This is the Introduction section of the document. See the DeviceDescriptionRepositoryRequirements overview.

Introduction

This section is informative

General

This document specifies technology neutral requirements for a reference repository for device descriptions, which in the context of this document are understood as pieces of information relating to Web-enabled devices that may be used to categorize or distinguish the capabilities of these devices.. * This document specifies technology-neutral requirements for a reference * standardised repository for " device descriptions.

* Such a repository forms part of the Scope and Deliverables of the MWI Device Descriptions Working Group (DDWG) Charter, based on the motivations described in the DeviceDescriptionLandscape document.

This document derives requirements for a single logical device descriptions repository, and the environment in which it operates. In particular, as described in detail in the DDWG Landscape and Ecosystem documents the requirements focus on several key themes:1. The extensibility and capacity capabilities of a device descriptions repository,2. The device decriptions repository query, access and management mechanisms,3. The availability and resilience of the device descriptions repository,4.The extensibility of the supported device descriptions.,5.Simplicity in the format and storage of the device descriptions.6.Validation and accuracy of the supported device description information. * This document presents several high-level use-cases where actors of the DeviceDescriptionEcosystem interact with a device description repository for specific purposes. From these use-cases a number of requirements are derived for a single logical device descriptions repositoryies., and the environment in which they it operates.

Conventions used in this document

The key words "must", "must not", "required", "shall", "shall not", "should", "should not", "required", "may", and "optional" in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 * The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119

Definitions

The following definitions ,in addition to terms from the Device Independence Glossary [DIG], are used in this document. * References are made to the Device Independence Glossary [DIG] where necessary.

Actor Any actor as described in DeviceDescriptionEcosystem, * with the addition of Repository Administrator, who manages operation of a DDR but is not necessarily a commercial Repository Provider.

Device Description That specific part of the delivery context directly related to the hardware and software of the device. ¤ Device Description will point to the DIG definition when available.

Device Description Repository (DDR) The DDR is a single logical entity, comprising one or more repository components, which exposes a single clear common interface for the purpose of providing access to device descriptions. * The DDR is a single logical entity which exposes a single interface to access device descriptions. The DDR may physically comprise one or more repository components.

Device Property A Delivery Context Characteristic, from an extensible vocabulary, associated with a device that describes a capability or behavior of the device. A Device Property may be a key/value pair or a tuple. * A single attribute which forms a component part of the Device Description ¤ Device Description will point to the DIG definition when available.