Network Working Group                                           C. Daboo
Internet-Draft                                                     Apple
Intended status: Standards Track                           June 12, 2015
Expires: December 14, 2015


                    CalDAV: Time Zones by Reference
                draft-ietf-tzdist-caldav-timezone-ref-03

Abstract

   This document defines an extension to the CalDAV calendar access
   protocol to allow clients and servers to exchange iCalendar data
   without the need to send full time zone data.

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
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   This Internet-Draft will expire on December 14, 2015.

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   Copyright (c) 2015 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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   described in the Simplified BSD License.





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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Conventions Used in This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  Time Zones by Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     3.1.  New Server Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  New Client Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
   5.  New WebDAV Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
     5.1.  CALDAV:timezone-service-set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
     5.2.  CALDAV:calendar-timezone-id . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
   6.  XML Element Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
     6.1.  CALDAV:calendar-query XML Element . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
     6.2.  CALDAV:timezone-id XML Element  . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
   7.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   8.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   9.  Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   10. References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
     10.1.  Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
     10.2.  Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
   Appendix A.  Change History (To be removed by RFC Editor before
                publication) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12

1.  Introduction

   The CalDAV [RFC4791] Calendar Access protocol allows clients to
   access calendar data stored on a server in the iCalendar [RFC5545]
   data format.  In iCalendar, calendar data that uses local time in any
   of its date and/or time values is specified as a date-time value in
   combination with a time zone identifier ("TZID" property parameter).
   The time zone identifier refers to a time zone definition (a
   "VTIMEZONE" component) that has all of the rules required to
   determine local time UTC offsets for the corresponding time zone.  In
   many cases, these "VTIMEZONE" components can be larger, octet-wise,
   than the events or tasks which make use of them.  However, iCalendar
   currently requires all iCalendar objects ("VCALENDAR" components)
   that refer to a time zone via its identifier to also include the
   corresponding "VTIMEZONE" component.  This leads to inefficiencies in
   the CalDAV protocol because large amounts of "VTIMEZONE" data are
   continuously being exchanged, and for the most part these time zone
   definitions are unchanging.  This is of particular problem to mobile
   or limited devices, with limited network bandwidth, cpu processing,
   and power constraints.

   A set of standard time zone definitions are available at the IANA
   hosted time zone database [RFC6557].  That database provides the
   "raw" data for time zone definitions, and those can be converted into
   iCalendar "VTIMEZONE" components for use in iCalendar applications,



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   as well as converted into other formats for use by other applications
   (e.g., "zoneinfo" files often found on Unix-based operating systems).
   A new Time Zone Data Distribution Service [I-D.ietf-tzdist-service]
   protocol is available that allows iCalendar applications to retrieve
   these standard time zone definitions in a timely and accurate
   fashion, instead of relying on possibly infrequent system updates of
   time zone data that frequently result in mismatched calendar data and
   resulting missed meetings between calendar users.  Another benefit of
   the Time Zone Data Distribution Service is that it provides a single
   "reference" for standard time zone data that CalDAV clients and
   servers can make use of to "agree" on standard time zone definitions,
   and thus eliminate the need to exchange the data for those.

   This specification defines a new mode of operation for CalDAV clients
   and servers which allow them to exchange iCalendar data without the
   need to send "VTIMEZONE" components for known, standard time zone
   definitions.  This can significantly reduce the amount of data that
   needs to be sent between client and server, giving rise to
   performance and efficiency improvements for each of them.

2.  Conventions Used in This Document

   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
   [RFC2119].

   Other notations used in this memo follow the notations of [RFC4791].

3.  Time Zones by Reference

   Note that this specification only defines changes to iCalendar data
   sent or received via the CalDAV protocol (both [RFC4791] and
   [RFC6638], and extensions).  These changes do not apply to other
   means of exchanging calendar data, such as iTIP [RFC5546] based
   scheduling mechanisms (e.g., iMIP [RFC6047]), or other methods.

