International Standardization

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International Standardization SEDRIS
Simulation Interoperability WorkshopSeptember
20, 2000 presented by Paul FoleyQuantum
ResearchDefense Modeling and Simulation Office

• Dr. George S. CarsonGSC Associatescarson_at_siggrap
  h.org

Dr. Richard F. PukIntelligraphics
Inc.puk_at_igraphic.com
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Outline

• What are International Standards?
• How are International Standards developed?
• How is SEDRIS being transposed into an
  International Standard?

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Standards?
Standards are documented agreements containing
technical specifications or other precise
criteria to be used consistently as rules,
guidelines, or definitions of characteristics, to
ensure that materials, products, processes and
services are fit for their purpose.
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Standards - Who and What

• Informal standards
• Single entities
• Consortia, trade associations, etc.
• Formal standards
• ISO and IEC
• United Nations System of Organizations
• What is specified
• Characteristics of things
• Techniques and procedures

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What is Gained in Standardization?

• Enhanced product quality and reliability at a
  reasonable price
• Improved health, safety and environmental
  protection, and reduction of waste
• Greater compatibility and interoperability of
  goods and services
• Simplification for improved usability
• Reduction in the number of models, and thus
  reduction in costs
• Increased distribution efficiency, and ease of
  maintenance

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What is the ISO?

• The International Organization for
  Standardization (ISO) is a worldwide federation
  of national standards bodies from some 130
  countries, one from each country.
• ISO is a non-governmental organization
  established in 1947.
• ISO's work results in international agreements
  which are published as International Standards.
• The scope of ISO is not limited to any particular
  branch it covers all technical fields except
  electrical and electronic engineering, which is
  the responsibility of IEC.

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ISO Technical Work

• The technical work of ISO is highly
  decentralized, carried out in a hierarchy of some
  2,850 technical committees, subcommittees and
  working groups.
• Each working day, there are some 15 ISO technical
  meetings taking place around the world.
• The first ISO standard was published in 1951 with
  the title, "Standard reference temperature for
  industrial length measurement".
• By the end of 1999, ISO had published more than
  12,500 International Standards.

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What is the IEC?

• The International Electrotechnical Commission
  (IEC) was founded in 1906 and is the world
  organization that prepares and publishes
  international standards for all electrical,
  electronic and related technologies.
• In addition to standards, the IEC publishes
  Technical Reports, Technical Specifications and
  Industry Technical Agreements (ITAs).

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ISO Process Participants

• Approximately 30,000 technical experts on loan
  from business, industry, government, academia,
  consumer organizations and other bodies take part
  each year in the development of ISO standards.
• A member body of ISO is the national body "most
  representative of standardization in its
  country". Thus, only one body in each country may
  be admitted to ISO membership.
• ISO cooperates closely with the IEC, ITU and
  other governmental and non-governmental
  international organizations.
• ISO committees establish liaisons with other
  organizations.
• The International Electrotechnical Commission
  (IEC) was founded in 1906.
• The IEC is the world organization that prepares
  and publishes international standards for all
  electrical, electronic and related technologies.
• The IEC publishes not only International
  Standards but also Technical Specifications,
  Technical Reports, and Industry Technical
  Agreements.

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ISO Principles

• Consensus The views of all interests are taken
  into account manufacturers, vendors and users,
  consumer groups, testing laboratories,
  governments, engineering professions and research
  organizations.
• Industry-wide Global solutions to satisfy
  industries and customers worldwide.
• Voluntary International standardization is
  market-driven and therefore based on voluntary
  involvement of all interests in the market-place.

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ISO Products

• International Standards are named Organization
  Number Committee name Title Year Language
• Example ISO/IEC 14772 Information Technology
  Computer Graphics and Image Processing Virtual
  Reality Modeling Language (VRML) 1997 (E)
• Other products Technical Reports, Guides and
  Handbooks

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International Standards

• Based on a set of drafting rules
• Written in specialized language
• Conform to a well-defined and consistent
  structure
• Use International English
• One or more Document Editors responsible for each
  standard

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Organization and Procedures

• ISO is supported by ISO Central Secretariat (CS)
  located in Geneva Switzerland
• Decentralized, hierarchical organization
• ISO General Assembly
• ISO Council, ISO Technical Management Board
  (TMB)
• Technical Committee (TC)
• Subcommittee (SC)
• Working Group (WG)
• Well defined processes in the Directives
• Secretariats support TCs, SCs and WGs
• Types of memberships P, O, and I Liaison

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Six Stage Process

• Stage 1 Proposal stage
• Stage 2 Preparatory stage
• Stage 3 Committee stage
• Stage 4 Enquiry stage
• Stage 5 Approval stage
• Stage 6 Publication stage

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Stage 1 Proposal Stage

• Confirm that a particular International Standard
  is needed.
• New work item proposal (NP) is submitted for vote
  by the members of the relevant TC / SC to
  determine the inclusion of the work item in the
  program of work.
• The proposal is accepted if a majority of the
  P-members of the TC / SC votes in favor and at
  least five P-members declare their commitment to
  participate actively in the project.

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Stage 2 Preparatory Stage

• A working group of experts, the convener of which
  is the project leader, is set up by the SC for
  the preparation of a Working Draft (WD).
• Successive WDs may be circulated for comment
  until the working group is satisfied that it has
  developed the right technical solution.
• WD is forwarded to the working group's parent
  committee for consensus-building.

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Stage 3 Committee Stage

• The committee draft (CD) is registered by the ISO
  CS and distributed for voting by the P-members of
  the SC.
• Successive CDs may be considered until consensus
  is reached on the technical content. The last CD
  is called the Final CD (FCD).
• Once consensus has been attained, the text is
  finalized for submission as a Draft International
  Standard (DIS).

