Network Working Group P. Saint-Andre
Internet-Draft Jabber Software Foundation
Expires: March 11, 2004 September 11, 2003
XMPP URI Format
draft-saintandre-xmpp-uri-00
Status of this Memo
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Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2003). All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
This document defines a URI scheme to address entities that can
communicate via the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol
(XMPP).
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 Discussion Venue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 Intellectual Property Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. xmpp: URI IANA Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.1 URI Scheme Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2 URI Scheme Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.3 Character Encoding Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.4 Intended usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.5 Security considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.6 Relevant publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.7 Person and email address to contact for further information . 6
2.8 Author/Change controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.9 Applications and/or protocols which use this URI scheme
name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Intellectual Property and Copyright Statements . . . . . . . . 10
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1. Introduction
The Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) [1] has been
adapted by the XMPP WG from the open protocol originally developed by
the Jabber community. Currently there exist tens of thousands of
servers on the Jabber network, with millions of end users. The
addresses of XMPP entities are not specified as full URIs on the
network itself, i.e., within the context of the streaming XML
technology that forms the foundation of XMPP. However, many
applications external to the existing network would like to address
XMPP entities as full URIs in compliance with RFC 2396 [2].
Many types of applications can be built using XMPP. The best-known
such application is instant messaging (IM) and presence as defined in
XMPP IM [3]. Therefore it might seem appropriate to use the 'im:' and
'pres:' URI schemes defined in Common Profile for Instant Messaging
(CPIM) [4] and Common Profile for Presence (CPP) [5], rather than to
define an XMPP-specific URI scheme. Unfortunately, these URI schemes
are limited to instant messaging (usually understood as exchanging
messages with a single other user) and presence. However,
fundamentally XMPP is a technology for near-real-time messaging,
presence, and request-response services using streaming XML, rather
than only an IM or presence technology. XMPP is already in use in
applications quite distinct from IM, including network management,
workflow applications, generic publish-subscribe, remote procedure
calls, content syndication, gaming, and middleware. These
applications require an addressing scheme that is not tied to the
particular semantics of the 'im:' and 'pres:' URI schemes. Therefore,
this document defines a generic URI scheme that will enable
applications to fully address any entity that can communicate via
XMPP.
On the XMPP network itself, entities must be addressed as <jid>
rather than <xmpp:jid>. However, some interfaces to XMPP services may
be provided by non-native applications (e.g., web browsers), and
other applications may want to refer to XMPP entities using addresses
that are full URIs. The xmpp: URI format is provided for the sake of
such interfaces and applications, and MUST NOT be used by native
applications for addressing on the XMPP network itself.
An xmpp: URI is opaque rather than hierarchical, and thus is similar
to a mailto: URI as defined in RFC 2368 [6]. Because an xmpp: URI is
opaque, it SHOULD contain only the node identifier (optional) and
domain identifier (required) portions of a JID as defined in Section
3 of XMPP Core [1] (including by reference all relevant stringprep
profiles). An xmpp: URI MAY include the resource identifier portion
of a JID if the XMPP entity must be addressed as such, but this is
NOT RECOMMENDED since the delimiter used before a resource identifier
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in XMPP addresses is the slash character ("/"), which is discouraged
by RFC 2396 [2] in opaque URIs.
If an xmpp: URI is presented in an interface to an XMPP service
(e.g., in a web browser), interacting with such a URI should trigger
the application to present a user with an appropriate interface to
complete an action such as sending a message, sending presence,
managing a subscription, sending an information request (IQ get), or
updating relevant information (IQ set).
This memo conforms to the requirements in Registration Procedures for
URL Scheme Names [7]. This memo also follows the recommendations in
Guidelines for new URL Schemes [8].
1.1 Terminology
This document inherits terminology defined in XMPP Core [1].
The capitalized key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL",
"SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
"OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC
2119 [9].
1.2 Discussion Venue
The author welcomes discussion and comments related to the topics
presented in this document. The preferred forum is the
<xmppwg@jabber.org> mailing list, for which archives and subscription
information are available at <http://www.jabber.org/cgi-bin/mailman/
listinfo/xmppwg/>.
1.3 Intellectual Property Notice
This document is in full compliance with all provisions of Section 10
of RFC 2026. Parts of this specification use the term "jabber" for
identifying namespaces and other protocol syntax. Jabber[tm] is a
registered trademark of Jabber, Inc. Jabber, Inc. grants permission
to the IETF for use of the Jabber trademark in association with this
specification and its successors, if any.
