Subject: Re: [Tools-team] First try at a priority list

From: "Barbara B. Fuller" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 13:50:59 -0400

Hi Henrik:

Below are some in-line comments from the Secretariat on the priority list.

Barbara
------------------------------------------------------------------------
At 09:41 AM 9/29/2004, Henrik Levkowetz wrote:

>         Tool                                    Users
>         ----------------------------------------------          -----------
>         WG Status update web interface  Secretariat

We are not sure what you mean by a "WG Status update" Web 
interface.  However, FYI, the Secretariat already has an internal Web 
interface to its database for updating WG information, including general 
information and charter information.  Before the TOOLS Team was formed, we 
had planned to develop a related Web interface for the WG Chairs, so that 
they could update their information directly (and obtain AD approval where 
required).

The Secretariat also maintains a Web page for use by the IESG that 
summarizes the status of WGs under IESG review, that is, WGs that are in 
the process of being created or rechartered.

>         XML publication of IETF Meta-information        Tool Builders

We are not sure what this tool does, or if it is related to the work of the 
Secretariat.

>         WG Meeting scheduler                            Secretariat

If the "WG Meeting scheduler" is a tool for scheduling WG sessions at IETF 
Meetings, then the tool was also planned by the Secretariat development 
projects prior to creation of the TOOLS Team.  However, we had envisioned 
an "interactive" tool that would be used by the WG Chairs as well as by the 
Secretariat.

>         WG page components, provided to all WGs:
>             * Draft status page (revs, diffs, comments) WGs, Chairs
>             * Issue tracker, mailing list integration   WGs, Chairs
>             * Wiki                                      WGs, Chairs
>             * Collaboration pages                       WGs, Chairs
>             * List traffic summary                      WGs, Chairs

We are not sure what this tool does, or if it is related to the work of the 
Secretariat.

>         Html-ized WG agendas                            IETF attendees

"Html-ized WG agendas" might be a feature of the "WG Meeting scheduler" 
mentioned above.

>         I-D tracker extended for use by Chairs          Chairs, Authors

If we understand correctly, the purpose of this tool is to enable the WG 
Chairs to shepherd documents through the IESG review process.  In that 
case, the tool would be used by Secretariat as well as by the WG 
Chairs.  We are not sure how authors would use the tool.

>         Publication request tool                        Secretariat, Chairs

The "publication request tool" must be available to independent submitters 
as well as to WG Chairs.  According to current procedures, the IESG reviews 
documents from independent submitters when the documents are on the 
standards track or are BCP.

 From the Secretariat's perspective, combining the ability to submit an I-D 
and request publication in one tool would be desirable.

>         RSS/Atom feeds for new IDs, RFCs, WGs, ...      Tool Builders

We are not sure what this tool does, or if it is related to the work of the 
Secretariat.

------------------------------------------------
Barbara B. Fuller
Acting Executive Director
Internet Engineering Task Force

Natick, Massachusetts Office:

Phone: +1-508-650-4020
Fax:     +1-508-650-4639

Reston, Virginia Office:

Phone: +1-703-620-9053
Fax:     +1-703-620-9071  

_______________________________________________
Tools-team mailing list
[email-masked]
https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/tools-team

---

From: Henrik Levkowetz <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 23:32:18 +0200

Hi Barbara,

Barbara B. Fuller wrote:
> We are not sure what you mean by a "WG Status update" Web interface.  
> However, FYI, the Secretariat already has an internal Web interface to 
> its database for updating WG information, including general information 
> and charter information.  Before the TOOLS Team was formed, we had 
> planned to develop a related Web interface for the WG Chairs, so that 
> they could update their information directly (and obtain AD approval 
> where required).

Yes, this was what I was thinking of here.  Is that still appropriate?

> We are not sure what this tool does, or if it is related to the work of 
> the Secretariat.

This would involve the secretariat, in making meta-information for
e.g. drafts, authors, work-groups, chairs, ADs, etc. available in an XML
format. Hopefully this could be built up gradually as an effect of
improved tools; but as I feel this is a new request, and a new task,
I'd rather propose it as an item separate from e.g. the I-D submission
tool, to get viewpoints and hopefully buy-in from all involved parties.

> If the "WG Meeting scheduler" is a tool for scheduling WG sessions at 
> IETF Meetings, then the tool was also planned by the Secretariat 
> development projects prior to creation of the TOOLS Team.  However, we 
> had envisioned an "interactive" tool that would be used by the WG Chairs 
> as well as by the Secretariat.

Yes, that was the thought here, too.  I should have added chairs as
users here.  Will fix... :-)

> We are not sure what this tool does, or if it is related to the work of 
> the Secretariat.

Not related, except that it will have to be hosted somewhere.  For now
I'd be happy to host the component parts and eventually the whole tool
on my server, but I don't think that's appropriate in the long run.

> "Html-ized WG agendas" might be a feature of the "WG Meeting scheduler" 

Yes, that would make sense.

> Chairs.  We are not sure how authors would use the tool.

For authors, it would be a read-only information providing tool. I'll add
the secretariat as user.

> The "publication request tool" must be available to independent 
> submitters as well as to WG Chairs.  According to current procedures, 
> the IESG reviews documents from independent submitters when the 
> documents are on the standards track or are BCP.

Yes, good point. Will fix.

>  From the Secretariat's perspective, combining the ability to submit an 
> I-D and request publication in one tool would be desirable.

Ok, so this could be a step II of the I-D submission tool, in that case.
I don't know if it's better to combine or implement as separate things,
but that will surely be considered by you in the implementation too.

> We are not sure what this tool does, or if it is related to the work of 
> the Secretariat.

This is a way to push out xml data regarding new information, be it
IDs, RFCs, new Chairs or whatever.  It should be a side product of 
other tools, hopefully; not a whole separate tool.  Should not
involve manual secretariat work, but will affect tools involved in 
updating repositories and could affect tools for updating WG charters
etc.

I hope this clarifies things a bit - if not, please indicate where
more information might be needed :-)

	Best,
		Henrik

---

From: Alex Rousskov <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 10:17:44 -0600 (MDT)

On Wed, 29 Sep 2004, Henrik Levkowetz wrote:
>> We are not sure what this tool does, or if it is related to the 
>> work of the Secretariat.
>
> Not related, except that it will have to be hosted somewhere.

Would somebody need to implement some of the components? For example, 
somebody would need to write and/or maintain (in addition to hosting) 
software that generates "draft status pages". Another example is 
helping IETFers with wiki customization, maintenance, upgrades, 
troubleshooting. In that sense, a component may be relevant to 
Secretariat, right?

>> "Html-ized WG agendas" might be a feature of the "WG Meeting 
>> scheduler" mentioned above.
>

I do not see much in common between scheduling a meeting and 
visualizing an agenda. Can you clarify why it makes sense to do both 
in one tool/interface?

Thank you,

Alex.

---

From: "Barbara B. Fuller" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 15:20:28 -0400

Hi Henrik:

>Yes, this was what I was thinking of here.  Is that still appropriate?

Yes indeed :-))

Barbara

Phone: +1-508-650-4020
Fax:     +1-508-650-4639

Reston, Virginia Office:

Phone: +1-703-620-9053
Fax:     +1-703-620-9071

---

From: Henrik Levkowetz <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 00:05:31 +0200

Hi Alex,

> troubleshooting. In that sense, a component may be relevant to 

Yes, quite so, but it wouldn't have the secretariat as a user, which
is what I tried to capture in the righthand column.

> visualizing an agenda. Can you clarify why it makes sense to do both 

The description of the WG Meeting scheduler also includes the function
of giving WG chairs an interface used to submit agendas (see the link
on the team wiki), and html-izing would then be a simple processing
step for text format agendas submitted throught that interface.