X.501 defect report: Procedures for updating modifiersName and modifiedTimeStamp

[mcs@netscape.com]

A defect report for X.501 is attached:

   "Procedures for updating modifiersName and modifiedTimeStamp"

I included both a Microsoft Word97 and an HTML version.  Let me know if
you have any questions.  Thanks!

-- 
Mark Smith
iPlanet Directory Architect / Sun-Netscape Alliance
My words are my own, not my employer's.   Got LDAP?

Attachment: defect.doc
Description: MS-Word document

Title: Defect Report: Procedures for updating modifiersName and modifiedTimeStamp

Defect Report Form

Please also send a soft copy of the defect in Microsoft Word format to the Defect Editor (hoyt.kesterson@bull.com).

DEFECT REPORT FORM

1. Defect Report Number:

Title: Procedures for updating modifiersName and modifiedTimeStamp

2. Source: Mark Smith <mcs@netscape.com>

3. Addressed to:

ISO/IEC JTC1/SC6 and ITU-T SG 7
Editor Group on the Directory

4. (a) WG Secretariat: UK (BSI)

(b) ITU-T WP: WP 4

5. Date Circulated by WG Secretariat:

6. Deadline for Response from Editor:

7. Defect Report Concerning: X.501 "THE DIRECTORY: MODELS"

8. Qualifier: clarification required

9. References in Document: section 13.4.1 "Timestamps" and section 13.4.2 "Entry Modifier operational attributes."

10. Nature of Defect:

A request for clarification: when should a DSA add or update the values for modifiersName and modifyTimeStamp within an entry? Some choices:

(a) During all successful update operations except delete (that is, during all add, modify, and modifyDN operations).

(b) During all successful modify and modifyDN operations (but not when the entry is added).

(c) During successful modify operations only.

Our DSA does (a) but some people say we should be doing (b) or (c) (and that DUAs that count on the presence of modifyTimeStamp or modifiersName attribute values within newly added entries are broken). The standards are not 100% clear. X.501 implies (c) because it uses the phrase "last modified" when referring to these attributes. But Note 6 in X.511 section 11.4.1 "Modify DN syntax" says "The modifyTimeStamp attribute is not updated for entries subordinate to the renamed or moved entry." This implies that modifyTimeStamp should be updated in the entry that is renamed (that is, choice (a) or choice (b) is correct). David Chadwick assured me that choice (c) was not the intent.
 

11. Solution Proposed by the Source: (optional)

For the sake of DUAs and consistency of the information model, I believe the best choice of behavior is (a) above. This could be accommodated in the standard by replacing this text from X.501 section 13.4.1:

"The modifyTimeStamp indicates the time that an entry was last modified: ?"

with this text:

"The modifyTimeStamp indicates the time that an entry was added, last modified, or last renamed: ?"

Similarly for X.501 section 13.4.2, replace this text:

"The modifiersName operational attribute indicates the distinguished name of the Directory user that last modified the entry: ?"

with this text:

"The modifiersName operational attribute indicates the distinguished name of the Directory user that added, last modified, or last renamed the entry: ?"
 

12. Editor's Response: