[higgins-dev] Re: M4 Architecture

[Nataraj Nagaratnam <natarajn@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for bringing this to attention/discussion,
Baber.  I didn't realize this change ... 

One liner is my view is --  IdAS
is the API, CPI is the SPI.

IdAS is a fundamental concept and important.
That is what applications (including STS, etc) will know and use .. for
those who are not identity provider savvy, all they need to know is the
IdAS. If collaboration sites, transaction applications, need to use Higgins
and they ask us what to do  .. then we tell them that the programming
model  - IdAS is what you need to know about.  They do not need
to worry about context providers. For those site providers who need to
participate in a given identity metasystem, then CPI is a way for them
to plug into that system. Thus, in a framework provider model ... I see
IdAS as the "API"  that others (applications including STS,
or other apps that need identity info, etc) can talk to. CPI is the pluggable
"SPI" that allows providers to be plugged into a metasystem and
thus accesible through an IdAS. 

-Raj

ps: i am using the term metasystem loosely
here ;) .. to get the point across about various contexts can be accessed
through a system where those contexts are 'registered' in some sense.

"Baber Amin" <baber@xxxxxxxxxx>

04/01/2006 07:17 PM

To	<higgins-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "Tom Doman" <TDoman@xxxxxxxxxx>, Anthony Nadalin/Austin/IBM@IBMUS
cc	"Duane Buss" <DBuss@xxxxxxxxxx>, "Dale Olds" <DOlds@xxxxxxxxxx>, "John Calcote" <JCALCOTE@xxxxxxxxxx>, "Jim Sermersheim" <JIMSE@xxxxxxxxxx>, "Juan Carlos Luciani" <JLUCIANI@xxxxxxxxxx>, "Pat Felsted" <PFELSTED@xxxxxxxxxx>, "Igor Tsinman" <igor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Valery Kokhan" <valery@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "'Mary Ruddy'" <mary@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Paul Trevithick" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "John Merrells" <merrells@xxxxxxxx>, Michael McIntosh/Watson/IBM@IBMUS, Nataraj Nagaratnam/Raleigh/IBM@IBMUS, "Jan Camenisch" <jca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject	M4 Architecture

Hi Folks, the picture at the URL below has renamed
IDAS to Context
Provider Interface.  They might perform the same function, but I feel
that we need to have IDAS with a very thin CPI layer under it for the
context providers to plug into.

I see IDAS as a major Higgins component to be used on back-end services
where we won't need anything above it.  This is where IDAS and Higgins
act as a identity normalization layer.  Having just a CPI there feels
empty.  Even in the M4 picture, we see the top of CPI talking to STS.
Since an STS is not a context provider it should not be talking to that
interface, the top of the CPI should be IDAS.  

Do you agree Paul?

Cheers
-Baber

http://spwiki.editme.com/ArchitectureM4
[attachment "higgins web integration 060315_1.JPG" deleted by
Nataraj Nagaratnam/Raleigh/IBM]