Re: Attribute Name Length Bounds

[rvh@qsun.mt.att.com (Richard V Huber)]

I have no problem with Kathy's text except that I would replace:

  ... and MUST send object identifier descriptors that are no longer
  than 48 characters.

with

  ... and MUST NOT send object identifier descriptors that are longer
  than 48 characters.

This is a wordsmithing comment, not a content comment.

Rick Huber

: From owner-ietf-ldapbis@openldap.org Fri Jun 13 14:02:29 2003
: Return-Path: <owner-ietf-ldapbis@openldap.org>
: From: Kathy Dally <kdally@mitre.org>
: To: "Larry S. Bartz" <lbartz@parnelli.indy.cr.irs.gov>
: CC: capple@dsi-consulting.net, ietf-ldapbis@openldap.org
: Subject: Re: Attribute Name Length Bounds
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: 
: Hi All!
: 
: Saying all object identifier descriptors is ok.  The 48 limit is ok. 
: However, I think we do need to recognize both the sending and receiving
: cases.  How's this:
: 
:    "To promote interoperability, server implementations SHOULD support
: receiving object identifier descriptors (such as. attributetype names,
: objectclass names, matching rule names, and the like), which are at
: least 48 characters in length and MUST send object identifier
: descriptors that are no longer than 48 characters.  Schema designers
: SHOULD use object identifier descriptors that are no longer than 48
: characters."
: 
: Thanks,
: Kathy
: 
: 
: "Larry S. Bartz" wrote:
: > 
: > Chris Apple wrote, On 06/13/03 10:44:
: > > I was thinking more along the lines of a minimum bound in one of the
: > > LDAPv3 Draft Standard documents.
: > >
: > > How about this for a requirement?
: > >
: > > "Implementations MUST support attribute names that are at least 32
: > > characters in length."
: > 
: > How about 48? If IANA's ub is 48, then implementations could reasonably
: > expect to see names of that length. All products and implementations
: > should be prepared to support that.
: > 
: > Further, the requirement should not be limited to attributetype names.
: > The spec in RFC 3383 covers all object identifier descriptors, which
: > includes attributetype names, objectclass names, matching rule names,
: > etc.
: > 
: > How about this?
: > 
: > 
: 
: > 
: > Larry
: > 
: > >
: > > It seems like a simple one without a lot of baggage to me. But if anyone
: > > thinks there's a good reason not to include it, I'd like to know what
: > > that is.
: > >
: > > I have no strong opinions on an upper bound.
: > >
: > > I do realize that there is a work-around for this problem in most cases.
: > > You can create a shorter attribute name and then use the intended attribute
: > > name as an alias. But this gets to be a bit complicated when rolling out
: > > services that use schema designed with longer attribute names.
: > >
: > > You have to perform testing to see what each implementation in question
: > > supports and then create aliases matching up with the shortest supported
: > > attribute name length.
: > >
: > > As a service implementer, that's an awfully expensive interoperability
: > > hoop to have to jump through if I'm using a technology that is soon to
: > > be based on a Draft Standard.
: > >
: > > I realize that someone might also want a larger attribute name length
: > > but there seems to already be some restriction with respect to what may be
: > > allowable from an IANA registration perspective. I'm not questioning that
: > > because 48 characters for an upper bound seems reasonable to me.
: > >
: > > Chris Apple - Principal Architect
: > >
: > > DSI Consulting, Inc.
: > >
: > > mailto:capple@dsi-consulting.net
: > >
: > > http://www.dsi-consulting.com
: > >
: > > -----Original Message-----
: > > From: owner-ietf-ldapbis@OpenLDAP.org
: > > [mailto:owner-ietf-ldapbis@OpenLDAP.org] On Behalf Of Larry S. Bartz
: > > Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 10:48 AM
: > > To: ietf-ldapbis@OpenLDAP.org
: > > Subject: Re: Attribute Name Length Bounds
: > >
: > >
: > > Mark C Smith wrote, On 06/13/03 08:26:
: > >
: > >>Jim Sermersheim wrote:
: > >>
: > >>
: > >>>As far as I know, neither [Models] nor [Protocol] limits the lenght of
: > >>>attribute names. Any limitiation in a specific implementation is imposed
: > >>>by that implementation, not by the spec, so I'm not sure we can do
: > >>>anything about it here.
: > >>>
: > >>>Obviously no server allows an unlimited length, as they are all
: > >>>limiited if by nothing more than available memory. I'm not sure if this
: > >>>fits into an implementation report. It seems more appropriate for a
: > >>>certification/branding program. Other than that, it seems like a valid
: > >>>defect to raise with those implementors who restrict to unreasonable
: > >>>limits.
: > >>
: > >>
: > >>I agree. I tried to come up with text that we could add to [Models] or
: > >>[Protocols] that would encourage implementors to not impose arbitrary,
: > >>short limits... but I am not sure how to word such a requirement so it
: > >>is meaningful. This is an interesting interoperability problem though.
: > >>
: > >>-Mark
: > >
: > >
: > >
: > > Perhaps reference to "3.3. Object Identifier Descriptors" of RFC 3383
: > > "IANA Considerations for LDAP" would be helpful. It says,
: > >
: > > "While the protocol places no maximum length restriction upon
: > >   descriptors, they should be short.  Descriptors longer than 48
: > >   characters may be viewed as too long to register."
: > >
: > > There was obviously consensus in this WG regarding that length and
: > > that language.
: > >
: 
: