RFC 2218 (rfc2218) - Page 1 of 8
A Common Schema for the Internet White Pages Service
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group T. Genovese
Request for Comments: 2218 Microsoft
Category: Standards Track B. Jennings
Sandia National Laboratory
October 1997
A Common Schema for the Internet White Pages Service
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Abstract
This work is the result of the IETF Integrated Directory Services
(IDS) Working Group. The IDS Working Group proposes a standard
specification for a simple Internet White Pages service by defining a
common schema for use by the various White Pages servers. This
schema is independent of specific implementations of the White Pages
service.
This document specifies the minimum set of core attributes of a White
Pages entry for an individual and describes how new objects with
those attributes can be defined and published. It does not describe
how to represent other objects in the White Pages service. Further,
it does not address the search sort expectations within a particular
service.
1.0 Introduction to IWPS
The Internet community has stated a need for the development and
deployment of a White Pages service for use in locating information
about people in the Internet [PA94]. To facilitate interoperability
and to provide a common user experience, the Internet White Pages
Service (IWPS) must have a common set of information about each
person.
A common user object would allow a user to go between implementations
of the service and to expect consistency in the types of information
provided. A common user object would also provide developers with an
unambigious method of representing the information managed by the
service.
Genovese & Jennings Standards Track