RE: Object class defintion (and X.500 and other directories)

[Erik Andersen <era.als@get2net.dk>]

Hi Rob (and others),

Thanks Rob for your thorough answer.

I am interested in DSML for the following reasons:

European International Directory Inquiry (EIDQ) is a consortium among 
Telecoms in Europe to provide an international (and national) directory 
assistance service, where the telephone operators are currently the prime 
users. Their current directories are based on ITU-T E.115, To cope with 
extended requirements, EIDQ has considered using X.500 for the next 
generation of directory systems. We have developed substantial extensions 
to X.500 to support the EIDQ requirements as they are expressed in ITU-T 
Rec. F.510 "White Pages Service". EIDQ members have become concerned that a 
full-blown X.500 system is too complex to operate. Also, they want to use 
the current, very efficient databases. The current thinking is therefore to 
make a cut-down version of X.500 that is tailored to EIDQ requirements. 
Such a directory specification will be quite different from LDAP, but will 
have something in common, such as the basic X.500 model, although the EIDQ 
databases do not reflect a DIT or have the concept of distinguished name. 
Also the object classes and attribute types are quite different, very 
special matching rules are used, etc.

EIDQ considers to use XML for the definition of the cut-down access 
protocol.

X.500 is seen as an important component within electronic commerce. 
Especially, the extensions developed for EIDQ will also prove very useful 
within e-commerce. However, e-commerce would require an XML based access 
protocol.

All this leads me to the idea to develop a general XML based access 
protocol that will cover LDAP, X.500, EIDQ and possibly E.115 requirements.

What would the attitude be within the DSML group on such an approach?

Is there a DSML version 2 draft available?

Erik Andersen
CEN/ISSS/WS-DIR Chairman
Mobile: +45 20 97 14 90
E-mail;  era.als@get2net.dk
Internet: http://www.cenorm.be/isss/Workshop/DIR/Default.htm


-----Original Message-----
From:	Rob Weltman [SMTP:robw@worldspot.com]
Sent:	Thursday, December 28, 2000 3:30 AM
To:	Erik Andersen
Cc:	Dsml-List (E-mail)
Subject:	Re: Object class defintion

Erik Andersen wrote:
>
> Please excuse stupid question from a new-comer on the list.
>
> I have studied that DSML version 1 specification and have some questions
> concerning the object class definition. The class element has the id
> attribute that identifies the object class. It also has a name child
> element. How does the value(s) given in the name child element relate to
> the value given id attribute? Also, why can there be several occurrences 
of
> the name child element?
>
> Erik Andersen

  The "name" element defines the name of the object class, e.g.

<dsml:name>inetOrgPerson</dsml:name>

  The "id" attribute defines a symbol which can be used to refer to the 
definition from elsewhere (in this or another XML document) using XLink 
notation, e.g.

<dsml:class id="organizationalPerson" ...>
  <dsml:name>organizationalPerson</dsml:name>
...
</dsml:class>
...
...
<dsml:class id="inetOrgPerson" superior="#organizationalPerson" ...>
  <dsml:name>inetOrgPerson</dsml:name>
...
</dsml:class>


  The second definition refers to the first one through the id attribute. 
 I don't think there is any requirement that the same identifier be used 
for the name of the object class and the id attribute, but using the same 
identifier makes it easier to read and to debug documents containing 
references.

Rob