3.1.  New Server Behavior

3.1.1.  Server Advertised Capability

   A server that supports this specification MUST include "calendar-no-
   timezone" as a field in the DAV response header from an OPTIONS
   request on a calendar home collection (see Section 6.2.1 of
   [RFC4791]) or calendar collection (see Section 4.2 of [RFC4791]).
   Clients MUST check for the presence of that field in the DAV response
   header before changing their behavior as per Section 4.




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3.1.2.  Associated Time Zone Data Distribution Service

   A CalDAV server supporting this specification MUST have one or more
   associated time zone distribution services [I-D.ietf-tzdist-service]
   that provide data for the set of time zones known to the server and
   expected to be used by clients.  A CalDAV server advertises the set
   of time zone distribution services it makes use of via a
   CALDAV:timezone-service-set WebDAV property (see Section 5.1) defined
   on calendar home collections.  Clients can use the time zone data
   distribution services listed in this property to fetch current time
   zone definitions for the time zone identifiers in iCalendar data
   retrieved from the server.  This allows clients to keep their "built-
   in" time zone definitions up to date.  It also allows clients to use
   an "on-demand" model for populating their local time zone definition
   cache, only fetching a time zone definition when it is first seen in
   calendar data, potentially allowing for savings on storage space by
   eliminating the need to store time zone data that is not currently
   being used.

   When making use of the time zone data distribution services
   advertised by a CalDAV server, clients MUST follow all the
   requirements of the time zone data distribution service protocol
   [I-D.ietf-tzdist-service], taking care to refresh time zone data in a
   timely fashion.

3.1.3.  Time Zones in CalDAV Responses

   Servers MUST support the HTTP "Prefer" header [RFC7240] with
   "vtimezone=yes" and "vtimezone=no" preference values (see Section 8).
   If the "vtimezone=yes" preference is set by a client on any HTTP
   request that returns iCalendar data, then the server MUST include all
   the appropriate "VTIMEZONE" components in the iCalendar data (all the
   ones that are referenced by "TZID" property parameters).  If the
   "vtimezone=no" preference is set by a client on any HTTP request that
   returns iCalendar data, then the server MUST NOT return any
   "VTIMEZONE" components if the time zone identifier matches one
   provided by any of the advertised time zone distribution servers (see
   Section 3.1.2).  However, the server MUST return the appropriate
   "VTIMEZONE" component for each time zone with an identifier not
   available on the advertised time zone distribution servers.  This
   behaviour applies to all HTTP requests on CalDAV resources that
   return iCalendar data either directly (such as a "GET" request on a
   calendar object resource), or embedded in a "structured" response
   such as a DAV:multistatus returned by a "REPORT" or "PROPFIND"
   request.

   Observation and experiments have shown that, in the vast majority of
   cases, CalDAV clients have typically ignored time zone definitions in



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   data received from servers, and instead make use of their own "built-
   in" definitions for the corresponding time zone identifier.  This
   means that it is reasonable for CalDAV servers to unilaterally decide
   not to send "VTIMEZONE" components for standard time zones that
   clients are expected to have "built-in" (i.e., IANA time zones).
   Thus, in the absence of an explicit "vtimezone=yes" or "vtimezone=no"
   preference in the request from a client, servers advertizing the
   "calendar-no-timezone" capability MAY opt to not send standard
   "VTIMEZONE" components.

3.1.4.  Time Zones in CalDAV Requests

   In addition to servers not sending time zone definitions to clients
   in iCalendar data, this specification also allows clients to not
   include time zone definitions when sending iCalendar data to the
   server, as per Section 4.  This behaviour applies to all HTTP
   requests on CalDAV resources that include iCalendar data either
   directly in the request body (such as a "PUT" request on a calendar
   object resource), or embedded in a "structured" request body such as
   a one used by "PROPPATCH" request.

   Note that, as per Section 4, clients might send time zone definitions
   for time zones that are not advertised by any of the time zone
   services associated with the server.  In that case, servers have
   various choices:

   1.  Servers can preserve the original time zone definitions in the
       iCalendar data sent by the client, so that those can be returned
       to that or other clients who subsequently request iCalendar data.

