Application Configuration Access Protocol
charter-ietf-acap-01

The goal of this working group is to define, specify, and develop the
Application Configuration Access Protocol as a general access mechanism
for per-user and per-server structured lists of information. In
addition, the Working Group will specify how to use the protocol to
store specific structured lists, initially application configuration
options and addressbooks.

The Application Configuration Access Protocol is a proposed solution to
the problems of client configuration for users of the internet.

Given the increasing prevalence of network access points and rapidly
increasing numbers of users with diverse needs and settings, there is a
phenomenon of internet application users who typically connect from
more than one physical location and/or operating system to use the same
set of internet services and applications. These users must recreate
sets of personal configuration information for each system, session,
and location that they use. This may include information such as
application options and preferences; personal or shared user data such
as addressbooks, bookmarks, or subscription lists; or shared data for
internal client use, such as authorization group lists.

The products of this working group will be:

• a formal specification for the protocol
• formal specifications of datasets used by the protocol and related
  extensions to the protocol
• an RFC intended to move to a Standard in a timely manner
• a specification for extensibility of the protocol in the form of a
  framework document
• additional informational and/or experimental RFCs as necessary to
  amplify and/or extend ACAP.

Note on goals and milestones: because the work of the ACAP WG is based
on the previous work done on IMSP, there is justification for a
somewhat more aggressive schedule than is customary.