**INTERDEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES AND SUPPORTING
RESEARCH (ICMSSR)**

**COMMITTEE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND COMMUNICATIONS
(CEISC)**

**JOINT ACTION GROUP FOR XML AND WEB SERVICES**

**DRAFT Record of Action and Action Items for 2006-5 Meeting**

**June 8, 2006**

**Teleconference**

**[MEMBERS PRESENT]{.underline}**

DOD: LCDR Marc E. Touchton USN, JAG/XMLWS Chairperson

NOAA: Mr. Bob Bunge, NWS

NOAA: Mr. Chris MacDermaid, ESRL

NOAA: Ms. Ann Keane, ESRL

NOAA: Mr. Jeff Ator, NWS

OFCM: Mr. Ken Barnett, Executive Secretary

I [Summarize WMO Meeting for JAG Members]{.underline}

-   Mr. Jeff Ator (US Rep to the WMO ET-DRC)

1.  Report on the use of XML within the U.S. submitted by J. Ator and F.
    Branski. (available on our web site) was presented at the
    WMO-Meeting of Expert Team on Data Representation and Codes in May.

2.  The Expert Team was receptive to our ideas and noted our offer to be
    involved in any such work on an international level.

3.  The current Expert Team has little to no expertise in XML.

4.  They reiterated their recommendation that a separate team of experts
    be organized within WMO to tackle this issue.

5.  Hopefully, this issue will be decided at this year\'s meeting of the
    WMO Commission for Basic Systems (CBS) in November.  (Fred Branski
    will be the US rep)

6.  Then, assuming that CBS approves the recommendation, the U.S. could
    then nominate our own preferred experts (perhaps from the JAG/XML)
    to participate in the work of this group.

7.  There was a follow on question about our additional information
    (provided by Bob Starek) about a security vulnerability.

> **Action: Provide back to Jeff some more information about the
> question from the British. Bob Starek has the lead on this action and
> Marc will follow up with Bob to get a response back to Jeff Ator.**
>
> Questions:
>
> Ken -- Would this new group interact mainly through written
> correspondence?
>
> Jeff -- It is hard to say, WMO may need to have the first meeting in
> person and then follow that up with emails. The Codes Group meets once
> a year and does a lot of its work through emails the rest of the time.
>
> Ken -- Would we get to name just one U.S. representative or how does
> it work?
>
> Jeff -- On the Codes Group we have one official named member, which
> means that WMO pays for that one member's travel. If countries send
> other representatives at their own expense, we go out of our way to
> hear their input.
>
> Marc -- Ann, would you like to tell us a little about yourself?
>
> Ann Kean -- I'm currently the web master at ESRL, we are a NOAA
> research laboratory. My background is somewhat sparse in terms of web
> services, I'm more interested in using them as a user to develop web
> applications. I am still looking for someone else from OAR with more
> of a weather XML role.
>
> **Action: Ken will update the roster and make Ann an Alternate. She
> will participate more as we move to addressing web services.**

II [Present Proposed US Way Ahead on XML Standardization]{.underline}

-   LCDR Marc Touchton (JAG/XMLWS Chair)

> This has not been through final approval of Mike Howland, so there
> maybe some small changes in the near future to this "Way Ahead."

1.  If the XML Expert Team is approved by CBS, we need to pick our
    representative for the group. This person does not necessarily have
    to be an XML expert, but at least is plugged in, getting the emails
    from that group and then shares them with us. That representative
    would be our conduit into that new Expert Team.

2.  XML standardization -- we need to determine exactly what we want to
    standardize, so the scope and amount of standardization.

    a.  What needs to be standardized?

    b.  Identify other agencies with a stake in the development.

    c.  Request participation from identified agencies (CEISC or
        higher?)

3.  Face-to-face meeting (pending approval)

4.  Configuration Management and release plan (Future Action)

5.  XML and Web Services development linked (Future Action)

6.  Determine (if we base our work on JMBL) what direction DOD is going.

7.  Future Efforts

    a.  Expand membership of JAG as required.

    b.  Baseline JMBL with input from stakeholders.

    c.  Present body of work to WMO.

    d.  Investigate feasibility of combining efforts in development of
        Web Services.

    e.  Develop framework for implementation of Web Services.

> **Action: Send out a request for your input to all JAG members to be
> returned before the next meeting. (Ask for any additional agency
> involvement, possible stumbling blocks, and the scope of
> standardization.)**
>
> **Action: Setup the next meeting date (one hour teleconference,
> probably in July.)**

III [Adjournment]{.underline}