RFC 2935 (rfc2935) - Page 2 of 8
Internet Open Trading Protocol (IOTP) HTTP Supplement
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
RFC 2935 IOTP HTTP Supplement September 2000
1. Introduction
Internet Open Trading Protocol (IOTP) [RFC 2801] messages will be
carried as XML [XML] documents. As such, the goal of mapping to the
transport layer is to ensure that the underlying XML documents are
carried successfully between the various parties.
This document describes that mapping for the Hyper Text Transport
Protocol (HTTP), Versions 1.0 and 1.1 [RFCs 1945, 2616].
There may be future documents describing IOTP over email (SMTP), TCP,
cable TV, or other transports.
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC 2119].
2. HTTP Servers and Clients
The structure of IOTP maps on to the structure of HTTP in the
following way:
The merchant, payment handler, delivery handler, and customer care
roles are all represented by HTTP servers. Each may be
represented by a separate server, or they may be combined in any
combination.
The consumer role is represented by an HTTP client.
Note: A Merchant, may act in the role of a consumer, for example to
deposit electronic cash. In this case the Merchant, as an
organization rather than as a role, would need to be supported by an
HTTP client.
3. HTTP Net Locations
The Net Locations contained within the IOTP specification are all
URIs [RFC 2396]. If a secure connection is required or desired a
secure channel that both the HTTP Server and Client support MUST be
used. Examples of such channels are SSL version 3 or TLS [RFC 2246].
4. Consumer Clients
In most environments, the consumer agent will initially be an HTML
browser. However, current browsers do not provide the needed
capability to act as an agent for the consumer for an IOTP
transaction. This leads to two requirements:
Eastlake & Smith Standards Track