InCommon TAC Meeting - December 17, 2015

Attending: Tom Barton, Steve Carmody, Keith Hazelton, Ian Young, David Walker

With: Dean Woodbeck, Nate Klingenstein, Tom Scavo, IJ Kim, Paul Caskey, Nick Roy, Ann West, Steve Zoppi

Unaffiliated IdPs

Keith reported on next steps for the work on Unaffiliated IdPs (formerly IdPs of Last Resort):

1. He has been In touch with Nicole and Licia. The general plan is to coordinate efforts w AARC, start collaborating, then when appropriate, spin up a REFEDS WG (Sirtifi as an example of this model)

2. Re-charter/re-name IdPoLR WG for the next phase (up to launch of Refeds WG)

3. Prep an InCommon communication for Feb 15 around unaffiliated IdPs coincident with eduGAIN in InC aggregate (given that UnitedID will be in that aggregate)

   1. list of avail candidates and map to R&S requirements
   2. mention of global efforts going forward

   3. advice for early adopters


Hide From Discovery Category

This discussion was deferred to the next TAC call. It would be beneficial to draft a document that states the problem and scopes it appropriately. It would also be helpful to draft a document with guidance for InCommon participants about how and when to use this category.

REFEDS Update

Tom Barton provided a written update:

1. An IdPoLR WG will be established, as will OIDC and ORCID. Sirtfi will continue

2. Promotional efforts on attribute release, “evangelic SP,” CIC Cookbook, and libraries

3. Standards focused activities on SAML2Int (coord with InC WG), eduPerson.SCHAC, DNS Scope verification, Entity categories

4. CoCo approach has a new obstacle imposed by EC’s Group 29(?), the regulatory people responsible for Data Protection


TAC Membership

The text for an announcement is on the wiki. (AI) Steve Carmody will send this to the InCommon participants list and the EDUCAUSE IdM list this week. He will also ask a number of people to share the announcement with their communities (CLAC, NWACC, Calif Community Colleges, MCNC). The announcement will be sent again in January. Nominees will be asked to provide a summary of their experience and qualifications.

Deadline for responses is January 20, 2016, with a TAC vote on candidates at the January 21 meeting. Submissions will be available as they arrive. (AI) David Walker will prepare a page to list the candidates and their qualifications.

There was discussion about a proposal on the details of TAC membership. The proposal includes:

1. Seven community members appointed for three-year terms allocated in this manner:

   1. One research/agency representative

   2. One corporate sponsored partner representative

2. Four higher ed reps, based on the current InCommon participation levels:

   1. Very High Research

   2. High Research

   3. Med School/Large Masters

   4. BA/Community College

3. One at-large representative


Six standing members nominated by InCommon


1. Protocol Expert(s)

2. International Federation Operator

3. InCommon Operator

4. National IAM Projects

5. TIER

6. Security


Non-voting subject-matter experts (no terms) as identified


There was discussion about whether to have designated “seats,” with people representing certain constituencies. One point of view is to have designations to ensure a diversity of institutions and points of view. The other point of view is that this diversity can be accomplished with specific constituencies designated in the process of developing the slate of candidates and that having strict designations could be limiting.

There was no consensus reached and this issue will be discussed on the email list and during the next meeting.

In the end, the process is that TAC will agree on a roster to send to Steering, and Steering will vote on the final approval.

Next Meeting - January 7, 2016 - 1 pm ET