A DoD Mandated Resource Adapter Interface (RAI) Standard in Reach

A realistic recommendation for resource adapter interface (RAI), complete with a path for evolving to more comprehensive incarnations, is emerging from an industry supported working group. The RAI working group was formed in July 2005. The group of industry experts convened to attain consensus on what RAI is, to review existing candidate standards, and possibly to recommend one or more candidates for requirement in DoD procurement policy. The RAI topic has always been a controversial one that tests the metal of many existing standards, products and implementations. In achieving an industry consensus, barriers arise from vestments and mindsets surrounding existing products, standards, and ideas. The RAI working group moved forward and passed these obstacles by defining a set of terminology, goals and requirements that ensured consistent meaning in discussions. The recommendation that is materializing promotes a technology and standard that accomplishes two objectives. First it will provide a means of providing an RAI that can be realized with existing technologies. Secondly it will enable a path to providing maximized test application portability by recommending a standard that provides the evolutionary path to a maximized RAI. To achieve this, the working group is soliciting standards committees to embrace and incorporate RAI requirements. These new requirements will facilitate the maximized test application portability when future product developments embrace the complete standard. Recently published research findings that discuss what has hindered industry from achieving a maximized RAI are presented. The paper will discuss three abstractions that apply to RAI and which one has been selected in the recommendation and why. Various software technologies applicable to RAI implementation are also discussed. The paper also discusses the consensus definition for RAI, some history, applicability, and shortfall associated with some of the major existing products, paradigms and implementations. Finally, the paper will provide insights into the future vision for what RAI can be moving forward.