Standardization Work at W3C: Web Services and Semantics

About W3C

International consortium, around 400 Members, started by Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the Web, in 1995
Standardization of core Web technologies, publication of guidelines, etc.

Overall view of W3C standards

Standardization of the Web services infrastructure at W3C:
- SOAP 1.2: messaging framework
- XOP+MTOM+RRSHB: optimized message transmission
- WS-Addressing 1.0: message and service addressing information
- WSDL 2.0: service description
- WS-CDL 1.0: choreography description
- XML Schema Patterns for Databinding
Interest Group on use of WS technologies and semantic WS technologies, started in 2003 (around 500 subscribers)

Offers a public group to discuss and work on topics where Web services technologies meet Semantic Web technologies
Explores new Web services uses and emerging needs in this domain
Important European research and industry active participation in this Interest Group (more than 50% of the participants)
Plan: renew this Interest Group

Discuss appropriate use of Semantics in the discovery, composition, relocatability and other aspects of Web services needs
Provide guidance and advice to the Web services Working Groups on charter requirements for mapping to Semantic Web technologies
Review deliverables of W3C and non-W3C working groups related to Web services
Discuss experience of implementation and deployment of Semantic Web in Web services technologies.

Workshop On Frameworks For Semantics In Web Services held in June in Austria [75% participating organizations from EU]
Reported:
- Complete ontology-based models are not considered mature enough
- Semantic annotations in Web services descriptions are an appealing first step
- Almost no commercial use/plans of SWS, real need for semantics in WS use cases?

Semantics for Web Services Characterization Group, 1 year to:

gather use cases and analyze requirements, characterize, classify desired functionalities
conclude on the feasibility of one or several pieces of framework satisfying the requirements
recommend for further work in the area

Semantic Annotations for WSDL Working Group, chartered to:

develop a simple generic mechanism to enable semantic annotation of Web services descriptions thanks to WSDL 2.0 extension mechanisms
define a mapping to RDF compatible with the current RDF mapping of WSDL 2.0

The Grid platform is a user of the Web platform, much like the Web is a user of the Internet.
The Grid needs the Web: HTTP, XML, Web Services, Semantic Web
The Grid is a technical community that use W3C technologies, among many others technical communities (e.g. Life Science, Mobile, eGoverment, Oil Industry, Airlines, etc.)

The Web Services architecture is still evolving bottom-up style, and the OGSA roadmap assumes stability at this level.
- Grid architects should participate more in design and evolution of W3C technologies.
- Grid developers should implement W3C Recommendations.
- Interoperability between Grids should start with Networking interoperability.
W3C works to deliver Open Standards (technical coordination and leadership, consensus and running code, clear patent policy, universality, persistence).
- Web services stack and connected work (e.g. Efficient XML Interchange)
- Semantic Web technologies available for Semantic Grid (e.g. SPARQL)
- Semantic Web Services work about to start
Various W3C instruments like Workshop, Working Group, Incubator, Interest Group, that can be used to host a new standard related activity