RFC 2479 (rfc2479) - Page 1 of 70
Independent Data Unit Protection Generic Security Service Application Program Interface (IDUP-GSS-API)
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group C. Adams
Request for Comments: 2479 Entrust Technologies
Category: Informational December 1998
Independent Data Unit Protection Generic Security Service
Application Program Interface (IDUP-GSS-API)
Status of this Memo
This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does
not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this
memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
The IDUP-GSS-API extends the GSS-API [RFC-2078] for applications
requiring protection of a generic data unit (such as a file or
message) in a way which is independent of the protection of any other
data unit and independent of any concurrent contact with designated
"receivers" of the data unit. Thus, it is suitable for applications
such as secure electronic mail where data needs to be protected
without any on-line connection with the intended recipient(s) of that
data. The protection offered by IDUP includes services such as data
origin authentication with data integrity, data confidentiality with
data integrity, and support for non-repudiation services. Subsequent
to being protected, the data unit can be transferred to the
recipient(s) - or to an archive - perhaps to be processed
("unprotected") only days or years later.
Throughout the remainder of this document, the "unit" of data
described in the above paragraph will be referred to as an IDU
(Independent Data Unit). The IDU can be of any size (the application
may, if it wishes, split the IDU into pieces and have the protection
computed a piece at a time, but the resulting protection token
applies to the entire IDU). However, the primary characteristic of
an IDU is that it represents a stand-alone unit of data whose
protection is entirely independent of any other unit of data. If an
application protects several IDUs and sends them all to a single
receiver, the IDUs may be unprotected by that receiver in any order
over any time span; no logical connection of any kind is implied by
the protection process itself.
Adams Informational