RFC 2148 (rfc2148) - Page 3 of 15
Deployment of the Internet White Pages Service
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
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