Tech Giants Endorse Directory Mark-up Language

Bowstreet Tuesday initiated the use
of directory services markup language to several technology companies,
including Sun Microsystems Inc.

Designed to bridge the gap between XML-based e-business
applications, the XML standard connects companies’ business Webs.

Created last year by Bowstreet, IBM Corp. ,
Microsoft Corp. , Novell Inc., Oracle Corp. and the
Sun-Netscape alliance, the DSML 1.0 specification was completed and turned
over to
the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards
(OASIS) and Microsoft’s
BizTalk.

Bowstreet was the first company to deliver a product supporting DSML — the
Bowstreet Business Web Factory. The Business Web Factory platform allows
those with little technical skills manage business Webs.

Firms utilizing this language include:

• Novell Inc. which has added DSML
  functionality in its DirXML, a product that allows organizations to
  distribute data ownership while centralizing information availability

• IBM Corp. Business Transformation and
  CIO organization is leveraging and exploiting DSML as part of its strategic
  initiative with XML; SLAPHAPI allows quick, easy access to LDAP directories
  from Web applications written in any language

• Critical Path places DSML in leading LDAP directory and meta-directory products
• iPlanet recently released a
  DSML-enabled version of its LDAP software developer’s kit, a tool that
  allows programmers to easily use the iPlanet Directory Server

• Radiant Logic recently introduced DSML into its Virtual Directory
  Server software, a technology that enables directories to become central
  aggregation points for all key enterprise data In addition to the directory,
  application and server vendors, DSML is also
  gaining strong momentum with XML companies like infoShark, which integrates
  DSML into its XML-based data interchange technology
  

All of the firms list different uses for DSML, but it is perhaps Sun’s
involvement that is most complex.

The company has introduced a technology preview of a DSML module for the Java
Naming and Directory Interface(JNDI). JNDI is part of the Java 2 platform,
providing Java applications with connectivity to enterprise naming and
directory services. Using JNDI, developers can
access data – including information about people and computing resources –
from any vendor’s directory.

The DSML module fits beneath the JNDI API, allowing developers to manipulate
and update directory contents and export them in DSML format, making it
easier to customize and deploy B2B applications on a massive scale using a
standard API.

“From the start, we thought DSML would be a linchpin for the next generation
of e-business,” said Bob Crowley, president and CEO of Bowstreet. “It’s
rewarding to see leading technology vendors using it to fully activate
directories for industrial strength e-business and business Webs.”

Development of DSML 2.0 is underway.