XAM Initiative

XAM Initiative Mission and Goals
The SNIA XAM Initiative to drive adoption of its forthcoming eXtensible Access Method (XAM) specification. This Initiative will build and serve a XAM community that includes storage vendors, independent software vendors, and end users to ensure that the specification fulfills market needs for a fixed content data management interface standard. These needs include interoperability, information assurance (security), storage transparency, long-term records retention and automation for Information Lifecycle Management (ILM)-based practices.

• Ensure the adoption, implementation, and deployment of the XAM programming interface(s) by applications concerned with fixed content data management and storage systems including SAN, NAS, and CAS;
• Cultivate both a SNIA community and an industry-at-large ecosystem for vendor product XAM standard implementation driven by end-user demand;
• Develop and implement XAM product interoperability programs; XAM developer programs; XAM standard product conformance programs, and industry education materials

The XAM Initiative is a fee-based activity for SNIA members to conduct programs to achieve the goals. The Initiative is structured with a governing board and dedicated committees. There are many leadership roles in the board and committees to develop the market, develop conformance and interoperability programs, develop and deliver education, and showcase solutions to the marketplace.

What is the XAM Standard?

The XAM (eXtensible Access Method) Interface specification defines a standard access method (API) between "Consumers" (application and management software) and "Providers" (storage systems) to manage fixed content reference information storage services. XAM includes metadata definitions to accompany data to achieve application interoperability, storage transparency, and automation for ILM-based practices, long term records retention, and information security. XAM will be expanded over time to include other data types as well as support additional implementations based on the XAM API to XAM conformant storage systems.

The FCAS, Fixed-Content Aware Storage, TWG is the technical working group chartered by SNIA to develop standards around 'fixed-content aware storage' including the XAM-Interface. The XAM SDK TWG is the technical working chartered by SNIA to develop a XAM software reference implementation and supporting developer tools to accelerate the adoption of XAM and to improve consistency of an implementation for better interoperability.

The SNIA will advance the XAM Specification to become a SNIA Architecture, then an ANSI standard, and then an ISO standard. The SNIA will advance the XAM SDK beyond use of the SNIA membership, to be available to the public-at-large.



XAM Provides

• Interoperability: Applications can work with any XAM conformant storage system; information can be migrated and shared
• Compliance: Integrated record retention and disposition metadata
• ILM Practices: Framework for classification, policy, and implementation
• Migration: Ability to automate migration process to maintain long-term readability
• Discovery: Application-independent structured discovery avoids application obsolescence