Open Source forInteroperability

Paul FremantleVP, Apache Synapse

Member, ASFCTO and Co-Founder, WSO2

Why am I talking about this?• Co-Chair, OASIS WSRX TC• Some of my most read blog entries:

– http://pzf.fremantle.org/2008/05/open-source-versus-open-standards.html

– http://pzf.fremantle.org/2008/05/why-open-standards-and-interoperability.html

• Incubator project – Stonehenge

Specification

Standard

Specifications• Anyone can write a spec• The aim of a spec is technical not political• A good spec should say just enough:

– Too much and it becomes restrictive– Too little and it cannot be implemented

interoperably

Standards

What makes a standard?

Standard“Authoritative or recognized exemplar of

quality or correctness” (1477)

A circular definition• What makes a standard is a standard’s

body!

Neutrality

Two types of Openness• Openness to join the standards body

• Openness of the specifications

Open to join?

Apache and RF• This is a significant issue when Apache

looks at projects– The good news is a big push towards

OPEN Standards– e.g. OASIS and W3C Royalty Free initiatives– Microsoft Open Specification Promise– etc

Governance

Process

API

ABI

Interoperability is more than just Standards

PAM

Why do companies participate in Standards?

Standards provide a forum for competitors to co-operate

What is the reality of standards bodies?

Standards committees are rarely about unfettered co-operation

Standards bodies and interoperability

• Companies don’t like publishing results until everything works

• Testing is not the main aim of the standards team members

• The focus of a standards committee is often about trying to get the most advantage for your company

Open Source

Open Source is not just Code

The same principles apply• Fairness and Openness to participate• Governance• Openness of interactions

“Open Development”

So what’s the Difference between Open Standards and Open Source?

Open Source

Open Source provides a forum for real collaboration

Stonehenge

Open Source approach to Interoperability

• Incubator project• Interoperability for WS-*

– SOAP, MTOM, WS-Addressing, WS-Sec, WS-RM, etc• Started in December 2008

– Contributors from Microsoft, WSO2, Redhat/JBoss, Progress/IONA, Eviware

– Interest from Sun/Metro– Based around an existing effort to define an

interoperable application• “StockTrader”

StockTrader

Stonehenge basics• Website:

http://incubator.apache.org/stonehenge • SVN: https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/incubator/stonehenge/trunk/https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/incubator/stonehenge/trunk/stocktrader/

• Mailing List:– Stonehenge-dev@incubator.apache.org

Getting involved• Do you have experience of a WS-* stack?

– Aiming to release M1 milestone release this month

– M2 will add distributed identity• Would you like to improve our website?• Would you just like to see sample

interoperable code?

Challenges with doing this @ Apache

• Does Apache do interop?– Not yet, but this isn’t the only example– http://incubator.apache.org/olio/

• Do OSS developers want to write interop apps?– Yes, some of them!

• Is Apache better than setting up a new organization or going to SourceForge?– Definitely

Alternatives?• WS-I

– Words (profiles) not Action (code)– Profiles are useful but have been too slow to

emerge– I’m guessing its bogged down in politics– No open discussion so its hard to say

• WSTF– Emerged about the same time as Stonehenge – Running endpoints vs Code– Default behaviour: closed until a vote to open

How does Stonehenge fit with the previous discussion?

• Testing ABIs not APIs • Using Apache governance model

– Meritocracy– Neutrality (between vendors)– Open access to contribute or just lurk– Royalty Free approach

NO GAMING• The code can be directly copied to help get started• Designed to encourage co-operation not competition

Questions?