Abstract: A method for establishing bindings in distributed systems is based on a relational characterization interface (RCI) that includes the following fields: ensemble, message type, and variable name. Optional fields may be specified such as time stamp, units, location, and value. The RCI uses explicit representation and standard representations for data and other communication entities to minimize the difficulty in establishing the necessary communication between parts of these systems while maximizing the interoperability properties of the components of these systems. In addition, the interface allows for the use of distributed or collective entities. A variety of services and other supporting methods are enabled by the RCI.