CURRENT_MEETING_REPORT_ Reported by Dana Sitzler/ University of Michigan Minutes: The meeting began with some general guidelines as a framework for thinking about creating a network information services infrastructure. These 'guidelines' are listed below: --Think future Try not to limit our thinking to the current operations; think toward the NREN --Information Services=User Services Terminology doesn't matter; how are we going to provide the information and services that network users need --Not just backbone NICs Our discussions must account for any center providing support to users -- this includes organizational NICs (campus) --Users: Novice to Expert We must accommodate a large variance in user knowledge, experience and comfort with networking --Be Aware Many on-going activities are related to this effort such as -User Connectivity WG -Distributed File Systems -NREN activity -Directory Services -Database Services The meeting proceeded with a review of the draft charter. The objectives of the charter basically address three phases: Where are we; How do we work together to help users; How do we do it electronically. The charter of the working group is provided below: Once the charter was approved, the group started brainstorming information to complete the first objective. The first objective deals with the current state of information services and will serve as a base to build on. The topics of discussion were: o what information is available now o how is information accessed o what information formats are available o what kinds of services are NICs offering o who are NICs serving The group then discussed other projects on-going in the internet community which we need more information about. These projects include directory services projects, library activity, work in distributed file systems, etc. Assignments were made for group members to find out information about these various projects. 1 Action Items: Draft 'where are we' paper Sitzler Send FARNET info gathering survey to group Roubicek Investigate NYSERNet Directory Services Pilot Sturteuant Investigate Andrew Project Moore Investigate NFS Sturteuant Investigate Mercury Project Roubicek Investigate PSI Z39.50 Pilot Hallgren Investigate ISODE Sturteuant Investigate Database systems (info servers) Stahl Investigate Remote access DB systems Carpenter People investigating other projects will attempt to find out an overview of how the system works, how it's used, what material it will handle, mechanisms for access, what the user interface is like, and how 'exploitable' it is. ATTENDEES Marc-Andre Pepin pepin@crim.ca Glee Cady ghc@merit.edu Jeffrey Carpenter jjc@unix.cis.pitt.edu Martyne Hallgren martyne@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu Ole Jacobsen ole@csli.stanford.edu Tracy Laquey tracy@emx.utexas.edu Marilyn Martin martin@cdnnet.ca Berlin Moore prepnet@andrew.cmu.edu Joyce Reynolds jkrey@venera.isi.edu Karen Roubicek roubicek@nnsc.nsf.net Pat Smith psmith@merit.edu Mary Stahl stahl@nisc.sri.com Allen Sturtevant sturtevant@ccc.nmfecc.gov John Wobus jmwobus@suvm.acs.syr.edu Aileen Yuan aileen@gateway.mitre.org 2