rfc1491.txt

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Network Working Group                                          C. Weider
Request for Comments: 1491                           Merit Network, Inc.
FYI: 21                                                        R. Wright
                                            Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
                                                               July 1993


                  A Survey of Advanced Usages of X.500

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard.  Distribution of this memo is
   unlimited.

Abstract

   This document is the result of a survey asking people to detail their
   advanced usages of X.500. It is intended to show how various
   organizations are using X.500 in ways which extend the view of X.500
   as a "White Pages" service.  This RFC is a product of the Integrated
   Directory Services Working Group of the Application and User Services
   Areas of the IETF.

1. Introduction

   As the use of X.500 spreads in the Internet, organizations are
   finding uses for it which go beyond the "white pages" paradigm which
   has been used to introduce it to new users. Consequently, to document
   those new uses and to encourage the wider use of X.500, we sent out a
   survey to obtain "advanced usages" of X.500.

1.1 The survey

   The survey we sent out is included here for two purposes:

   1) completeness, and
   2) we'd like to encourage anyone who retrieves this document to send
      us their advanced usage for inclusion in the next revision.

   If you wish to fill this out, please send it to the working group
   list: [e-mail].









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RFC 1491                 X.500 Advanced Usages                 July 1993


   _____________________________________________________________________

   Application Name:

   Author(s):

   Company or Institution:

   e-mail address for more information:

   If this is a product for public distribution, please give us the
     Type: FREE, COMMERCIAL PRODUCT, or PROTOTYPE/RESEARCH
     FREE               - Anyone may obtain this product at zero cost.
     COMMERCIAL PRODUCT - One may purchase this product.
     PROTOTYPE/RESEARCH - This product is not yet available, only a
                          prototype.

   If FREE, please give us:
     * FTP and/or FTAM address (if available via FTP and/or FTAM):

   If COMMERCIAL, please give us:
     * Directions to obtain product:

   Availability: (When will product be available?)

   List of platforms product runs on:
   [The platform list can be general - e.g. UNIX]

   Short Description (< 100 words):

   Full Description (< 1 page):

                   Fig. 1: Advanced Usages Survey Template

   ______________________________________________________________________


   This survey went out to the following mailing lists: osi-
   [e-mail], [e-mail] (now [e-mail]), and
   [e-mail].











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RFC 1491                 X.500 Advanced Usages                 July 1993


1.2 Disclaimer

   Descriptions of the advanced usages were written by the implementors,
   and not by the members of IDS. Although IDS has worked with the
   description authors to ensure readability, no guarantees can be made
   regarding the validity of descriptions. Caveat emptor.

2. The Survey Responses

2.1 Index to Responses

   Application                                                   Page

   2.2.1  Global Time-table Information Service ................    3
   2.2.2  Pre-Message Security Protocol         ................    4
   2.2.3  Electronic Data Interchange           ................    5
   2.2.4  Network Topology Information          ................    7
   2.2.4.1  Shared Whois Information Project    ................    7
   2.2.4.2  EARN's Network Directory            ................    8
   2.2.5  Soft Pages                            ................    9
   2.2.6  X-Tel                                 ................   10
   2.2.7  Xerox Clearinghouse                   ................   12
   2.2.8  X.500 Sendmail                        ................   13
   2.2.9  Transparent ODA Conversion            ................   14
   2.2.10 X.500 and the whois protocol          ................   16
   2.2.11 X.400 table handling                  ................   17

2.2 Survey Responses

2.2.1 Global Time-table Information Service

   Application Name: Global Time-table Information Service based on X.500

   Date Received: 7/1/1992

   Date Last Validated: 7/1/1992

   Author(s):
     Jens Hofmann
     Cuno Lanz

   Company or Institution:
     Laboratory of Computer Engineering and Networks,
     Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich)
     Switzerland

   e-mail address for more information:
     c=CH; a=ARCOM; p=SWITCH; o=ETHZ; ou=TIK; s=Lanz ([e-mail])



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RFC 1491                 X.500 Advanced Usages                 July 1993


   Type:
     experimental prototype; not public

   FTP address: <none>

   Short Description:
     This application aims at integrating the time-table information
     services offered by public transport providers of different scope
     (local, regional, national or international) into a homogeneous and
     unified user interface.  X.500 is used to store the information in
     an autonomous and extensible way.

