Internet Draft A. Murdock
Intended status: Informational NATO C&I Agency
Expires: April 14, 2015 October 14, 2014
URN Namespace for NATO
draft-murdock-nato-nid-02.txt
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Abstract
This document describes a Uniform Resource Name (URN) namespace for
assignment by NATO. The current primary use is for uniquely
identifying Extensible Markup Language (XML) artifacts that provide
information about NATO message text formats and service
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specifications as described in various NATO standards [4],
instructions and publications.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................................ 2
2. Specification Template ...................................... 3
2.1. Namespace ID ........................................... 3
2.2. Registration Information ............................... 3
2.3. Declared Registrant of the Namespace ................... 3
2.4. Declaration of Syntactic Structure ..................... 3
2.5. Relevant Ancillary Documentation ....................... 4
2.6. Identifier Uniqueness Considerations ................... 5
2.7. Identifier Persistence Considerations .................. 5
2.8. Process of Identifier Assignment ....................... 5
2.9. Process for Identifier Resolution ...................... 5
2.10. Rules for Lexical Equivalence ......................... 5
2.11. Conformance with URN Syntax ........................... 6
2.12. Validation Mechanism .................................. 6
2.13. Scope ................................................. 6
3. Namespace Considerations .................................... 6
4. Community Considerations .................................... 6
5. Security Considerations ..................................... 7
6. IANA Considerations ......................................... 7
7. Conclusions ................................................. 7
8. References .................................................. 7
8.1. Normative References ................................... 7
8.2. Informative References ................................. 8
9. Acknowledgments ............................................. 8
1. Introduction
Historically, NATO has used standardized character-oriented message
text formats (MTF) to interoperate, report and exchange information
both among its commands and with national entities, commercial
partners and NGOs. These MTFs are generated using the NATO Message
Text Formatting System (FORMETS) in accordance with the rules,
constructions and vocabulary specified within the Allied Data
Publication Number 3 (ADatP-3). Almost 400 NATO-defined messages
that conform to ADatP-3 are contained in the Allied Procedural
Publication Number 11 (APP-11) message catalogue.
Prior to 2008 these messages were only available as slash delimited
textual messages. Since 2008, the APP-11 message catalogue also
includes XML-MTF definitions for these messages, giving rise to a
need to define and manage a URN namespace to name the XML namespaces.
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2. Specification Template
2.1. Namespace ID
The Namespace ID "nato" is requested.
2.2. Registration Information
Version 1
Date: 2014-09-11
2.3. Declared Registrant of the Namespace
Registering Organization:
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Communications & Information Services Agency (NCIA)
Address: SHAPE, 7010, Belgium
Declared Contact:
Role: NATO Naming and Addressing Authority (NRA)
Email: nra@ncia.nato.int
2.4. Declaration of Syntactic Structure
The Namespace Specific String (NSS) of all URNs that use the "nato"
NID shall have the following structure:
<URN> ::= "nato" ":" <NSS>
<NSS> ::= <Type> | <Type> ":" <Source> | <Type> ":" <Source> 1*( ":"
<segment> )
<Type> ::= 1*<non-colon chars>
<Source> ::= 1*<non-colon chars>
<segment> ::= 1*<non-colon chars>
<non-colon chars> ::= <non-colon trans> | "%" <hex> <hex>
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<non-colon trans> ::= <upper> | <lower> | <number> | <non-colon
other>
<hex> ::= <number> | "A" | "B" | "C" | "D" | "E" | "F" |
"a" | "b" | "c" | "d" | "e" | "f"
<non-colon other> ::= "(" | ")" | "+" | "," | "-" | "." |
"=" | "@" | ";" | "$" |"_" | "!" | "*" | "'"
The "Type" is the top-level segment of the NSS. It is a required US-
ASCII string, subject to the above syntax, that conforms to the URN
syntax requirements (see RFC 2141 [1]). It identifies a particular
category or type of named resources, such as "mtf".
The "Source" is the second-level segment of the NSS, belonging to the
"Type" context. At this time, not all "Type" segments have "Source"
children, making "Source" an optional US-ASCII string, subject to the
above syntax and conformant to the URN syntax requirements (see RFC 2141
[1]). "Source" identifies a particular standard, catalogue or other
source of relevant specifications.
The NATO Naming and Registration Authority (NRA) functions as a Local
Internet Registry under RIPE NCC and will also serve as the responsible
registrar for assigning the first two levels of segments within the NSS
("Type" and "Source"). The NRA may directly assign segments below these
levels of the namespace hierarchy, or delegate assignment
responsibilities for segments below the second level (i.e. below
"Source") at its discretion. In either case, NRA will ensure a registry
of the resulting namespace is maintained.
2.5. Relevant Ancillary Documentation
APP-11 - the ADatP-3 message catalogue
AdatP-3 - The message text format standard promulgated under STANAG
5500 ed. 7
The interim NATO Metadata Registry and Repository (NMRR) webpage can
be found at https://nmrr.ncia.nato.int/home.htm
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2.6. Identifier Uniqueness Considerations
The NRA, as registrar, shall directly assure the global uniqueness of
the assigned strings. Though responsibility for administration of
sub-trees may be delegated, these shall not be published to the
registry or be requested to be resolved by any URN resolver until the
uniqueness of the resulting urn:nato URN has been validated against
the existing contents of the registry. URN identifiers shall be
assigned to at most one resource and not reassigned.
