SEMI International Standards
Standards New Activity Report Form (SNARF)
Date Prepared: 07/12/2022Revised (if Applicable):

Document Number: 6947
SNARF for: Line Item Revision to SEMI E179-0320, Specification for Protocol Buffers Common Components

Originating Global Technical Committee: Information & Control
Originating TC Chapter: North America
Task Force (TF) in which work is to be carried out: Diagnostic Data Acquisition Task Force NA
Note: If a new task force is needed, also submit a task force organization form (TFOF)

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1. Rationale:
a. Describe the need or problem addressed by this activity.
(Indicate the customer, what benefits they will receive, and if possible, quantify the impact on the return on investment [ROI] if the Document is implemented.)
SEMI E179 defines common Protocol Buffers elements that are not specific to a single standard and are common across multiple SEMI standards using Protocol Buffers. As implementers work on solutions using gRPC and Protocol Buffers technology to support EDA Freeze 3 standards being developed by the DDA Task Force, some new requirements and gaps are identified.

This Line Item Revision will address an issue in the published standard where Protocol Buffer messages defining an array of array is not correct.

Some individuals have asked about including a transaction identifier to gRPC methods and messages sent on streaming gRPC methods as a way to help diagnose issues and flag where there is unexpected behaviors (e.g. lost messages)


Several individuals have asked about serializing Protocol Buffer messages to file and extracting it. A common scenario is to support message logging (recording messages sent over a gRPC connection). Protocol Buffers messages do not contain descriptions of their own types. Given a raw message serialized to a file, it is difficult to extract useful data without knowing the corresponding .proto file used to define the message type. This Line Item Revision will investigate and develop a standardized way to serialize Protocol Buffers messages specified by SEMI Standards to a file and retrieve it. This procedure could be used to support the following scenarios:
- Implementations who wish to record Protocol Buffers messages sent and received from software applications.
- Record metadata from the equipment and share it with external software applications without the need to translate the data into a different format can be serialized to a file, and then converting it back again. (For example, results from SEMI E125 operations could be serialized to file, and a different implementation could read the data and process it as if it had come from the equipment itself.)


b. Estimate effect on industry.
2: Major effect on an industry sector - identify the relevant sector
Sector or Company Information: Anyone implementing EDA

c. Estimate technical difficulty of the activity.
II: Some Difficulty - Disagreements on known requirements exist but developing consensus is possible

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2. Scope:
a: Describe the technical areas to be covered or addressed by this Document development activity. For Subordinate Standards, list common concepts or criteria that the Subordinate Standard inherits from the Primary Standard, as well as differences from the Primary Standard:
As part of the work on this Line Item Revision, the task force will investigate:

- Fixing the ArrayParameterValue message definition in the .proto file to properly define an array of array structure. (This may require new additional message definitions).

If there is a need to include a transaction identifier to gRPC methods and messages sent on streaming gRPC methods. One possibility is to include it in the gRPC header metadata information.

- Protocol Buffers messages serialized to file are not self-describing (no information included that describes what the raw data represents). Implementing code needs to know the specific Protocol Buffer message that is serialized so that it knows how to deserialize it. Investigate a procedure to serialize / deserialize Protocol Buffers messages defined for SEMI Standards. This could include specifying a new Protocol Buffers message that identifies what Protocol Buffers message is serialized next in the file, and the data length of the message so that the implementation knows how much data to pull off the file stream and how to parse it.

- Any other changes to address features or defects, or issues with the Style Guide raised by Task Force members during the development and review of the proposed changes related to these line item topics. Significant changes in scope still require a SNARF revision in compliance with SEMI Regulations.

Any other changes to address features or defects discovered by Task Force members during planned EDA Software Vendor Test Session #1 organized by the North America DDA Task Force. Significant changes in scope still require a SNARF revision in compliance with SEMI Regulations.

