Using SAML with ebXML Messaging and BPSS

["Dale Moberg" <dmoberg@cyclonecommerce.com>]

Hi,

Here is a draft discussing some high level ways to combine SAML with
ebXML messaging and other parts of ebXML.

There are two parts: the use cases/issues part and a worksheet part. 

The first part contains two broad uses of SAML defined functionality
within ebXML.
The simplest use is to send SAML assertions. The more complex use would
be to support weaving SAML services within ebXML Business Processes,
much as signals are currently integrated with business requests,
responses, and related messages. 

In either case, decisions about where to put the SAML XML text would
need to be made. While SAML has a SOAP binding and profile, it is
unclear if it can be reused in a straightforward way within a SOAP with
Attachments approach. SAML distinguishes between a binding and a
profile. A profile is roughly how the SAML XML gets included within and
among the other message parts, while a binding very roughly has to do
with how SAML assertions and services (request-response interactions)
get mapped to the communication sessions/delivery channels.

Also SAML asks groups using SAML (building a profile and/or binding as
appropriate) to follow a checklist of information. This is the
"worksheet" draft that I put in. Clearly it has a ways to go to be
useful or complete. I am putting this out for initial comment and to
promote discussion about how much of this work to take on and when. An
initial question here would be whether we need both a binding and a
profile or maybe just one of these (the profile probably). 


Thanks
Dale Moberg

SAML Binding or Profile Checklist.doc