RFC 1274 (rfc1274) - Page 2 of 60
The COSINE and Internet X
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
RFC 1274 COSINE and Internet X.500 Schema November 1991
currently underway. In the U.S., the PSI White Pages Pilot [4] has
stimulated use of X.500 on the Internet. In Britain, the U.K.
Academic Community Directory Pilot [5] is similarly promoting use of
X.500.
2. Motivation and aims of this document
In a number of areas the X.500 standard only provides a basis for
services. One such area is the Directory's Schema or Naming
Architecture. The standard defines a number of useful object
classes, in X.521, and attribute types, in X.520. These are intended
to be generally useful across a range of directory applications.
However, while these standard definitions are a useful starting
point, they are insufficient as a basis for a large scale pilot
directory.
While it is possible for directory administrators to define their own
sets of additional attribute types and object classes, this is
undesirable for some common attributes and objects. The same objects
and attribute types would be privately defined many times over. This
would result in the directory's generality being diminished as remote
systems would be unable to determine the semantics of these privately
defined data types.
A number of useful additions to the standard definitions were made in
this note's forerunner, "The THORN and RARE Naming Architecture" [2].
These have been heavily used in early X.500 piloting activities.
Furthermore, both the THORN and Quipu X.500 implementations have made
use of these definitions.
Since the afore-mentioned note was issued, a number of further
requirements have come to light as the volume and variety of piloting
activity has increased. Yet further requirements seem likely as the
scale of X.500 pilot services increases. Thus, it is argued that it
is not sufficient to merely reissue an updated version of the
original note. The schema is a "living document" that needs
procedures for:
- Allowing submission of requests for new attributes and
object classes to be added into the schema;
- Allowing groups of object classes and attribute types
defined elsewhere to be integrated into the schema.
- Checking for the redundancy of any previously defined
attribute types and object classes.
This document attempts to establish procedures to allow for the
Barker & Kille