New spec could help networks communicate better

If the Service Modeling Language (SML) specification, which was submitted to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in March, becomes a standard, it could make disparate network components communicate better with each other. SML, which is based on XML, provides a common language for communication between systems management software by using a standard vocabulary and common programming language, which could help vendors create ideal configurations and provide ongoing recommendations for maintaining systems in heterogeneous environments. All of this would allow any component on the network to have an ideal configuration model or blueprint as a guide for IT managers to follow. Although SML is not yet a standard, several vendors, including Microsoft and IBM, have already embedded tools based on similar specifications into their products. For example, Microsoft's prequel to SML, the System Definition Model (SDM), is already used in Windows Server 2008, code-named Windows Longhorn. The next version of Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager, as well as Windows Server 2008, will have the SML standard embedded.

Read more about the forthcoming SML standard:
- read the article at TechTarget

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