   2.  Servers can refuse to accept any unknown/non-standard time zones,
       in which case they MUST reject the HTTP request containing such
       data using a WebDAV precondition code of CALDAV:valid-timezone.

   3.  Servers can, with appropriate knowledge, map the unknown/non-
       standard time zone to a standard time zone definition that
       accurately matches the one supplied by the client.  In doing so,
       servers will need to re-write the iCalendar data to make use of
       the new standard time zone identifier chosen by the mapping
       procedure.  Any subsequent request to fetch the calendar data
       would see the new time zone identifier in the calendar data.
       Note there is one important situation where this re-mapping is
       not appropriate: an attendee's copy of an event.  In that case
       the original time zone definition needs to be preserved as the
       organizer's calendar user agent will expect to see that in any
       iTIP replies sent by the attendee.





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3.1.5.  Support Time Zone Identifiers in WebDAV Properties

   CalDAV defines a CALDAV:calendar-timezone WebDAV property that is
   used by clients to set a default time zone for the server to use when
   doing time-based queries on calendar data (see Section 5.3.2 of
   [RFC4791]).  The content of that WebDAV property is an iCalendar
   "VTIMEZONE" component.  This specification defines a new
   CALDAV:calendar-timezone-id WebDAV property that allows the default
   time zone to be set via its time zone identifier, rather than
   providing the full "VTIMEZONE" component (see Section 5.2).  This
   WebDAV property MUST be present on all resources that also support
   the CALDAV:calendar-timezone WebDAV property.  Its value MUST match
   the value of the "TZID" iCalendar property in the "VTIMEZONE"
   component in the CALDAV:calendar-timezone WebDAV property on the same
   resource.  The server MUST accept clients setting either the
   CALDAV:calendar-timezone or the CALDAV:calendar-timezone-id, and it
   MUST adjust the value of the alternate property to reflect any
   changes. i.e., if a client sets the CALDAV:calendar-timezone-id
   WebDAV property value to "America/New_York", then the server will
   return the full "VTIMEZONE" data for that time zone in the
   CALDAV:calendar-timezone WebDAV property.

   If a client attempts to update the CALDAV:calendar-timezone-id with a
   value that does not correspond to a time zone that is known to the
   server, the server MUST reject the property update using a
   CALDAV:valid-timezone pre-condition error.  In such cases, clients
   MAY repeat the request using the CALDAV:calendar-timezone instead,
   and provide the full iCalendar data for the time zone being set.

3.1.6.  Support Time Zone Identifiers in CALDAV:calendar-query REPORT

   CalDAV calendar query reports support a CALDAV:timezone XML element
   that is used by clients to set a specific time zone for the server to
   use when doing time-based queries on calendar data (see Sections 7.3
   and 9.8 of [RFC4791]).  The content of that XML element is an
   iCalendar "VTIMEZONE" component.  This specification defines a new
   CALDAV:timezone-id XML element, that can be used as an alternative to
   the CALDAV:timezone XML element, that allows a specific time zone to
   be set via its time zone identifier, rather than providing the full
   "VTIMEZONE" component (see Section 6.2).  Servers MUST support
   clients providing a time zone identifier for use in a calendar query
   REPORT using this new element.

   If a client attempts use a CALDAV:timezone-id XML element with a
   value that does not correspond to a time zone that is known to the
   server, the server MUST reject the request with a CALDAV:valid-
   timezone pre-condition error.  In such cases, clients MAY repeat the




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   request using the CALDAV:timezone XML element instead, and provide
   the full iCalendar data for the time zone being used.

4.  New Client Behavior

   When a server advertises the "calendar-no-timezone" field in a DAV
   response header (as per Section 3.1.1):

   1.  Clients SHOULD include an HTTP "Prefer" header with a
       "vtimezone=no" preference to ensure that the CalDAV server does
       not include "VTIMEZONE" components in any iCalendar data returned
       in a response (see Section 3.1.3, for those time zones whose
       identifier is one provided by any of the advertised time zone
       distribution servers (see Section 3.1.2).  In this case, clients
       MUST retrieve the missing standard time zone definitions from the
       set of time zone distribution servers advertised by the CalDAV
       server (see Section 3.1.2).

   2.  Clients can include an HTTP "Prefer" header with a
       "vtimezone=yes" preference to ensure that the CalDAV server does
       include all "VTIMEZONE" components in any iCalendar data returned
       in a response (see Section 3.1.3).

   3.  Clients can expect servers not to include standard time zone
       definitions in any iCalendar data they receive from the server,
       if no "vtimezone=yes" and no "vtimezone=no" preference is set in
       the HTTP request.  Clients MUST retrieve standard time zone
       definitions from the set of time zone distribution servers
       advertised by the CalDAV server (see Section 3.1.2), or a known.

   4.  Clients SHOULD remove standard time zone definitions from
       iCalendar data they send to the server, provided the
       corresponding time zone identifier is one available on any of the
       server's advertised time zone distribution servers (see
       Section 3.1.2).

   5.  Clients MUST send time zone definitions in iCalendar data for any
       time zone identifiers not available via any of the server's
       advertised time zone distribution servers.  Clients MUST be
       prepared for the server to reject such data or map the time zone
       to one in the set of standard time zones provided by the server's
       associated time zone services (as per Section 3.1.4).

   6.  Clients SHOULD make use of the CALDAV:calendar-timezone-id WebDAV
       property (see Section 3.1.5) and CalDAV:timezone-id XML element
       (see Section 3.1.6) for specifying default and specific time
       zones to use in calendar queries executed by the server.




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5.  New WebDAV Properties

5.1.  CALDAV:timezone-service-set

   Name:  timezone-service-set

   Namespace:  urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:caldav

   Purpose:  Specifies one or more time zone data distribution servers
      being used by the CalDAV server to provide standard time zone
      data.

   Conformance:  This property SHOULD be defined on CalDAV calendar home
      collection resources.  If defined, it SHOULD NOT be returned by a
      PROPFIND DAV:allprop request (as defined in Section 14.2 of
      [RFC4918]).

   Description:  The CALDAV:timezone-service-set property lists one or
      more time zone data distribution servers that the CalDAV server is
      using to provide its set of time zone data.  See Section 3.1.2 for
      more details.

   Definition:

   <!ELEMENT timezone-service-set (DAV:href+)>
   DAV:href value: URI of a time zone data distribution service
   as defined by this specification.

   Example:

   <C:timezone-service-set
       xmlns:D="DAV:"
       xmlns:C="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:caldav">
     <D:href>https://timezones.example.com</D:href>
   </C:timezone-service-set>

5.2.  CALDAV:calendar-timezone-id

   Name:  calendar-timezone-id

   Namespace:  urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:caldav

   Purpose:  Specifies a time zone identifier for a calendar collection.

   Conformance:  This property SHOULD be defined on all resources where
      the CALDAV:calendar-timezone property is also defined.  If
      defined, it SHOULD NOT be returned by a PROPFIND DAV:allprop
      request (as defined in Section 14.2 of [RFC4918]).



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   Description:  The CALDAV:calendar-timezone-id property is used as an
      alternative to the CALDAV:calendar-timezone property (see
      Section 5.3.2 of [RFC4791]).  It allows clients to set the default
      time zone using only a time zone identifier.  It also indicates to
      the client, the time zone identifier of the current default time
      zone.  See Section 3.1.5 for more details.

   Definition:

   <!ELEMENT calendar-timezone-id (#PCDATA)>
   PCDATA value: an time zone identifier.

   Example:

   <C:calendar-timezone-id
       xmlns:C="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:caldav">US-Eastern<
   /C:calendar-timezone-id>

6.  XML Element Definitions

6.1.  CALDAV:calendar-query XML Element

   The CALDAV:calendar-query XML element, defined in Section 9.5 of
   [RFC4791], is modified to allow use of the CALDAV:timezone-id XML
   element as follows:

   Definition:

   <!ELEMENT calendar-query ((DAV:allprop |
                              DAV:propname |
                              DAV:prop)?, filter,
                              (timezone | timezone-id)?)>

6.2.  CALDAV:timezone-id XML Element

   Name:  timezone-id

   Namespace:  urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:caldav

   Purpose:  Specifies the time zone identifier for a time zone
      component to use when determining the results of a report.