Note – The third bullet point (serializing Protocol Buffers messages to file) was previously approved under Document #6837

b: Expected result of activity
Line-item revision to an existing Standard or Safety Guideline

For a new Subordinate Standard, identify the Primary Standard here:


Modification of an existing part of Standard(s) or Safety Guideline(s) including Appendices, Complementary Files, and Supplementary Materials, Addition of one or more Appendices or Complementary Files to an existing Standard or Safety Guideline, Addition of one or more Related Information sections or Various Materials to an existing Standard or Safety Guideline

For Standards, identify the Standard Subtype below:
Specification

Miscellaneous (describe below):

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3. Projected Timetable for Completion:

a: General Milestones
a. Activity Start: 07/01/2022b. 1st Draft by: 08/01/2022
c. (Optional) Informational Ballot by: d. Letter Ballot by: 09/01/2022
e. TC Chapter Approval By:09/01/2022

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4. Liaisons with other Global Technical Committees/TC Chapters/Subcommittees/TFs:
a. List SEMI global technical committees, TC Chapters, subcommittees, or task forces in your or other Regions/Locales that should be kept informed regarding the progress of this activity. (Refer to SEMI Standards organization charts and global technical committee charters and scopes as needed.)
I&C Global Technical Committee

b. List any planned Type I Liaisons with external nonprofit organizations (e.g., SDO) that should receive Draft Documents from Standards staff for feedback during this activity and be notified when the Letter Ballot is issued (refer to Procedure Manual § 7):


c. Intercommittee Ballots:
will not be issued

Identify the recipient global technical committee(s):

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5. Safety Considerations:
The resulting document is expected:
NOT to be a Safety Guideline

NOTE FOR "to be a Safety Guideline": When all safety-related information is removed from the Document, the Document is NOT technically sound and complete - Refer to Section 15.1 of the Regulations for special procedures to be followed.

NOTE FOR "NOT to be a Safety Guideline": When all safety-related information is removed from the Document, the Document is still technically sound and complete.

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6. Intellectual Property Considerations:
Note: Both a: and b: below should be checked for Revision of existing Standard(s) and Safety Guideline(s).

a. For a new Standard or Safety Guideline and for any part to be modified or added in a Revision of published Standards and Safety Guidelines:
patented technology is intended to be included in the proposed Standard(s) or Safety Guideline(s).

If "patented technology is intended to be included in the proposed Standard(s) or Safety Guideline(s) " is selected above, then also check one:
Letter of Intent received

b. For Revision, Reapproval, Reinstatement, or Withdrawal of existing Standard(s) and Safety Guideline(s):
there is previously known material patented technology necessary to use or implement the Standard(s) and Safety Guideline(s)

c. The body of the Document and any Appendices, Complementary Files, Related Information sections, or Various Materials that may or may not be a part of the Document by reference:
the incorporation of Copyrighted Item will NOT be required



NOTE FOR ‘the use of patented technology or the incorporation of Copyrighted Item(s) is NOT required’: If in the course of developing the Document, it is determined that the use of patented technology or Copyrighted Item(s) is necessary for the Document, the provisions of Regulations § 16 must be followed.

NOTE FOR ’will incorporate Copyrighted Item’: A copyright release letter must be obtained from the copyright owner prior to publication.

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7. Comments, Special Circumstances:
SEMI E179 included patent material and is covered by NON-ASSERTION AGREEMENT (LOA) between SEMI and Asyst Technologies has been signed with for US Patents #11/340101, #11/107508, #09/899833, and 09/496009, in 2008. This agreement is maintained by PEER Group, who has acquired the patents and patent applications previously owned by Asyst Technologies

No intent to add new patent material as part of this Line Item Revision.

No intent to include copyrighted material for gRPC/Protocol Buffers in this Specification.

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8. TC Member Review:
is not required for this SNARF.

Member Review Start Date; None.
Member Review End Date: None.

NOTE FOR ‘TC Member Review’ is required by the Regulations for a period of at least two weeks
before approval of a new, or a major revision of an existing, Standard or Safety Guideline. (Refer to Regulations ¶ 8.2.1)
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9. SNARF Approval Dates:
TC Chapter or GCS07/13/2022
Recorded in TC Minutes

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10. SNARF Extension Dates:
TC Chapter Extension Granted on
Extension Expires on