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Stage 4 Enquiry Stage

• The DIS is circulated to all ISO member bodies by
  ISO CS for voting and comment within a period of
  five months.
• It is approved for submission as a Final Draft
  International Standard (FDIS) if a 2/3 majority
  of the P-members of the TC are in favor and not
  more than 1/4 of the total number of votes cast
  are negative.
• If the approval criteria are not met, the text is
  returned to the originating SC for further study
  and a revision and subsequent DIS voting.

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Stage 5 Approval Stage

• The FDIS is circulated to all ISO member bodies
  by the ISO CS for a final Yes / No vote within a
  period of two months.
• Any technical comments are not considered at this
  stage, but registered for consideration during a
  future revision.
• The text is approved as an International Standard
  (IS) if a 2/3 majority of the P-members of the TC
  are in favor and not more than 1/4 of the total
  number of votes cast are negative.

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Stage 6 Publication Stage

• Once a Final Draft International Standard has
  been approved, only minor editorial changes, if
  and where necessary, are introduced into the
  final text.
• The final text is sent to the ISO Central
  Secretariat which publishes the International
  Standard.

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Life-cycle After Publication

• Technical Corrigenda correct technical errors
  or ambiguities.
• Amendments alter and / or add to technical
  provisions.
• 5 Year Review all International Standards are
  reviewed at least once every five years by the
  responsible committee. An International Standard
  may be confirmed, revised or withdrawn.
• Registration add new items in specific
  categories foreseen in the original IS.

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SEDRIS Standardization

• ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 1 - Information
  Technology Chair T. Frost Secretariat L.
  Rajchel
• Subcommittee 24 Computer Graphics and Image
  Processing Chair L. Moore (acting)
  Secretariat J. Stride
• Working Group 8 - Environmental Representation
  Convener J. Cogman Secretariat T. Gifford

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SEDRIS ISO Standards

• SEDRIS (Editor R. Puk) ISO/IEC 18023
• Part 1 Functional specification
  ISO/IEC 18023-1
• Part 2 Transmittal format ISO/IEC 18023-2
• Part 3 File format binary encoding ISO/IEC
  18023-3
• SEDRIS Language Bindings (Editor R. Puk) ISO/IEC
  18024
• Part 4 ISO C ISO/IEC 18024-4
• Environmental Data Coding Specification ISO/IEC
  18025
• (EDCS) (Editors S. Carson, P. Birkel)
• Spatial Reference Model (SRM) ISO/IEC 18026
• (Editors S. Carson, P. Birkel, R. Toms)
• EDCS Language Bindings (Editor TBD) ISO/IEC
  1xxxx
• Part 4 ISO C ISO/IEC 1xxxx-4
• SRM Language Bindings (Editor TBD) ISO/IEC 1xxxy
• Part 4 ISO C ISO/IEC 1xxxy-4

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How the Pieces fit Together
Non changing or infrequently changing
Frequent Updates
ISO/IEC Standards
SISO Products Implementation Specific
1. 18023 SEDRIS Functional Specification 2.
18024 SEDRIS Language Bindings C 3. 18025
Environmental Data Coding
Specification (EDCS) 4. 18026 Spatial
Reference Model (SRM) 5. xxxxx EDCS Language
Bindings C 6. xxxxx SRM Language Bindings C
1. SRM Software 2. EDCS Database and
Software 3. EDCS Mapping Documents 4. Reports
and Guidance Documents
Tools Utilities
1. Browser 2. Checker 3. Depth 4. Feature
Viewer 5. Model Viewer 6. Netscape Plug-In
7. Ocean Profile 8. SEE-IT 9. Side-By-Side
Viewer 10. Wind Map 11. API Implementations
Format conversions 12. Others
Commercial Government Products
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EDCS / SRM Schedules

• ISO / IEC JTC1 / SC24 / WG8 Focus Output
• 4 3 - 7 Jul 2000 EDCS WD3 to WD4
• 1 Oct 2000 SRM WD4
• 15 Oct 2000 EDCS WD4
• 5 28 Nov - 2 Dec 2000 SRM WD4 to WD5
• 15 Dec 2000 EDCS/SRM LB WD1
• 6 26 Feb - 2 Mar 2001 EDCS WD4/LB to CD
• 30 Apr 2001 EDCS/LB CD
• 7 12 - 16 Jun 2001 SRM WD5/LB to CD
• 31 August 2001 SRM/LB CD
• 8 TBD 2001 SEDRIS TBD
• TBD 2001 EDCS/LB FCD
• TBD 2001 SRM/LB FCD

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How To Participate

• Join your national standards body
• Provides direct participation
• Formal comments on standards
• International participation opportunities
• Vote on comments and help establish national
  position
• Participate via liaison organization
• SEDRIS Organization
• Simulation Interoperability Standards
  Organization (SISO)
• Open Geographic Information System (GIS)
  Consortium
• ISO TC 211 (Geographic Information / Geomatics)
  Liaison

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Sources for Further Information

• ISO http//www.iso.ch/
• IEC http//www.iec.ch/
• ISO / IEC JTC 1 http//www.jtc1.org/
• ITTF ( where to look for procedures
  directives) http//isotc.iso.ch/livelink/livelink/
  fetch/2000/2489/Ittf_Home/ITTF.htm
• ISO / IEC JTC 1 / SC 24 http//www.bsi.org.uk/sc
  24/
• ISO / IEC JTC 1 / SC 24 / WG 8
  http//www.sedris.org/wg8home/index.htm
• ANSI http//www.ansi.org/
• UN System of Organizations http//www.unsystem.
  org/