   Description:  The CALDAV:timezone-id XML element is used as an
      alternative to the CALDAV:timezone XML element (see Section 9.8 of
      [RFC4791]) in calendar query reports, to allow a client to specify
      a time zone using a time zone identifier rather than providing the
      full iCalendar time zone data.  See Section 3.1.6 for more
      details.



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   Definition:

   <!ELEMENT timezone-id (#PCDATA)>
   PCDATA value: an time zone identifier.

7.  Security Considerations

   This specification does not introduce any new security concerns
   beyond those addressed in CalDAV [RFC4791] and iCalendar [RFC5545].

8.  IANA Considerations

   IANA is requested to add the following registration to the "HTTP
   Preferences" registry defined by [RFC7240].

      Preference: vtimezone

      Value: One of either "yes" or "no"

      Description: Indicates whether the client prefers a CalDAV server
      to send "VTIMEZONE" iCalendar components in responses.

      Reference: [this RFC], Section 3.1.3.

9.  Acknowledgments

   Thanks to Mike Douglass, Andrew McMillan, and Ken Murchison.  This
   specification came about via discussions at the Calendaring and
   Scheduling Consortium.

10.  References

10.1.  Normative References

   [I-D.ietf-tzdist-service]
              Douglass, M. and C. Daboo, "Time Zone Data Distribution
              Service", draft-ietf-tzdist-service-08 (work in progress),
              June 2015.

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.

   [RFC4791]  Daboo, C., Desruisseaux, B., and L. Dusseault,
              "Calendaring Extensions to WebDAV (CalDAV)", RFC 4791,
              March 2007.

   [RFC4918]  Dusseault, L., "HTTP Extensions for Web Distributed
              Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV)", RFC 4918, June 2007.



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   [RFC5545]  Desruisseaux, B., "Internet Calendaring and Scheduling
              Core Object Specification (iCalendar)", RFC 5545,
              September 2009.

   [RFC6638]  Daboo, C. and B. Desruisseaux, "Scheduling Extensions to
              CalDAV", RFC 6638, June 2012.

   [RFC7240]  Snell, J., "Prefer Header for HTTP", RFC 7240, June 2014.

10.2.  Informative References

   [RFC5546]  Daboo, C., "iCalendar Transport-Independent
              Interoperability Protocol (iTIP)", RFC 5546, December
              2009.

   [RFC6047]  Melnikov, A., "iCalendar Message-Based Interoperability
              Protocol (iMIP)", RFC 6047, December 2010.

   [RFC6557]  Lear, E. and P. Eggert, "Procedures for Maintaining the
              Time Zone Database", BCP 175, RFC 6557, February 2012.

Appendix A.  Change History (To be removed by RFC Editor before
             publication)

   Changes in -03:

   1.  Chair Review: minor editorial changes

   2.  Chair Review: expanded item #3 in Section 3.1.4 to clarify the
       behavior and indicate when it would not be appropriate.

   Changes in -02:

   1.  Ticket #27: added an HTTP Prefer header preference to allow
       clients to explicitly state whether they want or do not want
       VTIMEZONEs from the server.

   Changes in -01:

   1.  Ticket #24: rewording intro to Section 3 to remove the MUST.

   2.  Ticket #26: rewording Section 3.1.1 to not provide advice about
       how to handle limited devices.

   Changes in -00:

   1.  Initial WG draft derived from draft-daboo-caldav-timezone-ref-01,
       with some terminology changes to match WG name.



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   2.  "timezone" -> "time zone" (https://tools.ietf.org/wg/tzdist/trac/
       ticket/6).

Author's Address

   Cyrus Daboo
   Apple Inc.
   1 Infinite Loop
   Cupertino , CA   95014
   USA

   Email: cyrus@daboo.name
   URI:   http://www.apple.com/






































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