   Full Description:
     Most of the public tranport providers offer some kind of time-table
     information service like printed directory, help-desk, telephone
     support or PC software. Unfortunately these services have some of
     the following drawbacks:

         - no automatic update of data (information accuracy)
         - no global availability (place independency)
         - no permanent availability (time independency)
         - no inter-provider service (service integration).

     X.500 may serve as a vehicle to overcome these drawbacks as
     follows: The public transport providers store the time-table
     information in a standardized format on locally managed DSAs. There
     is some kind of special purpose DUA which (1) queries the user for
     the input parameters (date, time, source and destination station)
     then (2) searches for the relevant paths by querying the involved
     DSAs and (3) displays the resulting time-table to the user.

     In a diploma thesis a student is developing a new data model which
     supports easy selection of source and destination station as well
     as fast exploring of the time-table information. He is implementing
     a prototype application onto an existing DUA interface (based on
     HyperCard and running on Apple Macintosh) which is connected to the
     world-wide X.500 pilot service over DIXIE protocol.  In order to
     test the prototype application the time-table information of the
     Swiss national public transport company and of most of the regional
     providers around the city of Zurich is included under the branch:
     c=CH;o=ETH Zurich.

2.2.2 Pre-Message Security Protocol

   Application Name:
     Defense Message System Directory

   Date Recieved: 7/1/1992



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RFC 1491                 X.500 Advanced Usages                 July 1993


   Date Last Validated: 7/1/1992

   Author:
     Bob Cooney

   Company or Institution:
     The Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Washington
     and
     The Defense Information System Agency

   E-mail address for more information:
     [e-mail]

   Type:
     experimental prototype, not public

   FTP address: <none>

   Short Description:
     The U.S. Navy will build a directory based on X.500 to support the
     distribution of Pre-Message Security Protocol security keys.

   Long Description:
     The U.S. Navy has been asked to build a directory service to support
     the distribution of Pre-Message Security Protocol security keys.
     The Pre-Message Security Protocol will provide SMTP/X.400 security
     services for unclassified but sensitive mail on the Defense Data
     Network.

     The directory will be based on QUIPU. Proof of concept is expected
     by October 1992, with initial operational capacity by October 1993.

2.2.3 Electronic Data Interchange

   Application Name: An X.500 User Agent for Electronic Data Interchange

   Date Received: 7/10/1992

   Date Last Validated: 7/10/1992

   Author:
     Neil Weldon

   Company or Institution:
     Networks Group,
     Computer Science Dept.,
     Trinity College Dublin,
     Ireland



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RFC 1491                 X.500 Advanced Usages                 July 1993


   e-mail address for more information:
     [e-mail]
     [e-mail]

   Type:
     Research product and not for public distribution

   FTP address: <none>

   Short Description:
     The Directory is used to assist in solving the 'first order'
     problem associated with Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). EDI is
     the transfer of trade documents between application processes in a
     processable form.  The 'first order' problem describes the
     agreements that two organizations must come to regarding
     capabilities and preferences, before using EDI.

     To solve this problem we defined object types to allow the storage
     of product catalogues within the Directory, as well as information
     about the EDI readiness of trading partners: addresses, preferences
     and EDI capabilities.

   Full Description:
     Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the means by which
     organizations exchange trade related documents between application
     processes in an format which may be processed electronically.

     Before using EDI an organization must establish a series of goals
     and objectives, to establish what type of documents they wish to be
     able to transmit (invoices, purchase orders etc.) and what their
     communication requirements are. Each of these time consuming and
     tedious steps is usually done in conjunction with trading partners
     where these agreements regarding EDI capabilities and preferences
     must be made.

     To solve this 'first order' problem (the need to come to agreements
     with other organizations before trading using EDI takes place) we
     defined object types to allow the storage of product catalogues
     within the Directory. The Directory may also convey information
     regarding the EDI readiness of trading partners: addresses,
     preferences and EDI capabilities.

     Using an experimental User Agent based on Pod which was developed
     at Brunel in the UK, trade documents may be built up by selecting
     products from the stored catalogues. These documents are then
     encoded as an EDI Interchange after the Directory has been queried
     about addresses, etc.