  We describe the architecture and initial implementation of the
next-generation of Grid Data Management Middleware in the EU DataGrid (EDG)
project.
  The new architecture stems out of our experience and the users requirements
gathered during the two years of running our initial set of Grid Data
Management Services. All of our new services are based on the Web Service
technology paradigm, very much in line with the emerging Open Grid Services
Architecture (OGSA). We have modularized our components and invested a great
amount of effort towards a secure, extensible and robust service, starting from
the design but also using a streamlined build and testing framework.
  Our service components are: Replica Location Service, Replica Metadata
Service, Replica Optimization Service, Replica Subscription and high-level
replica management. The service security infrastructure is fully GSI-enabled,
hence compatible with the existing Globus Toolkit 2-based services; moreover,
it allows for fine-grained authorization mechanisms that can be adjusted
depending on the service semantics.
