Subject: re: IEEE MSS&TC Sponsorship of Metadata Conference

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 94 15:16:48 CST

Charles Dollars writes ......... Dale comments ...........

I think that Dale gave a fair assessment of the situation in responding
to Charles observations about the IEEE MSS&TC. So I only have some minor
comments.

Dale mentioned that the first workshop was to be focused on Managing
Large Scientific Databases, and that we (IEEE MSS&TC) were trying to get
some activity started in the area of data management. This is true.

Most of the participants in the organizing meetings, before the
first Austin workshop, did not separate the metadata definition and metadata
management as a separate topic or workshop. Metadata was viewed as an integral
part of the data management problem, especially in large systems where storage
and data management were viewed an open systems to be integrated
together to exploit the data (ie accomplish the mission).

It was the notion of large, growing systems including numeric, text, audio,
image, and video data as well as paper and digitized paper images would
require solutions were the data management and storage system technology
could be integrated in an open systems environment that drove the IEEE MSS&TC
to sponsor activity in the data management arena. We believe that metadata
at various levels of an information systems (eg storage and data management)
would require a vertical view to maximize the ability of the data management
to exploit storage "things".

We did not assume that a storage centric view was required or desired. We
(IEEE MSS&TC) decided to take the initiative to sponsor data management
activities through specialist workshops to promote open systems technology
that would allow multi-vendor storage and data management technology
to be integrated into information systems. It seemed appropriate for the
MSS&TC to be a sponsor since some groups tend to forget about open storage
systems and work the problem from a data management and/or user i/f centric
view. Using the MSS&TC as a sponsor would keep the "plumbing" on the table
while the "representation of the information content" was being discussed.

We do appreciate the need for metadata as a representation of the "information
content" of store things as well as we appreciate the role of metadata
in support of the intelligent access to and organization of stored things on
the storage media, devices and libraries.

We are trying to support many organizations that
wish to host IEEE Specialist workshops to gain the broadest exposure. We are
listening to various views on the data management issue. Data life cycle
management is an example of critical data management issue requiring attention.

If a metadata reference model is to be drafted by IEEE MSS&TC then we would
form a standing group to address the development. If so, we would look for a
small group of knowledgeable and available individuals to lead that effort.
I do not plan to be lead such an effort. It did not appear, however, that it
is time to launch an IEEE Metadata Reference Model activity. It seems to us
that broader discussion is required. This does not mean that the work and
discussions of this group is not providing leadership; I think it is.

Regards, Bob