1. Middleware Futures Internet2 Member Meeting Arlington VA, April 2006 RL “Bob” Morgan, University of Washington and Internet2

2. Middleware-To-Be... "The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery." - Dickens, A Christmas Carol

3. Topics Next steps in core projects New core projects Key related activities Less key related activities Conclusion

4. Directories/Schema edu*: person, org, course, group no big plans for new object areas but: LDAP focus shifting to SAML so define as abstract data model schema coordination efforts SCHAC (in Europe) etc implies need for large-scale mapping data model, ontologies may help

5. Shibboleth Focus on standards compliance (SAML 2.0) and interop with other products Complete package, extensible platform login/logout, more supported flows Attribute release management, GridShib Contributions from Australia, UK, Grid managing project growth... Further out: Web Services, multi-tier

6. Signet / Grouper 1.0 versions out (or about to be) adoptions still "early", seeking serious feedback Integration Signet with Grouper, both with LDAP/Shib Integration into many apps Integration into Virtual Organization service

7. Provisioning: Nexus Managing user accounts in many systems from central service, driven from person/group/priv registries Nexus open-source project from University of Memphis uses OASIS SPML standard protocol soliciting early adopters now

8. Workflow Not just for admin/approval any more many academic, e-science use cases organization of data/processing across disparate systems with complex flows WS-BPEL is new OASIS standard, many implementations, use in Grids considering: federated flows, use of workflow in IdM infra, signatures, etc

9. Messaging/event services "Message-oriented middleware" key technology for low-latency, loosely- coupled integration of many services, especially IdM services many products, not so much adoption new open technologies, e.g. XMPP identify architecture, benefits, seek best practices, promote deployments...

10. Trust Services InCommon Federation promote scalable adoption of Shib/SAML, bring together US HE community and partners, 30 or so members now USHER CA PKI root CA for US HE community now running, first certs this week shares procedures with InCommon

11. Virtual Organization Support Key constituency for middleware benefits campus-oriented VO services, reducing admin costs, adding compliance, serving myriad academic/e-science VOs, supporting federated access/admin, collab tool integration... primary interest of funding agencies...

12. (Inter)Federation Growth of Federations requires inter- federation to scale up but what is interfederation? Don't know yet key services already facing multiple feds US campuses will join US Gov E-Auth Federation via interfed with InCommon Requires collab with existing R&HE feds in Europe, Australia

13. More related topics Lionshare project Secure peer-to-peer resource sharing Driver for advanced Shib/USHER features Mellon Foundation-funded Medical middleware apply HE models to med centers, with mods much interest from AAMC etc

14. Yet more related topics Connective/real-time middleware identity in telephony/conferencing/presence applications/services improve security, directory integration, support federation Digital Rights Management not all bad: applications in privacy, libraries help RIAA/MPAA solve their/our problems?

15. Even more related topics Learning-management systems / Sakai large open-source effort, much adoption key middleware integration issues provisioning, federation, multi-tier, workflow Internet Identity many new lightweight identity schemes Microsoft InfoCard how can we integrate?

16. Process issues Middleware now a global activity regionalizing/internationalizing processes and standards, avoiding political traps Support models many projects/activities/services need to become independent, yet stay connected decide how to pick battles when there are so many to choose from

17. Conclusion "I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach." - Dickens, A Christmas Carol

18. 18