis-open.org/wsrf/2004/06/wsrf-WS-ServiceGroup-1.2-draft-02.pdf
[9] http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/wsdm/200502/msg00027.html
[10] http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/process.php (section 3 b)

_________________________________________________________________
Martin Chapman                                 
Consulting Member of Technical Staff           
Oracle                                        
P: +353 87 687 6654                           
e: martin.chapman@oracle.com