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2. xmpp: URI IANA Registration
This section provides the information required to register the xmpp:
URI scheme.
2.1 URI Scheme Name
xmpp
2.2 URI Scheme Syntax
The syntax for the xmpp: URI is defined below in Augmented
Backus-Naur Form as defined by RFC 2234 [10].
XMPP-URI = "xmpp:" jid [ "/" resource]
jid = [ node "@" ] host
node = *( alphanum / escaped /
"-" / "_" / "." / "!" / "~" / "*" / "(" / ")" )
host = hostname / IPv4address / IPv6reference
hostname = *( domainlabel "." ) toplabel [ "." ]
domainlabel = alphanum / alphanum *( alphanum / "-" ) alphanum
toplabel = alpha / alpha *( alphanum / "-" ) alphanum
IPv6reference = "[" IPv6address "]"
IPv6address = hexpart [ ":" IPv4address ]
IPv4address = 1*3DIGIT "." 1*3DIGIT "." 1*3DIGIT "." 1*3DIGIT
hexpart = hexseq / hexseq "::" [ hexseq ] / "::" [ hexseq ]
hexseq = hex4 *( ":" hex4)
hex4 = 1*4HEXDIG
resource = *( unreserved / escaped )
reserved = ";" / "/" / "?" / ":" / "@" / "&" / "=" / "+" /
"$" / "," / "[" / "]"
2.3 Character Encoding Considerations
Representation of non-ASCII character sets in local-part strings is
limited to the standard methods provided as extensions to RFC 2822
[11].
2.4 Intended usage
The xmpp: URI is intended to be used by interfaces to the XMPP
network from non-native user agents such as web browsers, as well as
by non-XMPP applications in order to address XMPP entities as full
URIs.
2.5 Security considerations
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See Security Considerations (Section 4) of this document.
2.6 Relevant publications
XMPP Core [1], XMPP IM [3]
2.7 Person and email address to contact for further information
Peter Saint-Andre [mailto:stpeter@jabber.org]
2.8 Author/Change controller
This scheme is registered under the IETF tree. As such, the IETF
maintains change control.
2.9 Applications and/or protocols which use this URI scheme name
Applications that provide an interface to XMPP services or that need
to address XMPP entities as full URIs.
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3. IANA Considerations
This entire document addresses IANA considerations.
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4. Security Considerations
Detailed security considerations for XMPP are given in XMPP Core [1].
Providing an interface to XMPP services from non-native applications
introduces new security concerns. For example, the ability to
interact with XMPP entities via a web browser may expose sensitive
information to attacks that are not possible or unlikely on a native
XMPP network. Due care must be taken in deciding what information is
appropriate for representing in xmpp: URIs; in particular, passwords
MUST NOT be represented.
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Normative References
[1] Saint-Andre, P. and J. Miller, "XMPP Core",
draft-ietf-xmpp-core-18 (work in progress), September 2003.
[2] Berners-Lee, T., Fielding, R. and L. Masinter, "Uniform
Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax", RFC 2396, August
1998, <http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2396.txt>.
[3] Saint-Andre, P. and J. Miller, "XMPP Instant Messaging",
draft-ietf-xmpp-im-17 (work in progress), September 2003.
[4] Crocker, D. and J. Peterson, "Common Profile for Instant
Messaging (CPIM)", draft-ietf-impp-im-03 (work in progress),
May 2003.
[5] Crocker, D. and J. Peterson, "Common Profile for Presence
(CPP)", draft-ietf-impp-pres-03 (work in progress), May 2003.
[6] Hoffman, P., Masinter, L. and J. Zawinski, "The mailto URL
scheme", RFC 2368, July 1998.
[7] Petke, R. and I. King, "Registration Procedures for URL Scheme
Names", BCP 35, RFC 2717, November 1999.
[8] Masinter, L., Alvestrand, H., Zigmond, D. and R. Petke,
"Guidelines for new URL Schemes", RFC 2718, November 1999.
[9] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement
Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
[10] Crocker, D. and P. Overell, "Augmented BNF for Syntax
Specifications: ABNF", RFC 2234, November 1997.
[11] Resnick, P., "Internet Message Format", RFC 2822, April 2001.
Author's Address
Peter Saint-Andre
Jabber Software Foundation
EMail: stpeter@jabber.org
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Intellectual Property Statement
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