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Subject: Re: [ekmi] Request ID or entire request in sksml response


I concur.  Any other opinions?

Arshad

Tomas Gustavsson wrote:
> 
> I vote for 1) or 3). Either one would work. Version 1.0 is not likely to 
> be very widely deployed, especially if the roadmap to 1.1/2.0 is not too 
> long. On the other hand if these are the only important changes in the 
> roadmap we might just take that time and hope that 1.0 will be long lived.
> 
> I'm leaning toward 3) right now.
> 
> Cheers,
> Tomas
> 
> 
> Arshad Noor wrote:
>> Tomas,
>>
>> Including a Request ID in a current SKSML response that includes a
>> key is easy.  It just means adding an extra element to the response.
>>
>> However, returning an SKSML response that only includes a Request ID
>> and a PENDING status element does require defining a new Response
>> type.
>>
>> So, the choices we have are:
>>
>> 1) Do nothing for 1.0 and add all this in the next version of the
>>    protocol;
>>
>> 2) Add the RequestID element to a full SKSML response (with the key)
>>    and add the new Polling Request and the Pending Response messages
>>    in 2.0;
>>
>> 3) Add the new messages in 1.0, but delay the 1.0 standard.        
>> Right, now, if we assume we want to add the Error/Message Codes    and 
>> Standard Messages to the specification, that is going to take    at 
>> least a month, and then we have to go through a TC vote (I think)
>>    and a 15-day Public Review period.  We would then be right where we
>>    are now in terms of the process.
>>
>>    Since I have heard positive responses to the need for adding standard
>>    codes/messages, it looks like we're going to have to go through this
>>    45-50 day delay anyway, so we could use the opportunity to include
>>    the Polling Request/Pending Response message to the protocol.
>>
>> What do you all think?
>>
>> Arshad
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Tomas Gustavsson" <tomas@primekey.se>
>> To: "Arshad Noor" <arshad.noor@strongauth.com>
>> Cc: "Anil Saldhana" <Anil.Saldhana@redhat.com>, ekmi@lists.oasis-open.org
>> Sent: Thursday, October 2, 2008 9:42:22 AM (GMT-0800) America/Los_Angeles
>> Subject: Re: [ekmi] Request ID or entire request in sksml response
>>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> It's a common approach in other protocols to allow both methods, 
>> either synchronous or asynchronous. When using the asynchronous mode 
>> the server   just returns the requestId in the reply with a "pending" 
>> status, and optionally some time interval when the client should check 
>> back.
>> The polling type message from the client is definitely the way to go I 
>> think.
>>
>> This is how both SCEP and CMP (I think) work, and it's common in PKI 
>> since some people keep insisting on using off-line CAs and such 
>> unnecessary things. Or they keep very strict network separation with 
>> an RA/proxy in between so polling is needed.
>>
>> I'm not suggesting that we implement this polling in the first version 
>> of the protocol, but It might be a good idea to keep it in the roadmap 
>> for future revisions. After all, we don't know if if there is really 
>> need for it, and I'm against bloating the protocol if we don't have to.
>>
>> But...
>> If we return the requestId in the response now, a future revision 
>> might only have to define the polling message? Since there is already 
>> a status in the response that could be used to send PENDING back to 
>> the client right?
>>
>> Regards,
>> Tomas
>>
>> Arshad Noor wrote:
>>> See below for comments and some additional questions.
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Anil Saldhana wrote:
>>>> The example of an email usage was just an illustration of 
>>>> possibilities of transport.  Inline answers:
>>>>
>>>> Arshad Noor wrote:
>>>>> Interesting requirement, Anil.  This leads to more questions:
>>>>>
>>>>> 1) Should SKSML then be sent using SOAP over SMTP, or using just
>>>>>    S/MIME?
>>>> Are we not relying on ws-security? That will provide the message 
>>>> level security.
>>>     Yes we are, but the moment you bring up SMTP you'll find a lot
>>>     of people who are going to say why aren't we using S/MIME
>>>     (something that has been around for over 15 years). Sending SOAP
>>>     over SMTP certainly is technically feasible and provides the
>>>     same level of security as SOAP over HTTP, so that isn't the
>>>     issue.  Just trying to figure out what answer we as a TC have
>>>     when someone poses this question to us.
>>>
>>>>> 2) How should the SKS server respond under the following conditions?
>>>>>
>>>>>    a) When the mail message is unsigned spam;
>>>>>    b) When the mail message is signed spam;
>>>>>    c) When the mail message is legitimate SKSML, but signed with
>>>>>       an invalid certificate?
>>>> What if it is a controlled environment?
>>>     I should've clarified that by "spam", in this context, I meant
>>>     any e-mail that did not contain a valid SKSML message.
>>>
>>>>> 3) Are there other transports we should be considering besides HTTP
>>>>>    and SMTP?
>>>> Why tie the spec to any transport?
>>>     Good point.  We're not doing that in the current DRAFT, so we
>>>     should continue that practice.
>>>
>>>> I do not understand what difficulties arise in sending some id about 
>>>> the request back in the response :).  I am just looking at usage in 
>>>> an asynchronous manner such as Async WS.