2.7. Identifier Persistence Considerations
The Registrar may assign URNs in sub-trees below the level of Type or
Standard, but once registered, URNs shall not be re-assigned. Within
the registry, their status as active or archive shall be recorded.
2.8. Process of Identifier Assignment
A namespace specific string within the NATO namespace will only be
assigned upon advancement of a relevant specification. The Registrar
checks all requested identifiers against the existing registrations
within urn:nato to ensure uniqueness and encourage relevance.
The assignment may include delegated registration activities for the
sub-tree if underpinned by supporting agreements. Otherwise, such
responsibilities remain with the NRA as overarching Registrar. In
any case, the urn must be registered with appropriate metadata before
an authorized request for URN resolution can be initiated (if
necessary).
2.9. Process for Identifier Resolution
The namespace is not currently listed with a Resolution Discovery
System (RDS) [3]. In the future, URNs from this namespace may be
resolved using a NATO listing in an RDS, using a third party listed
resolver, using an unlisted private resolver, or some combination of
these. The resolution method for each segment will be registered
with the NRA Registrar.
2.10. Rules for Lexical Equivalence
No special considerations. The rules for lexical equivalence
specified in RFC 2141 apply.
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2.11. Conformance with URN Syntax
No special considerations.
2.12. Validation Mechanism
None specified. It will be conducted as part of the application for
identifier registration as indicated in preceding paragraphs.
2.13. Scope
Global.
3. Namespace Considerations
In addition to the large number of XML message specifications that
now exist in APP-11, there are other existing and emerging NATO
standard messages expressed as XML, as well as ongoing Web service
specification development. With no single NID registered to NATO,
some of these specifications may be established within locally
relevant, self-generated URN namespaces. Not only does this inhibit
the portability and adoption intended by standards development [4],
it risks name collisions when exposed to the global context of the
federation of partners for which these messages are destined.
The use of Uniform Resource Names with an appropriate Namespace ID
will enable the various NATO standards committees and working groups
[5] to use unique, relevant, reliable, permanent, managed and
accessible namespace names for their XML products.
A dedicated namespace also provides NATO the opportunity to leverage
the use of URNs for persistent naming of non-XML resources.
4. Community Considerations
The NATO standards development community, and those implementing such
standards, will benefit from publication of this namespace by having
more permanent and reliable names for the XML namespaces defined
within STANAGs, the MTF catalogue (APP-11) and other published
standards [4].
Though these are NATO-published standards [4], they represent the
consensus of multi-national working groups, are implemented in
commercial products and used by partners within the international
community.
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In the case of MTF standards [5], the responsibility for its
development and maintenance belongs to the NATO C3 Board's Message
Text Formats (MFT) Capability Team [5]. This team is "open to all
recognized NATO Partners around the Globe in principle. The term
'Partners around the Globe' summarizes all partners that are listed
on the NATO webpage: Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), NATO's
Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI)
and Partners across the globe" [AC/322-N(2014)0091-AS1].
5. Security Considerations
This document introduces no additional security considerations beyond
those associated with the use and resolution of URNs in general.
Distribution of NATO information in any form is subject to its
security policies. Nonetheless, this specification is for public use
and not subject to any NATO security policies.
6. IANA Considerations
This document defines a URN NID registration of "nato", which is
requested to be entered into the IANA registry "Uniform Resource
Names (URN) Namespaces". The registration template is given in
section 2.
7. Conclusions
It is necessary that a standards body, like NATO, ensures its
messages, service specifications and other XML artifacts are based in
namespaces that can be described using unique, persistent and managed
URNs. Considering its role as an information broker between many
disparate communities, this document recommends a formal namespace
identifier (NID) urn:nato for Uniform Resource Names (URN) associated
with NATO information products and vocabularies.
8. References
8.1. Normative References
[1] Moats, R., "URN Syntax", RFC 2141, May 1997.
[2] Daigle, L., van Gulik, D., Iannella, R. and P. Faltstrom,
"Uniform Resource Name (URN) Namespace Definition Mechanisms",
BCP 66, RFC 3406, October 2002.
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[3] Sollins, K., "Architectural Principles of Uniform Resource Name
Resolution", RFC 2276, January 1998.
8.2. Informative References
[4] List of Current NATO Standards (publicly available hosted by
NATO Standardization Office):
http://nso.nato.int/nso/nsdd/listpromulg.html
[5] The Message Text Format Capability Team website:
https://nhqc3s.hq.nato.int/Default.aspx
[6]
[AC/322-N(2014)0091-AS1] NATO notice which specifies that partners
that have, or intend to introduce, systems interoperable
with NATO MTFs may join the respective NATO working group,
subject to the approval of the C3 Board.
9. Acknowledgments
The author acknowledges and appreciates the support and expertise
provided by Nanda Kol, Ulrich Ritgen and the urn-nid review team.
This document was prepared using 2-Word-v2.0.template.dot.
Authors' Address
Aidan Murdock
NATO C&I Agency
Core Enterprise Services
Naming and Registration Authority
SHAPE, Belgium
7010
Email: Aidan.murdock@ncia.nato.int
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