Subject: DMIG information

From: [email-masked] (Dale Lancaster)
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 12:42:46 -0600

As promised at the workshop, below is some information about the DMIG
work.  The first is an overview (somewhat dated) and below that is a
list of the directories stored at acsc.com/pub/dmig where you can
retrieve anything you want to know about this group and its work.

regards,

dale

------- Start of forwarded message -------
From: [email-masked] (Dale Lancaster)
To: [email-masked]
Subject: DMIG info at acsc.com /pub/dmig
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 11:50:57 -0600

The Uniform Resource Locator for this document is:
file://acsc.com/pub/dmig/admin_doc/overview.doc

Data Management Interfaces Group 

An Introduction
July 1993
Revision 1.1

The Data Management Interfaces Group (DMIG) is an ad-hoc initiative
representing over 30 operating system vendors, data storage vendors, and data
management software vendors who are cooperatively developing and promoting
extensions to the UNIX operating system to better enable data management
applications. 

The goal of the DMIG is to design a new operating system interface to provide
better support for a well defined set of filesystem management applications:
file migration, file backup and recovery, file compression, file encryption,
and directory browsing.

These applications are all characterized by their need for a set of primitives
(to monitor and control the usage of files) that are not adequately provided by
UNIX computing platforms today. Many file management products must provide OS
modifications to operate, or must live with undesirable limitations.

The goal of the DMIG specification is to permit file-based data management
applications to be developed by software vendors and installed by customers
just like ordinary applications, without requiring modifications to the
underlying operating system.

A successful DMIG effort will provide positive results for end users and
vendors alike.  End users will be able to deploy data management products in a
tight and seamless fashion, without concern for compatibility with operating
system revisions or other operating system level software packages.  End users
will further find a wider variety of products to choose from, each with a
larger set of features and functions.  Vendors will be able to refocus their
product development efforts on value-added technology, investing in new product
functionality rather than operating system or file system level technology. 
Vendors will further find the cost of development lower, with improved time to
market capabilities and lower support costs.  In all, the market should expand
by being able to reach more customers with better products, at lower cost.

The group intends to reach agreement on a common specification by Q4 1993. 
This specification will then be immediately available to UNIX vendors to
implement in their next releases.  Initial DMIG-enabled operating systems could
appear early as late 1994 and into early 1995, with the majority of releases in
1995 and into 1996.

Participating vendors in the DMIG currently include ACSC, Advanced Software
Concepts, Amdahl, Auspex, Advanced Archival Products, AT&T Comvault, Banyan,
Bull, Cray Research, Delta Microsystems, Digital, Epoch Systems, E-Systems,
Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi Computer Products, IBM, Lachman Technologies,
Legato Systems, Motorola, NEC, NETstor, Novell (USL), OpenVision, QStar,
Raxco-UIS, SCO, Silicon Graphics, StorageTek, SunSoft, Transarc and Veritas.

The DMIG encourages end users and vendors to get involved.  End users can best
support the DMIG efforts by letting their vendors-of-choice know that the DMIG
interface is important by requesting a statement of direction regarding the
DMIG.  Vendors are welcome to participate in the DMIG.  Contact the DMIG via
electronic mail at [email-masked].

===============================================================================

From: [email-masked] (Dale Lancaster)
To: [email-masked]
Subject: DMIG info at acsc.com /pub/dmig
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 11:50:15 -0600

The Uniform Resource Locator for this document is:
file://acsc.com/pub/dmig/README

The following directories exist at the top level

admin_doc               High level dmig administrative documents

auspex-epoch            Contains various documents describing
                        an interface proposal designed to meet
                        DMIG requirements.

if_doc                  Versions of the interface docs

mail_archive            Archive for all dmig mail, includes requests for
                        info and reflector traffic

meeting_min             Minutes of various DMIG meetings

req_doc                 Versions of the requirements docuemtments

vnode_stacking          Dir containing background material on
                        vnode stacking.