RE: Initial correlation of ebXML Transport requirements with CORBA services

[Henry Lowe <hlowe@omg.org>]

Hi Rik,

>Henry, could you give us some better background on corba and xml. will you
>be converting corba to an xml based mechanism? Best regards, rik

No, there are no plans to convert CCORBA to an XML based mechanism, 
but there is already an active move to make it easier to use CORBA 
to support XML -- you could do it with what's in CORBA products on 
the market today treating XML as an octet string or character string.
However, the new work, the RFP is called XML/value, will do a better 
job of it.  

This is a major reason I'm participating in the Transport & Packing 
group -- XML needs a transport which provides security (encryption, 
authentication, non-repudiation and all that good stuff) and also 
a transport which provides the two phase commit semantics for 
once-and-onnce-only (which will probably be VERY important to 
e-commerce as I don't think banks will be too keen on transferring 
millions of dollars/euros if there is a chance the transport is 
going to lose or possible replicate the transfer ;-).  CORBA has it 
now, our specs are open (indeed, we're submitting them to ISO 
using their PAS process), and the specs are implemented in 
commercially supported products which are on the market.  

Information on XML/value is on our web site at 
http://www.omg.org/techprocess/meetings/schedule/XML_Value_RFP.html
As I said, it's new and the list of companies which have turned in 
a Letter of Intent to submit is on this page (there is definite 
interest).  We haven't had any submissions yet, but that's not too 
surprising as the deadline hasn't passed.  For those interested in 
more detail, there's a link to the RFP itself.

On the OMG home page, there is also a pointer to some more info on 
XML as it relates to OMG -- http://www.omg.org/xml/

There are two other areas in which we currently use XML:
1. XMI which is an XML based means for texhanging UML models and 
   other meta data, and 
2. in our component model where descriptors of components are in 
   XML.
However, this isn't the subject of your question.

Hope this helps without being too long.  Glad to answer any further 
questions.  Sorry about preaching two phase commit transaction 
processing, but I'm a true believer.  It probably won't be the 
last time I'll harangue the group on this :-)

Best regards,
Henry
-------------------------------------
At 08:47 AM 12/10/1999 -0600, Rik Drummond wrote:
>Henry, could you give us some better background on corba and xml. will you
>be converting corba to an xml based mechanism? Best regards, rik
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-ebxml-transport@lists.oasis-open.org
>[mailto:owner-ebxml-transport@lists.oasis-open.org]On Behalf Of Henry
>Lowe
>Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 1999 12:50 PM
>To: ebXML-Transport@lists.oasis-open.org
>Cc: henry@emerald.omg.org
>Subject: Initial correlation of ebXML Transport requirements with CORBA
>services
>
>
>Hi,
>
>As a possible basis for discussion, attached is a first pass
>at correlating the ebXML transport requirements from San Jose
>with CORBA services.  There's still work to be done in that
>a) I'm not sure I understand all of the requirements, and
>b) I need some help from some of the OMG members to ensure
>   I get it right.
>
>But, it is a start and perhaps we can use it on the ConCall to
>clarify some of (a) and chat about some of (b).
>
>Has a time and number been fixed for the Call?  I have the
>feeling I've been missing some in-coming e-mail (of course,
>that's one of those things that's hard to pin down ;-)
>
>Best regards,
>Henry
>