D-AC017 - Business Functions Requirement / Reliable Messaging

I would like to initiate a discussion of D-AC017 and D-AC017.1-4.  I believe
that this may be important in order to figure out whether a particular issue
should be an agenda item at the F2F.

First, here is what I think the status of this requirement is.  Please feel
free to correct me.

1 - I believe that I was the champion of this Critical Success Factor.

2 - I recall that I got a chance to make a case for the AC and, although the
general idea that web services should do something along these lines is
popular, there was very little positive response for these specific AC's.  I
believe that the feeling was that they are stated in a way that does not
mesh well with other requirements and that the objectives are really covered
in the Usage Cases.

3 - Since there was talk on the last con-call of "for-sure" getting the
requirements finished at the F2F, and there was support for the concept of
"if we can't agree drop it" -- or something along these lines -- I think
that there is a good chance that all of D-AC017 is headed for oblivion.

My personal reaction, as the "champion", is that I still like D-AC017
because it accurately and succinctly expresses what my personal major
success criterion is for the WG.  However, I feel that I had my chance to
make my case, was listened to and did not obviously convince anybody.  Under
those circumstances I am hardly likely to object to it being dropped, and in
fact I would propose it myself.

Soooo -- one thing I am saying is:  IF YOU REALLY LIKE D-AC017 YOU'D BETTER
SAY SO REAL SOON.

But there is another potential issue that I think may be much more
important.  As the requirement document stands, D-AC017 is the ONLY place
that mentions "reliable messaging".  If it is dropped ... well, I don't
think that it is reasonable for the requirements not to mention reliable
messaging at all.  I believe that it has been very commonly expressed by
many people in many forums that the two most important issues that need to
be resolved in order to use web services in business settings are getting
agreement on how to handle security and reliable messaging.  I think that
reliable messaging MUST be mentioned somehow or the WG will lose essential
credibility.

If D-AC017 is dropped I would be, if it's the best we can do, satisfied with
something like, "The working group MUST address the issue of reliable
messaging", which would leave open such deeply unsatisfying solutions as,
"Reliable messaging is not possible," or "Reliable messaging is not a part
of web services architecture" -- but I really don't think that we can just
not mention it at all.