Subject: Virtual Interop Testing for iCalendar, iMIP and iTIP

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 16:32:51 -0400

Hi, it's time to schedule our virtual interop.  What this is going to be 
is an interop testing of RFCs 2445, 2446 and 2447 (iCalendar, iTIP and 
iMIP) over the internet.  (What a concept!).  Everyone has limited time 
and budgets so it has made it tough to get an "in-person interop" going. 
I'm willing to put in the effort to set this up and I hope vendors and 
open source groups will be willing to participate/

My thoughts on how this virtual testing will work are as follows. 
There will be a secure server that will have IMAP and POP capability so we 
can test sending calendar entries. 
There will be a Team Room, again secure with log-ons, where people can 
hold discussions on-line (similar to AOL and MSN, but encrypted).  This is 
where everyone will be able to mark off when a MUST or SHOULD has 
worked/not worked/almost worked and where comments can be made. 
We will have an agenda that will set up times to do the testing  and times 
to stop and chat about where we are at that point in the testing. 
I will ask everyone that participates on this interop to devote the full 
time to the testing - i.e. assume you are away from the office during the 
testing (even though you are not).
We will have regular conference calls set at certain intervals during the 
two days.
Results on testing will be provided by each participant to the chair, .
The chair, myself, will summarize the results and report them, 
confidentially, to the IETF Area Directors.
All confidentiality rules observed at a normal interop testing will be 
observed during the virtual testing. 
This shall be a low cost interop - the costs will be the conference 
calling facility and that will be based on how many people sign up for the 
virtual testing.  When I know the number, I will estimate the costs and we 
will divide it equally among the participants.  I do not foresee this 
being more than $100 per organization.

Now, here's what I need from everyone:

1.  Preferred dates - here's my selections - pick the best for you.  We 
want to do two contiguous days.  Please respond within the next two weeks 
if you will be participating and which days you prefer.  I will need at 
least two weeks to finalize the virtual testing facility. 
        - Any two days the week of July 29-August 2
        - Any two days the week of August 5 - 9
        - Any two days the week of September 3-6

NOTE - I am not opposed to doing weekend days if that fits schedules 
better.

2.  I need to ensure we have a really good testing matrix that reflects 
all items that need to be tested.  We have used a fairly high level matrix 
for the prior testing.  Since we are going to be doing this testing 
"virtually" I need more comprehensive matrixes  In other words, I need a 
clearly defined chart (I see a spreadsheet working quite nicely for this) 
with MUSTS/SHOULDs defined.  Then as a test is completed, we will check 
off, by vendor, what has been completed. 

My request is for volunteers to help draw up these matrixes.  I did a good 
start using GREP - but as many of you have probably already figured out, 
I'm an end user not a developer of calendar apps.  I need someone who 
really understands the drafts to help me put together the matrixes - one 
per draft.  So...if you would like to help, please send me an email.

Thanks for your support.  Help us move these RFC's up to Standard level!.