RFC 2148 (rfc2148) - Page 3 of 15

Deployment of the Internet White Pages Service

RFC 2148              Internet White Pages Service        September 1997


   Note: there are other, not interconnected, address databases on the
   Internet that are also very popular for storing address information
   about people. "Ph" is a popular protocol for use with a stand-alone
   database.  There are over 300 registered Ph databases on the
   Internet. Interconnection of databases however, is highly recommended
   for an IWPS, since it ensures that data can be found. Hence Ph as it
   is now is not considered to be a good candidate for an IWPS, but
   future developments may change this situation (see section 12).

   Currently X.500 must be recommended as the directory services
   protocol to be used for the IWPS. However, future technology may make
   it possible to use other protocols as well or instead.

   Since many people think that X.500 on the Internet will be replaced
   by other protocols in the near future, it should be mentioned here
   that currently LDAP is seen as the surviving component of today's
   implementations and the main access protocol for tomorrow's directory
   services. As soon as new technology (that will probably use LDAP)
   becomes available and experiments show that they work, this document
   will be updated.

   A summary of X.500 products can be found in [14] (a document that
   will be updated regularly).

   The sections 3-7 below contain recommendations related to the
   publication of information in the IWPS that are independent of a
   directory services protocol. The sections 8-11 discuss X.500 specific
   issues. In section 12 some future developments are discussed as they
   can be foreseen at the time of writing this document.

3.  Who should publish IWPS information and how?

   IWPS information is public address information regarding individuals
   and organizations. The IWPS information concerning an individual
   should be published and maintained by an organization that has a
   direct, durable link with this individual, like in the following
   cases:

   -    The individual is employed by the maintainer's organization

   -    The individual is enrolled in the university/school that
        maintains the data

   -    The individual is a (personal) subscriber of the maintainer's
        Internet service






Alvestrand & Jurg        Best Current Practice