The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) announced that the eXtensible Access Method (XAM) specification and Software Development Kit (SDK) are on-track for mid-2008 public availability and are driving software collaboration across the industry enabling the development of a single standard. XAM provides a framework for standards-based information independence for applications and storage systems. As such, XAM will deliver storage transparency to end users, along with the ability to assure information immutability to meet long-term digital information retention requirements.

The XAM Initiative and associated specification development efforts continue to progress and build momentum. Fifty companies, which include storage vendors, application developers and academia, are participating in the initiative and its two associated Technical Work Groups. The XAM specification version 1.0 release schedule is on track, and the SNIA plans to gain member approval for the specification in mid-2008 followed by its submission for ANSI and ISO accreditation. Additionally, the development of the XAM SDK has accelerated and is on track for mid-year availability for licensing to the industry.

Advancing the XAM SDK development effort, the SNIA is also announcing that three active members have donated software in support of the initiative. EMC has contributed the C++ with Java Native Interface (JNI) Wrapper XAM Library; HP has donated a Java version of the XAM Library; and Sun added code from its Sun StorageTek 5800 (previously known as "Project HoneyComb") for the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Reference Vendor Implementation Modules (VIMs).

"The donations from these three members, along with support from more than 45 other companies in the development of the software and specification, represent key pieces of the XAM program coming together to deliver a powerful and effective solution for storing and accessing information in massive reference data repositories," said Vincent Franceschini, Chair of the SNIA. "From simplified porting and testing procedures for ISVs, to reducing vendor lock-in by decoupling the back-end storage from the application, to delivering a solid SDK, the XAM Initiative is delivering value to its three key constituencies application developers, end users and storage vendors."

In a related announcement today and, in parallel with the XAM specification and SDK development, the SNIA Data Management Forum is beginning development of a new application-centric standard called a Self-Describing Self-Contained Data Format (SD-SCDF) that will be coupled with the XAM specification over time. The SD-SCDF is aimed at providing application developers who adopt XAM the ability to write a standard, interoperable, long-term preservation format, and XAM provides SD-SCDF a strategic catalyst enabling adoption.

Key XAM Demonstrations at Storage Networking World Spring 2008
The industry can observe these benefits first-hand again, as the SNIA XAM Initiative is demonstrating several solutions utilizing the XAM specification during Storage Networking World Spring 2008. There are four distinct information management solutions integrated with the XAM specification being showcased by EMC, HP, Sun Microsystems and Vignette.

Jon Palin, Imaging and Workflow Solutions Director at application developer Vignette added, "XAM can help us simplify development requirements and dramatically reduce time to market pressures. By utilizing XAM within our document and records repository we could provide cross-platform support for XAM-compliant storage devices while removing the need to maintain and test multiple storage drivers."


Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA)