The OID Directory: The RA DUA
draft-coretta-oiddir-radua-00
| Document | Type | Active Internet-Draft (individual) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Jesse Coretta | ||
| Last updated | 2024-02-29 | ||
| RFC stream | (None) | ||
| Intended RFC status | (None) | ||
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| Stream | Stream state | (No stream defined) | |
| Consensus boilerplate | Unknown | ||
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draft-coretta-oiddir-radua-00
RADUA J. Coretta
Internet-Draft February 29, 2024
Intended status: Experimental
Obsoletes: X660LDAP
Expires: August 27, 2024
The OID Directory: The RA DUA
draft-coretta-oiddir-radua-00.txt
Abstract
In service to the "OID Directory" ID series, this ID covers design
strategies, requirements and procedures for the client component of
the OID Directory Registration Authority client/server model.
See the RADIR ID for a complete draft series manifest.
Status of This Memo
This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.
Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF). Note that other groups may also distribute
working documents as Internet-Drafts. The list of current Internet-
Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.
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
material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."
This Internet-Draft will expire on August 27, 2024.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2024 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
document authors. All rights reserved.
This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
(https://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
publication of this document. Please review these documents
carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must
include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
described in the Simplified BSD License.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ....................................................2
1.1. Conventions ................................................2
1.2. Acronyms Used ..............................................2
1.2.1. Definitions ...........................................3
1.3. Intended Audience ..........................................3
1.5. Parameter Abstraction ......................................3
2. The RA DUA ......................................................3
2.1. Defined Parameters .........................................4
2.2. Procedures .................................................5
2.2.1. Schema Availability ...................................5
2.2.2. Configuration .........................................5
2.2.3. Queries ..............................................10
2.2.4. New Allocations ......................................17
2.2.5. Allocation Updates ...................................22
3. IANA Considerations ............................................23
4. Security Considerations ........................................23
5. References .....................................................23
5.1. Normative References ......................................23
5.2. Informative References ....................................24
Author's Address ..................................................25
1. Introduction
The X.500 Directory User Agent represents the client component within
the traditional client/server model that interacts with any number of
X.500 Directory System Agents for the purposes of information access.
Within the terms of this ID series, the Directory User Agent serves
as a client of OID registration and registrant content, as retrieved
from a Registration Authority Directory Information Tree.
1.1. Conventions
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY",
and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described
in BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in
all capitals, as shown here.
1.2. Acronyms Used
See Section 1.3 of the RADIR ID for all acronym references. Also,
see Sections 1.7 and 1.8 of the RADIR ID for generalized terms and
descriptions of significance to this ID series.
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1.2.1. Definitions
The composite acronym "RA DUA" is hereby introduced within this ID.
The acronym abbreviates the aforementioned 'Registration Authority
Directory User Agent' term, which describes the 'client' component
implied within the client/server model relevant to this ID series.
The composite acronym "RA DSA" used throughout this ID is defined in
Section 1.2.1 of the RADSA ID.
The composite acronym "RA DIT" used throughout this ID is defined in
Section 1.2.1 of the RADIT ID.
1.3. Intended Audience
This ID is intended for application designers, X.500/LDAP architects,
and other personnel tasked with supporting or designing components
related to the RA client/server model in service to this ID series.
General familiarity with the broad X.500/LDAP specification, as well
all supporting IDs cited in Section 2 of the RADIR ID is STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED.
1.4. Parameter Abstraction
For simplicity in describing certain request or argument parameters
involving either DAP or LDAP operations in this ID, a simplified
abstraction of ASN.1 parameters is shown to aid RA DUA adopter.
For example, the following structure may be used to outline the
parameters of a Read or Search Operation to be conducted as part
of an RA DUA managed procedure.
baseObject = dn ; DN: see RFC4514 and X.501
scope = 0/1/2 ; eq. X.511 'subset'
typesOnly = bool or int ; see. X.511 'EntryInformationSelection'
; and RFC4512 'SearchRequest'
filter = filter ; see X.511 and RFC4515
attributes = selection(s); see. X.511 'EntryInformationSelection'
; and RFC4512 'AttributeSelector'
While the abstraction has favored the use of LDAP-focused parameters
derived from [RFC4511], adopters MAY assume similar directives
are applicable within the context of DAP unless otherwise indicated.
2. The RA DUA
The RA DUA is a traditional X.500/LDAP client -- supporting most or
all of the standard operations defined throughout clauses 9 through
12 of ITU-T Rec. X.511, and throughout Section 4 of [RFC4511] --
that has been OPTIMIZED for use within the terms of this ID series.
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2.1. Defined Parameters
The RA DUA is expected to support the directory protocols facilitated
by the endpoint RA DSA(s), whether DAP, LDAP or both. Support for
connectivity via the OSI networking stack, TCP/IP or IPC socket by
the RA DUA is determined by the operational requirements of the RA
DSA(s) in question.
Support for parallel X.500 protocols -- such as DOP or DSP -- is not
specifically indicated.
No recommendations are made regarding the "appearance" or interactive
nature of the RA DUA (i.e.: TUI vs. GUI), nor are any recommendations
made regarding the specific language or framework used in its design.
No particular software license applied to the RA DUA is assumed.
The intended application may be for any end user in general, or it
may be administratively focused. The RA DUA may be obtained by the
general public, or it may be wholly proprietary and for internal use
only.
The capabilities of the RA DUA MAY be flexible to suit the end user,
or it may be strictly regimented, allowing few variations of behavior
in routine operations.
In situations where an RA DUA is designed solely for the query and
presentation of entries with no possibility of support for entry
modifications, adopters MAY forego implementation of operational
capabilities that are Write-focused in nature.
Application designers SHOULD make use of ONLY industry-recognized
X.500/LDAP APIs, SDKs or libraries in a manner compliant with all
"Best Practices" suggested by both the maintainer(s) and the authors
of the standards indicated.
The RA DUA is not necessarily user-managed. An RA DUA may manifest
in "clientless" form -- for example, facilitated through a web-based
application interface residing on the RA DSA(s) directly, thus acting
in the context of an abstract protocol gateway. These strategies may
prove useful in reducing both the effort required by the end-user in
order to access the service, as well as the costs of supporting the
end user.
Regardless of the design and deployment philosophies employed, the
primary focus of the RA DUA -- with particular emphasis on any and
all proposed optimizations -- is to reduce the tedium of access and
administration of potentially large registration and authority bases,
and to introduce protective controls meant to ensure integrity of all
relevant content within the RA DIT.
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2.2. Procedures
The RA DUA SHALL observe the procedures defined in the following
subsections as it pertains to the query, allocation and maintenance
of 'registration' and 'registrant' entries within an RA DSA.
2.2.1. Schema Availability
The RA DUA MUST obtain -- or possess complete foreknowledge of -- all
schema definitions officially defined in Section 2 of the RASCHEMA
ID as well as the schema definitions serving as super types for many
of the attribute types defined in Section 2.3 of the RASCHEMA ID.
In addition, the RA DUA MUST both recognize and honor any additional
DIT content rules, DIT structure rules and/or (additional) name forms
created by the directory architects or administrators after-the-fact.
Obtaining the necessary schema definitions is typically conducted in
either of the following manners, shown in order of preference.
- Through a direct Read of the 'subschemaSubentry' of the RA DSA
- Through manual processing of the (approved) schema file(s) based
upon the complete contents of the RASCHEMA ID
When obtaining the schema through use of a Read or Search Operation,
the schema SHOULD be refreshed at the commencement of a new RA DUA
session. This accounts for changes to the schema definitions that
may have taken place during runtime.
If the RA DSA has no apparent knowledge of the definitions to be used
for the query and/or allocation of registrations and/or registrants
within the RA DIT, the RA DUA MUST abandon attempts to interact with
the RA DSA. It is RECOMMENDED that, in this case, the RA DUA present
the user with error information describing the problem. This could
suggest an RA DSA configuration problem, or possibly that the wrong
RA DSA has been targeted by the RA DUA.
2.2.2. Configuration
There are two (2) modes of RA DUA configuration: automatic or manual.
Section 2.3 of the RASCHEMA ID introduces a small handful of types
intended for "advertisement" by the RA DSA and for consumption by the
RA DUA. These attributes are as follows:
- 'rARegistrationBase' ; ex.: ou=Registrations,o=rA
- 'rARegistrantBase' ; ex.: ou=Registrants,o=rA
- 'rADirectoryModel' ; ex.: 1.3.6.1.4.1.56521.101.3.1.3
- 'rAServiceMail' ; ex.: support@ra.example.com
- 'rAServiceURI' ; ex.: https://ra.example.com
- 'rADITProfile' ; ex.: dc=example,dc=com
- 'rATTL' ; ex.: 86400
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These attribute types are extended through use of the 'rADUAConfig'
AUXILIARY object class. See Section 2.3.6 of the RADSA ID for
usable examples involving this class.
Auto-discovery of these attribute types will require disclosure
privileges for the root DSE and any other entries that bear the
'rADUAConfig' object class.
Though the particulars of the root DSE are well outside the scope of
this ID series, it is typically accessed by way of the Read Operation
executed upon a NULL baseObject.
Retrieval SHOULD be made conditional using the 'rADUAConfig' object
class as the filter AVA, and SHOULD involve attribute selection of
the types shown below.
filter = objectClass=rADUAConfig ; Require 'rADUAConfig'
attributes = rARegistrationBase
rARegistrantBase
rADirectoryModel
rAServiceMail
rAServiceURI
rADITProfile
rATTL
If zero (0) entries are returned as a result of the Read Operation,
this indicates any of the following:
- The RA DSA is not available
- The root DSE is not accessible, possibly due to access rights
- The root DSE is accessible, but lacks the 'rADUAConfig' class
Given any of these conditions, automatic parameter input has failed.
The RA DUA has no alternative other than manual parameter input.
If one (1) entry is returned, the root DSE is accessible and has been
configured for automatic input. The RA DUA SHOULD choose to proceed
with configuration using the values provided.
See Section 2.3.6 of the RADSA ID regarding the possible methods
for implementation of this entry with respect to multiple RA DITs
served by an RA DSA as opposed to a single RA DIT.
If manual input of configuration values is required, typically this
would require foreknowledge of the correct values, or access to an
informational resource which makes those values available.
In this scenario, the RA DUA MUST request the user follow a procedure
for manual input prior to use. Lack of proper configuration values
precludes any RA DUA session.
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2.2.2.1. Processing
Following value input -- whether automatic or manual -- the acquired
values MUST be processed and validated.
The following subsections cover each 'rADUAConfig'-extended attribute
type in the context of runtime configuration of the RA DUA.
2.2.2.1.1. 'rADITProfile'
The 'rADITProfile' attribute type stores any number of DN values,
each acting as a reference to a DIT-housed 'rADUAConfig' entry
which contains the standard configuration parameters required by
the RA DUA.
The 'rADITProfile' attribute type is a CRITICAL component within any
implementation in which the following conditions apply:
- Multiple RA DITs reside on a single RA DSA, with each RA DIT
accessed using potentially different configuration values
- Single RA DITs which bear usable configuration settings within
DIT entry contexts -- as opposed to storage within the root DSE
In either case, the root DSE SHALL NOT contain any of the attribute
types extended by the MAY clauses of the 'rADUAConfig' AUXILIARY
object class OTHER THAN the 'rADITProfile', 'rATTL', 'rAServiceMail',
and 'rAServiceURI' attribute types.
Similarly, referenced 'rADUAConfig' entries within an RA DIT SHALL
NOT bear instances of the 'rADITProfile' attribute type.
Instances where these attribute types are improperly combined within
entries is considered a "Duplicate RA Context Error" and represents
a serious operational deficiency that MUST be reported to the end
user. The RA DUA SHOULD fail the session or (optionally) allow for
administrative override if corrective measures are to be taken.
2.2.2.1.2. 'rARegistrationBase'
The 'rARegistrationBase' attribute type is the most CRITICAL of all
attribute types related to RA DUA configuration.
The purpose of this multi-valued type is to store the DN(s) in which
'registration' entries are stored. This parameter is REQUIRED, as it
prevents the need for inefficient broad-level Search Operations,
potentially within a particularly large directory information tree.
The RA DUA MUST handle the instance value(s) as follows:
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1. Verify presence and accessibility of entries identified by the
respective DN values using the Read Operation
2. Determine whether the given entries bear the 'registration'
ABSTRACT object class
2a. If the named entries DO NOT bear the 'registration' class, the
RA DUA must interpret the entries as simple organizational
containers housing 'registration' entries one (1) level below
2b. If the named entries bear the 'registration' class, this is
indicative of an official starting-point for registration
content within the "OID Directory"
3. Preserve these DNs for the remainder of the session, as they
will influence the various operations that may take place
In the case of condition "2a", a read-only RA DUA MAY opt to fail the
session if no 'registration' entries reside exactly one (1) level
beneath the apparent "organizational container" entry. The RA DUA
MAY allow for administrative override of this behavior, thereby
allowing retroactive registration creation within an implementation
not yet populated.
2.2.2.1.3. 'rARegistrantBase'
The 'rARegistrantBase' attribute type is OPTIONAL in terms of RA DUA
configuration. It identifies one (1) or more DNs which lead to the
location of authority-related entries within the RA DIT.
The RA DUA MUST handle the value(s) associated with this type as
follows:
1. Verify presence and accessibility of entries identified by the
respective DN values using the Read Operation
2. Compare the DN values to those within the 'rARegistrationBase'
attribute type instance
2a. If the DN values are identical, this implies use of combined
authority/registration entries in a single location within the
RA DIT -- a procedure that is generally discouraged
2b. If the DN values are different, this implies use of dedicated
authority entries, which bear the 'registrant' STRUCTURAL
object class and reside in a location separate from that which
houses entries bearing the 'registration' STRUCTURAL Object
Class
2c. If no DN values are specified within the 'rARegistrantBase'
attribute type instance, the RA DUA MAY interpret this as an
indication that no authority information is available within
the RA DIT, and associated authority attribute types SHOULD
NOT be requested by the RA DUA
In the case of "2a", the RA DUA SHOULD include all attribute types
specified within the 'currentAuthorityContext', 'sponsorContext' and
'firstAuthorityContext' 'MAY' clauses for subsequent Read Operations
of 'registration' entries.
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In the case of "2b", the RA DUA SHOULD include all attribute types
specified within 'currentAuthorityContext', 'sponsorContext' and
'firstAuthorityContext' 'MAY' clauses for subsequent Read Operations
of 'registrant' entries.
Dedicated authority entries bearing the 'registrant' STRUCTURAL
object class should be located exactly one (1) level below each
specified 'rARegistrantBase' DN value within the RA DIT.
Depending on the nature of implementation of this ID series, it may
or may not be advisable to populate the 'rARegistrantBase' Attribute
Type for consumption by all clients indiscriminately. See Section
5.2 of the RADIT ID for security considerations on this topic.
2.2.2.1.4. 'rADirectoryModel'
The 'rADirectoryModel' type describes the abstract structure of the
RA DIT in terms of 'registration' layout and probable DN syntax. The
employed model shall have a profound influence on the manner in which
the RA DUA shall interact with the RA DIT.
A specified directory model is REQUIRED for proper functioning of the
RA DUA, whether directly or indirectly. The decided model specifier,
which MUST be a numeric OID, is declared using the 'rADirectoryModel'
attribute type.
Sections 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 of the RADIT ID define two (2) official
directory models and DN syntax schemes identified by the following
numeric OIDs:
- 'twoDimensional' (1.3.6.1.4.1.56521.101.3.1.2)
- 'threeDimensional' (1.3.6.1.4.1.56521.101.3.1.3)
In virtually every case, the 'threeDimensional' model is STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED for implementation and use, however RA DUAs SHOULD be
prepared to incorporate other models that could be defined in any
future extensions to this ID series.
The RA DUA MUST support use of the 'threeDimensional' model without
exception and to the letter of every recommendation set forth within
this ID series.
As stated clearly and in no uncertain terms within the originating
document, the 'twoDimensional' model is STRONGLY DISCOURAGED aside
from use in non-standard or particularly unusual scenarios.
The RA DUA MAY support use of the 'twoDimensional' model at the
discretion of the application designer. Support for this model
is purely OPTIONAL.
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The RA DUA MUST handle the value of this instance as follows:
1. Determine whether the 'rADirectoryModel' attribute type has
been set with an explicit numeric OID
1a. If NO numeric OID has been specified, use of the RECOMMENDED
'threeDimensional' model is to be enforced by DEFAULT
1b. If a numeric OID has been specified, identify the value as a
known and supported model OID and adjust RA DUA behavior in
accordance with prescribed procedures of the RADIT ID
1c. If a numeric OID has been specified and is not immediately
identifiable within the terms of this ID series -- such as
a future extension of this standard -- the RA DUA MAY defer
to the specifics of the recommendation or ID from which the
OID originates OR the RA DUA MAY choose to fail the session
2. Preserve the value for the remainder of the session, as it
will influence the specifics of operations that may occur
In the case of condition "1c", if the RA DUA chooses to fail the
session, the RA DUA SHOULD present the user with an error message
indicating the encounter with an unknown or as-of-yet unsupported
directory model identifier.
2.2.2.1.5. Additional Parameters
The 'rAServiceMail' attribute type, when defined, contains any number
of email addresses meant for support or request purposes. Use of
this type in the RA DIT is OPTIONAL, but SHOULD be recognized by the
RA DUA when present.
The 'rAServiceURI' attribute type, when defined, contains any number
of URI values related to the service, such as terms of use, support
information, documentation and other resources. Use of this type in
the RA DIT is OPTIONAL, but SHOULD be recognized by the RA DUA when
present.
The 'rATTL' attribute type, when defined for an entry bearing the
'rADUAConfig' class, imposes a global entry caching TTL value meant
for consumption and observance by qualified RA DUA implementations.
See Section 2.2.3.4 for details and semantics regarding assignment
and precedence strategies for a TTL.
2.2.3. Queries
This subsection covers strictly read-related operations, such as the
location and presentation of a given 'registration' entry.
2.2.3.1. Retrieving Entries
The RECOMMENDED procedure for retrieving an entry -- in any directory
model defined in this ID series -- is a Read Operation of the entry
by way of its DN. This will return either one (1) entry, or none.
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Foreknowledge of the DN is required for a Read Operation attempt of
this fashion.
If the entry is a 'registration', the DN may be resolved by way of
the associated numeric OID using the appropriate process defined in
Section 3.1.
'registration' entries may reference other 'registration' entries
using the spatial attribute types defined in Section 2.3 of the
RASCHEMA ID and discussed further in Section 2.2.3.3.
'registrant' entries, however, aren't resolvable in any standard
manner. These are dedicated authority entries that are normally
accessed through references held by any associated 'registration'
entries.
- 'firstAuthority' and/or 'c-firstAuthority'
- 'currentAuthority' and/or 'c-currentAuthority'
- 'sponsor' and/or 'c-sponsor'
However, in cases where direct referencing of DNs within the context
of a Read Operation is not practical, possibly due to any of the
following ...
- Lack of assigned spatial reference types
- An unsupported or incoherent DN syntax is indicated
- Administrative operations are underway
Use of a List Operation or subtree Search Operation may be indicated.
While this method of searching is not generally recommended within
the spirit of this ID series, the RA DUA MAY allow this capability
where appropriate.
If the RA DUA encounters difficulty relating to a particularly large
number of entries retrieved through a Search Operation, support for
Simple Paged Results Manipulation by the RA DUA may be indicated if
supported by the RA DSA. For details, see clause 7.9 of ITU-T Rec.
X.511 and the entirety of [RFC2696].
2.2.3.2. Reading Entries
The following subsections outline the procedures involved in the
presentation and analysis of a 'registration' or 'registrant' entry
successfully retrieved by way of the Read or Search Operation.
2.2.3.2.1. Entry 'objectClass' Analysis
Given a successfully conducted Read or Search Operation, and assuming
a single entry -- whether 'registration' or 'registrant' -- has been
returned, the RA DUA SHOULD first read the 'objectClass' values and
make note of all that originate in Section 2.5 of the RASCHEMA ID.
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The 'registration' ABSTRACT object class is a required class for any
OID allocation. This class MUST only appear on entries which bear
the 'rootArc' or 'arc' STRUCTURAL class. It is a sub type of the
'top' ABSTRACT class, defined in Section 2.4.1 of [RFC4512] and in
clause 13.3.3 of ITU-T Rec. X.501.
The 'registrant' STRUCTURAL object class is only used for dedicated
registrants, which are associated through DN references held by
associated 'registration' entries, if any. Appearance upon any
other form of entry is a suboptimal or illogical state.
Presence of the 'x660Context' and/or 'x680Context' AUXILIARY classes
for a 'registration' entry is permitted. These object classes extend
multiple attribute types which conceptually relate to ITU-T Rec.
X.660 and X.680 respectively.
Presence of the 'x667Context' AUXILIARY class for a 'registration'
entry is only expected in cases where an OID allocation involves a
'registeredUUID' attribute type instance and where the assigned 'n'
value is the equivalent unsigned 128-bit integer.
Presence of the 'iTUTRegistration' AUXILIARY class is only permitted
for allocations bearing the 'arc' STRUCTURAL class and describe an
OID beginning with zero (0). It extends no attribute types.
Presence of the 'iSORegistration' AUXILIARY class is only permitted
for allocations bearing the 'arc' STRUCTURAL class and describe an
OID beginning with one (1) It extends no attribute types.
Presence of the 'jointISOITUTRegistration' AUXILIARY class is only
permitted for allocations bearing the 'arc' STRUCTURAL class and
describe an OID beginning with two (2). It extends the 'longArc'
attribute type.
Entries SHALL NOT bear more than one (1) of the 'iTUTRegistration',
'iSORegistration' or 'jointISOITUTRegistration' classes.
Presence of the 'spatialContext' AUXILIARY class is only permitted
for 'registration' entries. It extends seven (7) spatial reference
attribute types used to describe arrangement of allocations within
the spectrum. Additional collective incarnations of some of these
attribute types may be indicated.
Presence of the 'registrationSupplement' AUXILIARY class is only
permitted for 'registration' entries. It extends miscellaneous
attribute types which extend from no official standards meant for
ease-of-use only.
Collective Attributes are described in [RFC3671].
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Presence of the 'firstAuthorityContext', 'currentAuthorityContext',
and 'sponsorContext' AUXILIARY classes is permitted for 'registrant'
entries and 'registration' entries alike, and would depend upon the
'registrant' model employed within the RA DIT. Each of these classes
extends several identity and contact related attribute types for use
within the context of sponsorship, current authorities and previous
authorities.
Presence of the 'rADUAConfig' AUXILIARY class SHOULD NOT be permitted
for 'registration' or 'registrant' entries and indicates a suboptimal
or illogical state.
Assuming no violations were perceived as outlined above, the state of
the entry's object class stack is apparently copacetic.
2.2.3.2.2. Attribute Types Used
At a minimum, the RA DUA SHOULD only expect Attribute Types defined
within Section 2.3 of the RASCHEMA ID, and/or their respective
super types defined in [RFC4519], [RFC4524] and [RFC2079], to be
assigned to entries within the terms of this ID series.
See Section 3.2 of the RADIT ID for numerous examples regarding
various attribute type use cases and requirements.
The RA DIT MAY use other attribute type and object class definitions
unrelated to this ID series, for supplemental reasons, however their
incorporation would be wholly proprietary and would have no official
standing per this ID series.
2.2.3.2.3. Value Syntax
Each attribute type, whether directly or indirectly, is governed via
a syntax definition in terms of the allowed value(s) to be set for
an entry.
As mentioned in Section 2.1 of the RASCHEMA ID, standard syntaxes
do not necessarily align perfectly with the syntactical requirements
of the standards upon which this ID series is based -- namely ITU-T
Recommendations X.660 and X.680.
To ease the difficulty in implementing an RA DUA which honors the
syntactical characteristics of the underlying subject matter -- as
opposed to only recognizing the syntax alone -- Section 2.3 of the
RASCHEMA ID includes ABNF productions for every attribute type
defined, whether by reference or in literal form, intended for use by
those tasked with implementation of this ID series in some manner.
The RA DUA MUST recognize these ABNF productions when reading values
that were retrieved through use of the Read or Search Operation.
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The RA DUA MAY decide how to handle the case of reading a previously
set attribute value of invalid or non-compliant form. The RA DUA may
warn the end-user of a value that is not well-formed, or it may opt
to omit the value from visibility altogether. If the RA DUA is of an
administrative focus, the opportunity for corrective measures MAY be
facilitated.
2.2.3.3. Navigating Registration Entries
Some of the more complete RA services, whether public or private,
may offer a simple interface to facilitate intuitive incremental
movement among registrations that are associated horizontally or
vertically in terms of "up", "down", "left", "right", "min", "max"
and "top".
Depending on the needs of the intended audience, as well as the
manner in which this specification is adopted, this can be an
exceptionally difficult feature to implement for the RA DUA, but
is one that can dramatically improve the user experience.
The RA DUA SHOULD NOT assume positive support for this practice in
all implementations of this ID series.
2.2.3.3.1. Superior Vertical References
During the Read or Search Operation executed in order to obtain a
'registration' entry, the RA DUA MAY request any of the following
attribute types:
- 'supArc'
- 'c-supArc'
- 'topArc'
- 'c-topArc'
The 'supArc' and 'c-supArc' attribute types describe the immediate
superior (parent) registration in terms of ancestral lineage. Only
one (1) of each of these attribute types should be present for any
given 'registration' entry, never both.
The 'topArc' and 'c-topArc' attribute types describe the absolute
root registration in terms of ancestral lineage. Only one (1) of
each of these attribute types should be present for any given
'registration' entry, never both.
Use of Collective attribute types -- namely those prefaced using the
requisite 'c-' flag -- is not practical in the two dimensional model
and thus need not be requested.
At no point are the above attribute types to be requested for entries
that bear the 'rootArc' STRUCTURAL object class. Root registrations
do not have superiors.
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2.2.3.3.2. Subordinate Vertical References
Subordinate vertical references tend to be the most challenging among
all the various attribute types related to spatial navigation within
the terms of this ID series.
The RA DUA MAY request the 'subArc' attribute type as part of the
Read or Search Operation used for retrieval of a 'registration'
entry from the RA DIT.
At no point should an entry bear the 'subArc' attribute type if it
bears an 'isLeafNode' instance with a value of TRUE. This indicates
an illogical RA DIT condition.
When defined, the 'subArc' attribute type instance SHOULD reflect
a complete manifest of all references for 'registration' entries
that are direct subordinates of the bearer. This instance SHOULD
be requested in baseObject-scoped context, and is the only multi
valued spatial attribute type defined within this ID series.
The RA DUA SHOULD prefer 'subArc' enumeration to a List Operation
beneath a 'registration'. This method of searching is a potentially
costly request in the face of particularly large sets of subordinate
'registration' entries present within the RA DIT.
The RA DUA SHOULD be prepared to manually sort the set of 'subArc'
DN references based on its OID or NumberForm value, however this
responsibility may be handled by the RA DSA.
2.2.3.3.3. Horizontal References
Horizontal (sibling) references describe both adjacent as well as
minimum and maximum 'registration' contexts.
During a Search Operation intended to obtain a 'registration' entry,
the RA DUA SHOULD request the following attribute types:
- 'leftArc'
- 'rightArc'
- 'minArc'
- 'c-minArc'
- 'maxArc'
- 'c-maxArc'
The 'leftArc' attribute type describes the sibling 'registration'
entry that is nearest but less than that of the bearer in terms of
Number Form ('n') numerical magnitude.
The 'rightArc' attribute type describes the sibling 'registration'
entry that is nearest but greater than that of the bearer in terms
of Number Form ('n') numerical magnitude.
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The 'minArc' and 'c-minArc' attribute types are used to reference the
'registration' entry bearing the lowest magnitude Number Form ('n')
value within a set of siblings. Only one (1) of these Attribute
Types should be present for any given 'registration' entry, never
both.
The 'maxArc' and 'c-maxArc' attribute types are used to reference the
'registration' entry bearing the highest magnitude Number Form ('n')
value within a set of siblings. Only one (1) of these Attribute
Types should be present for any given 'registration' entry, never
both.
2.2.3.4. Client Entry Caching
For particularly large or busy implementations of this ID series, the
RA DUA MAY support basic client-driven entry caching of any retrieved
'registration' and 'registrant' entries by way of either the 'rATTL'
or 'c-rATTL' integer attribute types, as defined within Section 2.3
of the RASCHEMA ID.
A valid use case for caching involves serving IANA PEN registrations
[PRIVATE], which number in the tens of thousands. Caching may yield
tremendous savings in terms of resource utilization associated with
particularly large numbers of static entries being retrieved in a
repeating manner.
This ID makes no assumptions regarding the design or implementation
of the underlying caching subsystem. The only abstract requirement
relates to the ability to cache a single directory entry for a span
of time equivalent to the effective TTL value in minutes.
The RA DUA SHOULD allow for the user to determine whether an entry
being presented is derived from a cache.
2.2.3.4.1. Semantics
An 'rATTL' may be found in the following contexts wherever the
'rADUAConfig', 'registration' or 'registrant' classes are present.
- A root DSE
- An RA DIT context
- An individual leaf-node entry
The collective counterpart attribute type, 'c-rATTL', may be found on
all of the above EXCEPT the root DSE.
Presence of an instance of either of these attribute types for any
entry serves as an indicator to the RA DUA that a caching directive
may be in effect depending on the value.
The significance of value magnitude -- whether collective or not --
is as follows:
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- A value less than or equal to "0" is equivalent to a TTL being
undefined: NO cached lifespan is specified
- A value greater than or equal to "1" indicates a TTL lifespan
expressed by that value (e.g.: "1440" for a 24-hour TTL)
Countdown of a timespan commences at the same time the indicated
entry is retrieved and cached by the RA DUA according to the value.
Presence of the 'rATTL' attribute type within the RA DSA's root DSE
indicates use of global caching, a condition in which all entries
are cached for a fixed amount of time unless they are subjected to
an individual override by the 'rATTL' or 'c-rATTL' types.
Presence of the 'rATTL' attribute type within separate 'rADUAConfig'
class profile instances indicates context-specific entry caching (for
example, a single RA DIT in the midst of others served by a common RA
DSA).
The 'c-rATTL' attribute type is only present for entries when served
by an RA DSA which supports collective attributes. No instance of
the 'c-rATTL' attribute type shall be present within the root DSE.
In the face of multiple overlapping TTLs implied for an entry, these
rules of precedence can guide the RA DUA in determining the correct
TTL:
- DSE-based TTL overrides nothing (lowest common denominator)
- Contextual TTL overrides DSE TTL
- Collective TTL overrides a subtree of a contextual TTL
- Non-collective leaf entry TTL overrides all of the above
If deemed appropriate within the spirit of an implementation, or if
potentially necessary in an administrative context, the RA DUA MAY
allow for arbitrary cache bypass, whereas the cached entry may be
refreshed ahead of its scheduled TTL expiry.
2.2.4. New Allocations
The following subsections involve considerations and procedures which
are related to the incorporation of new registration allocations into
an RA DIT.
Each "OID Directory" implementation will almost certainly adopt only
certain attribute types for use in entries.
Such restrictions may be exercised based on use of only select object
classes within an entry, through observance of any DIT content rules
that may be in effect, or through a form of access control.
The RA DUA is expected to honor any policies imposed by the service
that would influence or mandate the composition of new entries in a
particular way.
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2.2.4.1. Verification
Certain preallocation checks MUST be conducted prior to any attempt
at creating an allocation. The following subsections describe these
procedures. Please note that only the three dimensional directory
model is covered due to its STRONGLY RECOMMENDED status over the
alternative model.
While the RA DSA may implement 'registration' integrity controls of
its own, the RA DUA SHALL NOT rely on such elements to mitigate bogus
or ill-advised requests alone. The RA DUA is REQUIRED to submit only
well-formed and sanctioned requests, and SHALL NOT be designed under
the unfounded assumption that the RA DSA will conduct post-operative
or custodial amendments of any kind.
Adopters of the RA DUA construct should remember that the context of
an allocation request can greatly influence the perception of the
various outcomes discussed in the following subsections.
For example, consider the entry of retroactive 'registration' entries
-- obsolete and wholly invalid by today's standards -- by an end user
simply to build a thorough and well-formed implementation of the OID
spectrum, versus a new registration being created today, and governed
by today's standards. The two scenarios have radically different
implications, yet the effective action is unchanged.
Depending on the nature and intended audience of an RA DUA solution,
this distinction may be particularly important. It may prove useful
to allow for effective "overrides" for authorized identities or modes
of operating, for example, to allow the creation of registrations
beneath an obsolete superior context.
It is important to note that the procedures defined in the following
subsections do not account for any internal governance or approval
process related to allocation request handling.
2.2.4.1.1. Ancestral Viability
Given an intended registration DN of:
n=9999,n=4,n=1,n=6,n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
The RA DUA MUST first verify the presence of the intended superior
registration DN.
n=4,n=1,n=6,n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
This search can be conducted using the following SearchRequest
parameters:
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baseObject = n=4,n=1,n=6,n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
scope = 0
filter = objectClass=registration
attributes = registrationStatus
registrationClassification
isLeafNode
isFrozen
objectClass
If exactly one (1) entry is returned with no apparent error, the
superior entry is confirmed to be present. In this case, the RA DUA
should read the values of the requested attribute types.
If the 'registrationStatus' and/or 'registrationClassification' value
is OBSOLETE, DEALLOCATED or some other (known) declaration of a state
of non-operation, this MUST fail the allocation request unless the
attempt was made in (approved) retroactive context. The case folding
scheme in effect for these values is not significant.
Similarly, if the 'isFrozen' and/or 'isLeafNode' attribute types bear
a Boolean value of TRUE, the allocation request MUST fail unless the
attempt was made in (approved) retroactive context.
The error 'noSuchObject' indicates the requested entry was not found.
When using LDAP, this bears the resultCode value of "32".
'noSuchObject' SHOULD be investigated by the RA DUA by way of an
ancestral traversal -- a process in which each successive ancestor
entry is subjected to a similar presence check as described above
in incremental fashion. Ordering of ancestral traversal checks is
not significant, as either ordering scheme will ultimately lead to
the same conclusion.
Each ancestor entry is referenced using a DN value which lacks the
leaf-node RDN component of the previously-checked descendant entry.
For instance, continuing with the above superior DN's lineage:
- n=1,n=6,n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
- n=6,n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
- n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
- n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
Following this procedure allows the RA DUA or the end user to locate
where the apparent ancestral discontinuity begins within the RA DIT.
The terminus of a registration lineage -- such as the one described
above -- is determined based on the presence of the STRUCTURAL object
class 'rootArc' for an entry (e.g.: "n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA").
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2.2.4.1.2. Number Form Uniqueness
Within a set of sibling 'registration' entries, it is CRITICAL that
any new allocation involve use of a horizontally-unique 'n' value.
Using one of the RECOMMENDED DN syntaxes described in Section 3.1,
the proper procedure simply involves a Read-based presence check of
the intended 'registration' DN.
For instance, if the desired allocation shall bear the DN:
n=9999,n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
A preemptive Read Operation MUST be executed in the following manner:
baseObject = n=9999,n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
scope = 0
typesOnly = TRUE
attributes = objectClass
Use of the 'typesOnly' option is merely for bandwidth efficiency,
as the goal of this request is to see if ANY entry exists by this
DN -- not to examine any particular attribute type values.
If zero (0) entries are returned alongside a 'noSuchObject' error,
the Number Form is unique.
Any non-zero number of entries that are returned with no apparent
error indicates the Number Form is NOT unique and the attempt at
allocation MUST fail. The RA DUA SHOULD inform the user of this
outcome.
There are no practical override use cases for this condition.
If using a 'registration' DN syntax other than those RECOMMENDED in
Section 3.1, use of a filter within a List Operation executed upon
the intended parent registration may be required at the risk of
performance penalties proportional to the number of entries present:
baseObject: = n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
scope = 1
typesOnly = TRUE
filter = n=9999
attributes = objectClass
The same entry count semantics as described above will apply.
See Section 2.2.4.1.3 for considerations regarding the presence
of ranges of allocations within the set of sibling registrations.
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2.2.4.1.3. Ranged Allocations
During the creation of new registrations, RA DUAs MUST preemptively
search for any range-based registrations present that might overlap
with the intended 'n' value of the entry. This requirement MAY be
relaxed if it is known that ranged allocations are not supported in
the target location.
For example, to determine if a ranged allocation resides within the
1.3 OID registration that would overlap with a desired Number Form,
the RA DUA MUST perform a List Operation of the following form:
baseObject = n=3,n=1,ou=Registrations,o=rA
scope = 1
typesOnly = TRUE
filter = (&(n<=X)
(|(registrationRange>=X)(registrationRange=-1)))
attributes = registrationRange
Given these parameters, where the filter AVA "X" represents the 'n'
(Number Form) chosen -- for example "100" -- the search will return
zero (0) entries if no range violation is detected involving value
"X". This behavior is unchanged in the midst of multiple finite
and/or infinite ranges, regardless of contiguity.
Please note that integer "X" MUST be chosen or selected by some means
by the RA DUA or its end user for this procedure to work as intended.
"X" SHALL NOT be negative.
An infinite range SHALL ONLY appear once in any sibling context, and
the associated entry DN SHALL ALWAYS represent the true 'maxArc' or
'c-maxArc' value in the same sibling context, if specified.
If ANY number of entries are returned as a result of this allocation
check, the registration MUST fail. The RA DUA MAY opt to make other
attempts using another Number Form in place of "X", or it may simply
inform the user of an overlapping allocation attempt.
This procedure assumes the preemptive Number Form Uniqueness check
procedures described in Section 2.2.4.1.2 have been conducted with
a favorable outcome as described.
However, in certain use cases, it may be advantageous to replace the
above 'filter' with:
(|(&(n<=X)(|(registrationRange>=X)(registrationRange=-1)))(n=X))
Doing so accomplishes the goals of this section and Section 2.2.4.1.2
in a single action.
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The RA DUA MAY opt to impose a 'typesOnly' value of FALSE to allow
the user to manually observe the range structure(s) present within
a set of siblings directly (by way of the 'registrationRange' type)
if and when an overlapping allocation attempt was made. This allows
the user to select an appropriate Number Form value in an informed
manner -- as opposed to trial-and-error methodology, for instance.
2.2.4.2. Submission
Assuming the verification procedures covered in Section 2.2.4.1 were
of a favorable outcome, the submission of the allocation details may
be indicated.
This ID assumes that any requisite review or approval processes that
are practiced by those who serve in authority over the RA have been
performed.
Creation of a directory entry, based upon decided allocation details,
is the last step necessary for a proper submission. Please see the
RADIT ID for details and many examples regarding entry composition.
The Add Operation is the intended means for submission of the entry.
If the particular implementation of this ID series does not support
this operation in this manner, the RA DSA may be expected to support
another means out of scope for this ID series.
Upon submission of the composed entry to the receiving RA DSA, the
RA DUA SHOULD retrieve the newly added entry to verify attribute type
and object class content is present as intended. This should precede
any declarations of successful submission to the end user.
2.2.5. Allocation Updates
Updates to 'registration' entries, as mentioned previously, is often
ill-advised outside of extraordinary circumstances, likely involving
corrections to entries deemed to be of poor form, or created in bad
faith. A general rule-of-thumb suggests that any 'registration' is
typically static.
Updates to 'registrant' entries or attributes, however, is far more
likely if contact information, which changes over time, is present.
Nevertheless, alterations to the content of entries in either context
is facilitated through use of the Modify Operation for any of the
following desired actions:
- Addition of object class values
- Addition of attribute type instances or values
- Removal of undesirable or invalid attribute instances or values
- Correction of bogus attribute type values
- Relegation of a currentAuthority to a firstAuthority
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In an even more exceptional (and unlikely) scenario, the correction
of an invalid Number Form or OID RDN value is facilitated through
use of the Modify DN Operation, which is intended for the "renaming"
and/or "relocation" of a specified entry. This is almost certainly
an administratively focused use case.
The semantics for either of these operations are well outside the
scope of this ID series.
3. IANA Considerations
There are no requests to IANA in this document at this time.
4. Security Considerations
The RA DUA MUST possess the capability to honor any authentication
and/or confidentiality policies imposed by the RA DSA. This would
imply Bind and Unbind capabilities, at the least.
This may involve strategies related to TLS, 2FA, OTP and others. TLS
support may include facilities for mutual authentication. Support of
password-related operations -- such as those defined in [RFC3062] --
may be indicated.
Certain directory implementations may require these capabilities be
exercised prior to interaction with ANY facet of the directory -- no
matter how innocuous a request may be perceived (for instance, basic
query of the root DSE only). This is an especially common practice
in high-security X.500/LDAP implementations. Adopters are advised to
be prepared for such conditions.
5. References
5.1. Normative References
RADIR Coretta, J., "The OID Directory: A Technical Roadmap",
draft-coretta-oiddir-roadmap, February 2024.
RADIT Coretta, J., "The OID Directory: The RA DIT",
draft-coretta-oiddir-radit, February 2024.
RADSA Coretta, J., "The OID Directory: The RA DSA",
draft-coretta-oiddir-radsa, February 2024.
RASCHEMA Coretta, J., "The OID Directory: The RA Schema",
draft-coretta-oiddir-schema, February 2024.
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
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[RFC2696] C. Weider, A. Herron, A. Anantha, Microsoft, T. Howes
and Netscape, "LDAP Control Extension for Simple Paged
Results Manipulation", RFC 2696, September 1999.
[RFC3671] Zeilenga, K., "Collective Attributes in the Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)", RFC 3671, December
2003.
[RFC4511] J. Sermersheim, Ed. "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP): The Protocol", RFC 4511, June 2006.
[RFC4512] Zeilenga, K., "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP): Directory Information Models", RFC 4512, June
2006.
[RFC8174] Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
2119 Key Words", RFC 8174, May 2017.
[X.501] International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication
Standardization Sector, "The Directory: Models", ITU-T
X.501, October 2019.
[X.511] International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication
Standardization Sector, "The Directory: Abstract service
definition", ITU-T X.511, October 2019.
5.2. Informative References
[PRIVATE] IANA, "Private Enterprise Numbers",
https://www.iana.org/assignments/enterprise-numbers.
[RFC2079] Smith, M., "Definition of an X.500 Attribute Type and an
Object Class to Hold Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs)",
RFC 2079, January 1997.
[RFC3062] Zeilenga, K., "LDAP Password Modify Extended Operation",
RFC 3062, February 2001.
[RFC4519] Sciberras, Ed., A., "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP): Schema for User Applications", RFC 4519, June
2006.
[RFC4524] Zeilenga, K., "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP): COSINE LDAP/X.500 Schema", RFC 4524, June 2006
[X.500] International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication
Standardization Sector, "The Directory: Overview of
concepts, models and services", ITU-T X.500, October 2019.
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[X.660] International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication
Standardization Sector, "General procedures and top arcs
of the international object identifier tree", ITU-T X.660,
July 2011.
[X.680] International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication
Standardization Sector, "Abstract Syntax Notation One
(ASN.1): Specification of basic notation", ITU-T X.680,
July 2002.
Author's Address
Jesse Coretta
California, United States
Email: jesse.coretta@icloud.com
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