>>>> http://java.sun.com/blueprints/webservices/using/webservbp3.html
>>>     No difficulty at all, Anil.  The SKMS architecture does have
>>>     a request ID assigned to each request.  I just didn't think
>>>     that a client might be interested in that information.
>>>
>>>     Since the business use-case is to have the clients get keys
>>>     asynchronously (essentially to not have the application sit
>>>     there and wait for a key), here is another way of solving the
>>>     problem (which is supported in StrongKey, but is not emphasized
>>>     because it did not have any bearing on the standards effort):
>>>
>>>     The KeyCachePolicy essentially tells clients how long they may
>>>     cache keys, as well as how frequently to check with the SKS
>>>     server for updates to policy.
>>>
>>>     While one tends to think of the business application using the
>>>     Symmetric Key Client Library (SKCL) to "manage" this cache,
>>>     technically, there is nothing to prevent a little utility
>>>     linked to the SKCL whose sole job is to manage the cache.  It
>>>     can be configured to run periodically and update the cache
>>>     with new/used keys as defined by the KCP.
>>>
>>>     Since this "KCP-Utility" will run independently of the business
>>>     application, in essence, even though the KCP-Utility makes
>>>     synchronous SKSML calls, the business application gets the keys
>>>     "asynchronously".  That is, when it needs a key, it calls the
>>>     SKCL; the SKCL checks the cache, and lo & behold, there is a key
>>>     always over there.
>>>
>>>     The business application never has to wait synchronously for the
>>>     SKS server to respond to a request, because the SKCL will always
>>>     find it in the local cache.  The KCP-Utility can be configured
>>>     to run as frequently as desired on the client, so that it is
>>>     always making synchronous requests of the SKS server, but
>>>     providing the keys to the business-application asynchronously.
>>>
>>>     Does this design address the business problem you have?
>>>
>>>     Another way of dealing with this business requirement is for
>>>     the business application to call the SKCL and make the request.
>>>     (It would have to be a different API method in the SKCL that
>>>     would returns a flag indicating if a key is available locally
>>>     in the cache for use).  The business-application then goes onto
>>>     doing whatever it does while waiting for the key, but
>>>     periodically, it calls the SKCL to see if the key is available.
>>>     If it is, then the application makes the normal SKCL call which
>>>     returns the key from the local cache.
>>>
>>>     In both cases, this does not require modifying the current DRAFT
>>>     of the SKSML and does not have to require supporting asynch
>>>     communications for the protocol.
>>>
>>>     I have nothing against asynchronous communications, Anil; I'm
>>>     just trying to keep the protocol simple and finding other ways
>>>     that can solve the problem.
>>>
>>>     If you - and others - believe that it should be in the protocol,
>>>     then adding the request ID to the response is easy enough.  But,
>>>     we will then have to add a new message-type for polling the SKS
>>>     server with an existing request ID.  Alternatively, we have to
>>>     modify the SKCL to receive asynchronous responses from the SKS
>>>     server (will businesses be open to that?  It will mean having
>>>     to open up firewall ports on the client to allow SKS messages
>>>     to reach the SKCL asynchronously).
>>>
>>> Arshad
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Arshad
>>>>>
>>>>> Anil Saldhana wrote:
>>>>>> Hi Arshad,
>>>>>>  at least two use cases come into my mind.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> a) In enterprise software, typically transport is the variant.  So 
>>>>>> I should be able to send sksml requests via smtp for example. :) 
>>>>>> With JMS for example, I may
>>>>>> get a response later and the only thing that I will have is either 
>>>>>> the request id or the optional request element.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> b) With clients in low bandwidth and tough terrain, such as hand 
>>>>>> held devices, you cannot always rely on synchronous communication.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I would at least like to have the request id sent back from the 
>>>>>> response. That should be sufficient for clients.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>> Anil
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Arshad Noor wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi Anil,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Can you provide a business scenario where this is necessary and
>>>>>>> where synchronous communication with the SKS server does not
>>>>>>> address the problem.  Thanks.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Arshad
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Anil Saldhana wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>>  I would like to open the discussion to the use case of 
>>>>>>>> asynchronous/batch requests for keys.  This will require that we 
>>>>>>>> need to return a request id or the entire request (which can be 
>>>>>>>> an optional element) in the response.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>> Anil
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