RFC 1485 (rfc1485) - Page 1 of 7

A String Representation of Distinguished Names (OSI-DS 23 (v5))

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Network Working Group                               S. Hardcastle-Kille
Request for Comments: 1485                             ISODE Consortium
                                                              July 1993


             A String Representation of Distinguished Names
                            (OSI-DS 23 (v5))

Status of this Memo

   This RFC specifies an IAB standards track protocol for the Internet
   community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements.
   Please refer to the current edition of the "IAB Official Protocol
   Standards" for the standardization state and status of this protocol.
   Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   The OSI Directory uses distinguished names as the primary keys to
   entries in the directory.  Distinguished Names are encoded in ASN.1.
   When a distinguished name is communicated between to users not using a
   directory protocol (e.g., in a mail message), there is a need to have
   a user-oriented string representation of distinguished name.  This
   specification defines a string format for representing names, which is
   designed to give a clean representation of commonly used names, whilst
   being able to represent any distinguished name.  Please send comments
   to the author or to the discussion group [email protected]>.

Table of Contents

   1.  Why a notation is needed...................................... 1
   2.  A notation for Distinguished Name............................. 2
   2.1 Goals......................................................... 2
   2.2 Informal definition........................................... 2
   2.3 Formal definition............................................. 3
   3.  Examples...................................................... 6
   4.  References.................................................... 6
   5.  Security Considerations....................................... 6
   6.  Author's Address.............................................. 7

1.  Why a notation is needed

   Many OSI Applications make use of Distinguished Names (DN) as defined
   in the OSI Directory, commonly known as X.500 [CCI88].  This
   specification assumes familiarity with X.500, and the concept of
   Distinguished Name.  It is important to have a common format to be
   able to unambiguously represent a distinguished name.  This might be
   done to represent a directory name on a business card or in an email



Hardcastle-Kille
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