Subject: IPP> DIR - draft-apple-schema-listing-rqmts-00.txt

From: [email-masked] (Christopher W Apple by way of Carl-Uno Manros <[email-masked]>)
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 1997 21:23:58 PDT

The IETF group working on Directory Schema Listings has come out with a
first draft.  We may need to take this into account for our Directory
document.

Carl-Uno

--



INTERNET-DRAFT                                                  C. Apple
<draft-apple-schema-listing-rqmts-00.txt>              AT&T Laboratories
Expires: January 26, 1998                                   26 July 1997

                 Directory Schema Listing Requirements
               <draft-apple-schema-listing-rqmts-00.txt>

Status of this Memo

   This document is an Internet-Draft.  Internet-Drafts are working
   documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its areas,
   and its working groups.  Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet- Drafts as reference
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   To learn the current status of any Internet-Draft, please check the
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   ftp.isi.edu (US West Coast).

Abstract

   This memo documents requirements for listing directory services
   schemas in a centrally operated, administered, and maintained
   repository. This repository will be available as a resource to
   directory protocol and service implementors to facilitate schema
   discovery.

1.0 Introduction

   The fastest route to interoperable directory services is through
   standard object classes and attribute types.  There is a growing
   number of places where schema for Internet Directory Services and
   Internet Operations are being defined, with varying degrees of
   documentation.  This plethora of schemas is unavoidable in the light
   of the needs of different service communities, but it makes it
   difficult for directory service builders to find and make use of an
   existing schema that will serve their needs and increase
   interoperability with other systems.  A listing service providing a
   single point of discovery for white-pages schema will promote schema

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   reuse, reduce duplication of effort, and thus promote directory
   service interoperability.

   This document contains requirements for various aspects of listing
   schemas.

2.0 Listing Service Requirements

2.1 Functional Requirements

   Schema are 'listed' rather than 'registered'.

   A list of available schemas MUST be maintained.

   Schema will be named according to the namespace defined in section 3.

   The listing service shall also maintain information about the schema,
   beyond its definition.  This information is referred to as meta data
   and will include information about the following differentiating
   characteristics:

         + a globally unique identifier for the schema name
         + protocol and protocol version for which the schema is valid
         + name/title of schema
         + version information for the schema
         + date of creation or update
         + indication of listing status
         + indication of relationship to other schemas
         + originating organization or individual
         + name of contact person for schema
         + e-mail of contact person for schema
         + telephone of contact person for schema
         + postal address of contact person for schema

2.2 Operational Requirements

   The process of listing schema will be centralized for the initial
   deployment.

   The database which provides the listing store will be centrally
   administered.

   Listing files will be accessible via FTP and HTTP.

   Listing content and listing meta data will be stored in a file named
   in accordance with the file name syntax defined in section 5.0.

   Listing content and listing meta data will be stored in a file

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   formatted in accordance with section 5.0.

3.0 Listing Service Namespace

   The listing service namespace shall be protocol-independent.

   Names constructed using the listing service namespace shall be
   permanent, globally unique, and publicly available.

3.2 Listed Schema Name Syntax

   <schema_name> ::= <protocol_type> '-' <opaque_string>

   <protocol_type> ::= <protocol_ID> ['v' <protocol_version>]

   <protocol_ID> ::= IANA-assigned directory service protocol identifier

   <protocol_version> ::= a protocol version number string

   <opaque_string> ::= protocol-specific information

   Consider the following example of a schema name for the vCard schema
   [VCARD] for use in LDAPv3 [LDAPV3]:

         ldapv3-vCardObject

         where: vCardObject is the name of the object class identified
                by the OID: 1.3.6.1.4.1.2309.1.1.1.1 [VCARD]

   An alternate, but still globally unique, name for this schema is:

         ldapv3-1.3.6.1.4.1.2309.1.1.1.1

4.0 Listing Requirements

   Schema listing content will be composed only of the information
   actually required to specify the schema.

   Schema listing meta data will be composed of other information as
   defined in paragraph 4.2.

4.1 Listing Content

4.1.1 Allowable Listing Content Syntaxes

   LDAP Data Interchange Format [LDIF]

   Abstract Syntax Notation One [ASN1]

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   BNF [RFC822]

   Augmented BNF [ABNF]

   TBR. Working group needs to achieve consensus on the list of
   allowable syntaxes.

4.1.2 Allowable Listing Content Character Sets

   As specified in references for allowable listing content syntaxes.

   Exceptions: TDB. Working group needs to achieve consensus on whether
   or not profiling of these syntaxes is necessary/appropriate.

4.2 Listing Meta Data

4.2.1 Listing Meta Data Syntax

   TBD. Working group needs to achieve consensus on which meta data
   elements are important enough to include (see paragraph 2.1).

4.2.2 Allowable Listing Meta Data Character Sets

   TBD. Working group needs to achieve consensus on allowable character
   sets.

5.0 Listing Storage Requirements

   Listing file names shall be permanent and publicly available.
5.1 Listing File Name Syntax

   The content and meta data for each listing shall be contained in a
   file named according to the following syntax:

   <file_name> ::= "ietf-schema-directory-" <sequence_number> ".txt"

   <sequence_number> ::= <d><d><d><d>

   <d> ::= '0' | '1' | '2' | '3' | '4' | '5' | '6' | '7' | '8' | '9'

5.2 Listing File Format Specification

   TBD. Dependent on resolution of TBDs for section 4.0.

6.0 Security Considerations

   Security requirements are not discussed in this memo.

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7.0 Acknowledgements

   Leslie Daigle of Bunyip Information Systems and Chris Weider of
   Microsoft provided valuable comments on the pre-Internet-Draft-
   version of this document.

8.0 References

   [ABNF] D. Crocker, P. Overell, "Augmented BNF for Syntax
   Specifications", INTERNET-DRAFT <draft-ietf-drums-abnf-03.txt>, July
   1997.

   [ASN1] ITU-T Recommendation X.680, "Abstract Syntax Notation One
   (ASN.1) - Specification of Basic Notation", 1994.

   [LDAPV3] M. Wahl, T. Howes, S. Kille, "Lightweight Directory Access
   Protocol (Version 3)", INTERNET-DRAFT <draft-ietf-asid-ldapv3-
   protocol-06.txt>, July 1997.

   [LDIF] G. Good, "The LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) _ Technical
   Specification", INTERNET-DRAFT <draft-ietf-asid-ldif-02.txt>, July
   1997.

   [RFC822] D. Crocker, "Standard of the Format of ARPA-Internet Text
   Messages", STD 11, RFC 822, August 1982.

   [VCARD] F. Dawson, M. O'Brien, "The vCard Schema For Use In LDAPv3",
   INTERNET-DRAFT <draft-ietf-asid-ldapv3schema-vcard-00.txt>, July
   1997.

9.0 Author's Address

   Chris Apple
   AT&T Laboratories
   600 - 700 Mountain Ave., Room 2F-165
   Murray Hill, NJ 07974-0636
   USA

   E-Mail: [email-masked]
   Phone: +1 908 582 2409
   FAX: +1 908 582 6113

             This INTERNET-DRAFT expires on January 26, 1998.

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