To the user, the entire directory of network resources is accessible from the local server. On the Internet, DSML should make directory information available to a world where information in distributed directories is maintained in different schemas. Last July, the group announced its intent to develop it, and on Dec. 7, it turned over the DSML 1.0 specification draft to the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, a nonprofit consortium for XML e-commerce standardization. DSML specifies standardized ways for defining directory schemas, including specific XML tags and other metadata information, that are similar to the document type definitions in the Internet programming language HTML, which are managed as directory entries. XML applications request both data and schema information from directories and consolidate them into one document.
Network managers can enable DSML on current directories by simply installing extensions.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol and current vendor application programming interfaces remain in use. A combination of XML and DSML will be essential to Internet directory services, enabling a new generation of applications that use directories more effectively. In particular, DSML will be important to supply-chain and customer service applications, all of which rely heavily on customized presentation of data. DSML metadata descriptions will be the tools for that job. Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved.