[AG-TECH] Venue Server protocol/API?

[Randy Groves]

I definitely enjoyed the first two sessions of AG2.0 this week.  I was 
unable to attend the third, but have reviewed the sessions.  I like the 
general direction that things are taking - but I have at least one big 
concern: venue server compatibility.

Right now, I see three camps in the AG community, in relation to venue 
services: Argonne, InSors, and Microsoft.  There may be more, but I'm 
unaware of them.  All seem to be taking separate, incompatible routes to 
venue service, and this definitely concerns me.  Wearing my implementer 
hat, and looking at a world-wide entity with diverse operating groups and a 
desire to collaborate with many equally diverse external partners, I want 
to be know that when we install a solution, that we will be able to 
communicate with others that may have installed a different solution.  The 
relative homogeneity of the AG community, and the fact that we're pretty 
much depending upon one venue server at Argonne for the services makes the 
present situation possible.

I definitely understand that this is NOT a simple problem.  Just the 
question of authentication and authorization alone is one that gives anyone 
who has worked with this pause.  But I think that the venue services, as a 
defined point of interface between groups of 'AG-like' communities, is the 
perfect place to take the time to make sure that we can handle 
heterogeneity and still be able to collaborate.

I certainly don't have the answers.  But please see this as a plea to 
consider the global situation when crafting the potential solutions.

-randy