[Css-csts] Considerations for Supporting Optional Features in CSTSes

[John Pietras]

Members of the CSTSWG --
At the February CSTSWG telecon, I took the action to "analyze the use of
options and the way to specify them" (Action Item #04-0208). I have
uploaded the result of that analysis,
"SuportingOptionsInCSTSes-080305.doc", to the CCSDS Collaborative Work
Environment (CWE) > Cross Support Services Area (CSS) > Documents >
CSS-CSTS > CWE Private > technical Notes folder at URL
http://cwe.ccsds.org/css/docs/CSS-CSTS/CWE%20Private/technical%20Notes/S
uportingOptionsInCSTSes-080305.doc

The technical note addresses three areas:
a. How can optional capabilities be defined in the specification of a 
   service? 
b. How can optional capabilities be selected for use in real service 
   instances? and 
c. How can interoperability be ensured among implementations of
different 
   version and options sets of a service?

The note mainly attempts to lay out several approaches, and offers some
critique of them. However, no final set of recommendations is proposed.
Rather, the paper is to be viewed as a list of discussion points that I
hope that we will be able to pursue next week.

Best regards, 
John 


John Pietras
Global Science & Technology, Inc. (GST)
7855 Walker Drive
Suite 200
Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
20770-3239
Direct:   +1-240-542-1155
GST Main: +1-301-474-9696
Fax:      +1-301-474-5970