This is v2.0a -- a "beta" release -- it is still way under construction. You will find version 1.5, which may or may not be more up-to-date, HERE. Apologies for any confusion. | Last updated: 16-Feb-1999 |
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Roadmap page v2.0a
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LDAPEXT is addressing at least these topics..
rfc1276 Replication and Distributed Operations extensions to provide an Internet Directory using X.500. S.E. Hardcastle-Kille. November1991. (Format: TXT=33731, PS=217170 bytes) (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
rfc1275 Replication Requirements to provide an Internet Directory using X.500. S.E. Hardcastle-Kille. November 1991. (Format: TXT=4616, PS=83736 bytes) (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
RFC2052 defines enabling technology for finding services on the Internet. The above two Internet-drafts do not presently reference RFC2052, but being aware of its existence and its content is a good idea. Prior Internet-drafts on the "locating ldap directories" topic did reference RFC2052.
There is a fair amount of work going on currently in the IETF on directory services in general, and X.500/LDAP in particular. Most of this work is occuring within the Applications area of the IETF.
Do note, though, that the IETF doesn't "work on" X.500 directly. That is the domain of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The IETF's work in regards to X.500(93) (and future X.500 versions) is or will be in terms of...
The best way to understand and follow the direction of current developments and get up-to-speed on it is to read the Internet Drafts. See the ASID web page for the current list of applicable internet drafts including the LDAPv3 ones (look towards the bottom of that page).
If you want to know about existing standards, refer to the above sections of this page, and/or visit an RFC repository.
The IDS working group is working on an "Internet White Pages Schema" for a generic "person". They are also working on guidelines for deploying and running an Internet white pages service, privacy issues, and other topics oriented towards actually using and building stuff on top of a directory infrastructure. See the IDS page for their precise charter and a list of applicable IDs (Internet Drafts).
The FIND group is working on a "common indexing protocol" which would help to ease the cost of high-level searches (and other stuff). An example of a high level search is "please find Joe User whom I believe works in some public job in the state of colorado". This work is intended to be independent of any particular directory access protocol -- specifically to be useful to LDAP, Whois++, and CCSO. See the FIND page for relevant info.
Note that there is a large intersection between the work of these three groups. For example, people deploying LDAP-based directories (perhaps for some enterprise, say) might desire to use the gneric white-pages schema for their people entries, and also support the common indexing protocol in whatever appropriate fashion such that their entries can be appropriately found in high-level searches.