RFC 1430 (rfc1430) - Page 3 of 20

A Strategic Plan for Deploying an Internet X

RFC 1430                     X.500 Strategy                February 1993


   For the longer term, more sophisticated usages of X.500 are possible
   extending it into a useful and fast yellow pages service.

2. SUMMARY OF SOLUTION

   In principle, the current Internet Domain Name System (DNS) could be
   used for many of these functions, with appropriate extensions.
   However, it is suggested that a higher level of directory service is
   needed. It is proposed to establish an Internet Directory Service
   based on X.500.  This provides appropriate functionality for the
   services envisaged and gives flexibility for future extension. This
   extension could be achieved either by tracking the evolution of the
   OSI Standard or by work specific to the Internet. In practice, it is
   likely to be a mixture of both.

   By deploying X.500 in some form on the Internet, a truly global and
   universal Directory Service can be built that will provide Internet
   users with fast access to all kinds of data. The X.500 Directory
   Service in this case may range from a simple white pages service
   (information on people and services) to coupling various existing
   databases and information repositories in a universal way.

   Currently, several different but cooperating X.500 Directory Services
   pilots are taking place on the Internet. These pilots form an
   important base for experimenting with this new service. Starting with
   these pilots, with the X.500 products arriving on the market today,
   and given sufficient funding for the central services described in
   this paper an operational X.500 Directory Service can be deployed.

   The final goal of the strategy described in this paper is to deploy a
   fully operational Directory Service on the Internet, providing the
   functions mentioned in the previous section.

3.  INFORMATION FRAMEWORK

   The most critical aspect of the Directory Service is to establish an
   Internet Information Framework. When establishing a sophisticated
   distributed directory with a coherent information framework, it
   involves substantial effort to map data onto this framework. This
   effort is an operational effort and far outweighs the technical
   effort of establishing servers and user agents.

3.1   The Technical Model

   By choosing the X.500 model as a basis for the information framework,
   it will also be part of a (future) global information framework. The
   key aspects of this model are:




Hardcastle-Kille, Huizer, Cerf, Hobby & Kent