[Sois-tcons] SOIS status 2005

[Patrick.Plancke at esa.int]

After reflection time, it is time for action again.
I can agree with Steve that the review we have done is not perfect but no
review is perfect and a time for reflection was necessary. So  I do not want
to argue on the details  and  entering a never ending polemic. Better is to
think forward.

Sois was under criticism for some good reasons:
-     CSEG  feeling of SOIS working in a splendid isolation
-     Issue of  compatibility with 'IP' based protocols
-     Absence of SOIS product coming out?

We had also some good reasons for being in this situation, problems of
chairs, problem of funding for some chairs and co-chairs (mentioned in report
to CSEG in November at Toulouse).
Also we may blame ourselves : the OBL document available at the end of SOIF
should have been transformed in a draft red book when we started SOIS. This
can be easily corrected  by publishing it as such, even if we update it later
as results of on going work.

Working situation

This time, the report we presented at CSEG on April 7/8 was more optimistic.
It acknowledges the fact that some key chairs are currently funded, the
participation of 'CCSDS' experienced staff supporting SOIS like Scott B,
Keith S, Dai S ?
It announced that several SOIS red book will be out this year.
This was reflected in the SOIS plenary discussion.
The delta report to CSEG we made on the end of the spring meeting week was
also not so bad, in fact quite positive  and well received. (it can be
checked on the CWE SOIS documents).


So indeed, despite what happens in the last plenary, the outcomes of SOIS
spring meeting was very positive. We are on the good track.
If TCONS had not been able to produce documents is partially due to lack of
funding, may be, but  we also have to recognize that tremendous work has been
performed and should not be lost. So reason is not a lack of effort, it is
also due to lack of experience of CCSDS way of doing things. TCONS shall
re-assess its work plan, avoiding to solve in advance all implementation
issues for all bus cases, that will be the OBL JOB,  and start  to produce a
clean root document describing the abstract services definition.

I propose to have quite soon in June a meeting/(video)conference to restart
activities after the Dasia conference of next week
(and get a status for those that did not stop).
I will try to propose some dates asap.

Patrick