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.



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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



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