Glossary Page for WS-AgreementRenegotiation

Modification Acceptance (Agreement Modification Acceptance). Agreement modification acceptance is the decision of the agreement responder or the initiator (ie. agreement modification responder) to modify a pre-established agreement relationship with an initiator/responder as defined in the modification offer made by the initiator/responder (ie agreement modification initiator). There are both synchronous and asynchronous mechanisms for the responder/initiator to signal this acceptance decision to the initiator.

Agreement. An agreement defines a dynamically-established and dynamically-managed relationship between parties. The object of this relationship is the delivery of a service by one of the parties within the context of the agreement. The management of this delivery is achieved by agreeing on the respective roles, rights and obligations of the parties. The agreement may specify not only functional properties for identification or creation of the service, but also non-functional properties of the service such as performance or availability. Entities can dynamically establish and manage agreements via Web service interfaces.

Consumer (Service Consumer). A service consumer is an entity entering into an agreement with the intent of obtaining guarantees on the availability of certain services from the service provider. The agreement is established between an agreement initiator and agreement responder acting on behalf of the service consumer and service provider. Either initiator or responder role may act on behalf of a service provider, or consumer, depending on domain-specific signaling requirements. The consuming or providing parties of the service domain may act directly as initiating or responding parties of the WS-Agreement domain or may be represented by proxies.

Context (Agreement Context). Agreement context contains information about agreement parties and the agreement to be negotiated. Agreement context is extended in the WS-Agreement renegotiation to include concepts such as old agreement that this new agreement has superseded or new agreement which this old agreement is being superseded by.

Renegotiation (Agreement Renegotiation). Agreement renegotiation is the process defined in this specification to allow the two parties of agreement initiator and responder to agree to a modification of an established agreement. The overall process starts initiator/responder (ie agreement modification initiator) making a modification request via one of the agreement renegotiation operations, and is concluded when the responder/initiator (agreement modification responder) accepts the request.

Expiration (Time). Expiration time defines a time when an agreement is no longer valid, and the parties are no-longer obligated by the terms of the agreement. This time May be a candidate for renegotiation.

Guarantee (Guarantee Terms). Guarantee terms define the assurance on service quality (or availability) associated with the service described by the service definition terms. They refer to the service description that is the subject of the agreement and define service level objectives (describing for example the quality of service on execution that needs to be met), qualifying conditions (defining for example when those objectives have to be met) and business value expressing the importance of the service level objectives. Guarantee Terms May be candidates for renegotiation.

Initiator (agreement initiator). An agreement initiator is a party to an agreement. The initiator creates and manages an agreement on the availability of a service on behalf of either the service consumer or service provider, depending on the domain-specific signaling requirements. The Agreement initiator MAY request an Agreement Modification.

Offer (Agreement Offer). An offer is the description of the agreement relationship that is sent from initiator to responder during agreement creation, indicating the relationship which the initiator would like to form. This offer is accepted or rejected by the responder.

Modification Initiator (Agreement Modification Initiator). An agreement modification initiator is a party to an agreement (ie. Either an Agreement Initiator or the Agreement Responder). The modification initiator requests a modification to an established agreement.

Modification Responder (Agreement Modification Responder) An agreement modification responder is a party to an agreement (ie. Either an Agreement Initiator or the Agreement Responder). The modification initiator receives a modification request to an established agreement and either accepts or rejects the agreement modification.

Modification Request (agreement modification request). An agreement modification request is the description of the modification to an established agreement that is sent from either the initiator or the responder (named the agreement modification initiator)to the other party during agreement renegotiation, indicating the modification to the established agreement that the modification initiator (initiator/responder) would like to ask. This request is accepted or rejected by the other party (modification responder).

Parties (Agreement Parties). Agreement parties consist of the agreement initiator and the agreement responder.

Provider (Service Provider). A service provider is an entity entering into an agreement with the intent of providing a service according to conditions described by the agreement.

Modification Rejection (Agreement Modification Rejection). Agreement modification rejection is the complement of the acceptance process wherein the modification responder decides not to modify a pre-established agreement as described in the modification initiator’s modification request.

Responder (Agreement Responder). The agreement responder is a party to an agreement. The responder implements and exposes an agreement on behalf of either the service provider or service consumer, depending on the domain-specific signaling requirements.. The Agreement responder MAY request an agreement modification.

Service Description Terms. Service Description Terms describe the functionality that is delivered under the agreement. The agreement description may include also other non-functional items referring to the service description terms. Service description terms May be candidates for agreement renegotiation

Template (Agreement Template). An agreement template is an XML document used by the agreement responder to advertise the types of offers it is willing to accept. Like an agreement document, the template is composed of a template name, a context element, and agreement terms, but additionally also includes information on agreement creation constraints to describe a range of agreements it might accept.

Terms (Agreement Terms). Agreement terms define the content of an agreement. It is expected that most terms will be domain-specific defining qualities such as for example service description, termination clauses, transferability options and others.