M7: Reuse Library Interoperability Group (RIG) (panel): purpose and progress

The RIG is a volunteer, consensus-based organization with a mission to draft standards for the interoperability of reuse libraries. This paper will describe the RIG’s goals and organization and will provide a snapshot of current efforts, as of June 1993. First, the overall mission and organization of the RIG will be described followed by a brief technical overview. The% the work of each of the Technical Committees will be described in detail, explaining what parts of the problem the group is addressing, articulating its approach to solving the problem, and reviewing its progress to date. RIG MISSION AND ORGANIZATION The Reuse Library Interoperability Group was created in June 1991 as a result of an initial collaboration between the DARPA STARS (Software Technology for A&ptable Reliable Systems) program and the USAF RAASP (Reusable Ada Avionics SotlsvarePackages) programwhich grew to include representatives fmm several organizations interested in interoperable reuse libraries. The RIG has grown to a membemhip of 35 organizations and approximately 95 individuals participating either by attendance or correspondence. The RIG is a volunteer, consensus-based organization composed of members from government, academia, and industry. Its mission is to draft standards for the interoperability of reuse libmries in the areas such as nomenclature, interchange protocols, and software component exchange formats. The RIG’s proposed standards will be submitted to IEEE, ANSI or other standards organizations. Currently, several government agencies and private companies have commissioned reuse library effofis. That’s a good thing because it provides for multiple approaches to open technology issues and appeals to different user bases. Even after technology is mature, diversity will still be good because tierent users will require different fee structures, user interfaces and distribution mechanisms. Furthermore, dHerent libraries will probably specialize in diffenmt application domains. Finally, a diversity of libraries will provide a natural competition to improve and will promote the infusion of improved technology. The challenge is to enable these libraries to interoperate so that their various contributions m synergistic, forming the basis for a national software reuse industry. Interopaability standards am important so that users can easily access components actqss multiple libraries. This, in ~ permits libraries to reduce redundant contents and functions and makes the specific value-added functions of any particular library available to all users. The fupon value-added ilmctions will change the nature of the reuse industry. Libraries will no longer strive to store the maximum number of Component instead they will focus upon the camfid selection, difYenmtiation, categorization and cataloging of components deemed to be usefi,d to their specitic user base. In fact, we can imagine libraries which don’t actually store components at al~ inatew$ they provide value-added selection and indexing of components stored elsewhere. . The mission of the RIG is to develop and propose the interoperability standards which will enable the growth of a rich and robust reuse indust~. The RIG has organized itself into a Technical Committees to perform the work of drafting standards and an Executive Eoard to deal with administrative matters. Membership in the Executive Board is held by organizations, currently 35 of them, listed in an Appendix to this paper.