Strategic Architecture and Investment Collaboration
The Component Architecture Advisory Group operates as a standing architecture and investment strategy collaboration, bringing together community members with deep technical expertise and strategic insight. This group informs Internet2 and InCommon’s ongoing investments across the various open-source projects and programs that comprise the InCommon Trusted Access Platform, ensuring architectural decisions align with community needs and emerging technology trends.
Component Architecture Advisory Group Structure
This advisory group is chartered and chaired by Internet2’s Associate Vice President of Integration and Architecture, ensuring direct connection to Internet2’s strategic technical leadership. The group advises Internet2’s Trust and Identity program area through collaborative interactions with other advisory groups, Internet2’s Vice President of Trust and Identity, and Internet2’s Associate Vice President for Trust and Identity.
Representation: Internet2 participants represent all facets of Internet2’s connection to community program disciplines including Architecture, Training/Education, Development, Project Management, Community Engagement, and Federation Operations.
Platform Component Strategy
Core Platform Component Strategy
The advisory group provides strategic guidance on the core open-source components that form the foundation of the InCommon Trusted Access Platform, including Shibboleth, Grouper, COmanage, and other essential software packages that enable secure collaboration across research and education.
Key Focus Areas:
- Core component development priorities and roadmaps
- Integration standards and architectural patterns
- Performance optimization and scalability planning
- Security architecture and best practices
Community Impact: Strategic component planning ensures the Trusted Access Platform continues to meet the evolving needs of research and education institutions while maintaining reliability and security.
Integration Architecture & Standards
The group focuses on how individual components work together as a cohesive platform, ensuring seamless integration patterns and architectural standards that enable institutions to deploy and maintain the Trusted Access Platform effectively.
Integration Priorities:
- Component interoperability and integration patterns
- Deployment packaging and configuration standards
- Upgrade pathways and version compatibility
- Multi-component orchestration and management
Technical Excellence: Integration architecture ensures individual components work together seamlessly while providing flexible deployment options for diverse institutional needs.
Community Development & Collaboration
The advisory group guides community-driven development initiatives, ensuring open-source component development aligns with real-world institutional needs while fostering collaborative innovation across the research and education community.
Development Focus:
- Community-driven feature development priorities
- Open-source contribution guidelines and practices
- Developer community engagement and support
- Technical documentation and training resources
Collaborative Innovation: Community development ensures the platform evolves through collaborative contributions that address actual institutional challenges and requirements.
Strategic Investment Planning & Prioritization
The group provides essential input on investment priorities across the component portfolio, helping Internet2 and InCommon allocate development resources strategically to maximize community value and platform capabilities.
Investment Priorities:
- Resource allocation across component development
- Strategic partnership and collaboration opportunities
- Technology trend assessment and adaptation
- Long-term sustainability planning
Strategic Value: Investment planning ensures limited resources are directed toward initiatives that deliver maximum value to the research and education community.
Your Architecture Expertise Can Shape Platform Evolution
Leadership Benefits:
- Technical Influence: Guide strategic architecture decisions for widely-deployed IAM components
- Platform Integration: Help ensure seamless integration across the Trusted Access Platform
- Community Innovation: Foster collaborative development that addresses real institutional needs
- Strategic Planning: Influence long-term investment priorities and technical roadmaps
- Open Source Leadership: Contribute to leading open-source IAM solutions for research and education
- Global Impact: Shape software that enables secure collaboration for millions of users worldwide
Architecture Impact: Component Architecture Advisory Group recommendations directly influence development priorities, integration standards, and investment decisions that affect the platform used by hundreds of institutions globally.
Trusted Access Platform Component Portfolio
The InCommon Trusted Access Platform represents a comprehensive suite of integrated open-source components designed specifically for the unique needs of research and higher education institutions. The Component Architecture Advisory Group guides strategic development and integration across this portfolio.
Current Platform Components:
- Shibboleth Identity Provider and Service Provider software
- Grouper access management and provisioning
- COmanage Registry for collaborative organization management
- MidPoint identity governance and administration
- SimpleSAMLphp lightweight federation software
- Tier containerization and deployment tools
Platform Evolution: The advisory group helps ensure these components continue to evolve as an integrated platform while maintaining flexibility for diverse institutional deployment scenarios.
Ready to Guide Platform Architecture?
The Component Architecture Advisory Group seeks experienced technical leaders with deep understanding of identity and access management architecture, open-source development practices, and the unique requirements of research and higher education institutions.
Ideal Advisory Group Members:
- Experienced IAM architects and technical leaders
- Open-source development and integration expertise
- Understanding of R&E institutional technical requirements
- Strategic planning and technical roadmap experience
Participation Opportunities: The advisory group welcomes TAC, CACTI, and other technical advisory committee members to participate in strategic architecture planning and component investment decisions.
Get Involved: Contact Internet2’s Integration and Architecture team to learn about upcoming architecture planning initiatives and advisory group participation opportunities.
Architecture Decisions That Enable Global Collaboration
The Component Architecture Advisory Group’s strategic guidance shapes open-source software that powers secure collaboration for millions of users across hundreds of research and education institutions worldwide. These architecture decisions enable breakthrough research and educational innovation.
Platform Reach:
- Hundreds of participating research and education institutions
- Millions of students, faculty, staff, and researchers served
- Billions of dollars in research collaboration enabled
- Global impact across multiple countries and federations
Technical Innovation: Advisory group guidance helps ensure the Trusted Access Platform remains at the forefront of identity and access management technology while serving the unique collaborative needs of research and education.
Architecture
Advisory FAQ
What technical background is needed for advisory group participation?
How does the Component Architecture Advisory Group interact with other committees?
What is the focus on component development versus new features?
How can I contribute to specific component development?
Shape the Future of Open-Source IAM Architecture
Join technical leaders in guiding the strategic evolution of the open-source components that power secure collaboration for research and education. Your architecture expertise can help ensure the Trusted Access Platform continues to serve the community’s evolving needs.