Re: please publish draft-mmeredith-rootdse-vendor-info-01.txt

[Mark Smith <mcs@netscape.com>]

"Kurt D. Zeilenga" wrote:
> 
> At 03:37 PM 2/10/00 -0500, Mark Smith wrote:
> >Also, the format for vendorVersion should be more fully specified.
> 
> I disagree.  Since you state that this should be for
> display purposes and/or for working around known bugs specific
> to this version, the only match that makes sense is EQUALITY.
> I suggest the values of this attribute type have syntax DirectoryString
> and that an equality rule of CaseExactMatch be provided.  No
> ordering or substrings match, IMO, should be provided these
> would promote uses beyond that which is intended.  (this doesn't
> disallow some vendor from support such via extended search filters)

But your comment seems to be in conflict with this text from the
document:

>  6. Notes to Client Developers
>   
>       The use of vendorName and vendorVersion SHOULD NOT be used to
>       discover features. It is just an informational attribute. If a
>       client relies on a vendorVersion number then that client MUST
>       be coded to work with later versions and not just one version and
>       no other.

I'd be happy to see the last sentence removed.  Clients that rely on
this attribute do so at their own risk and they should code the behavior
that they think is best for them.  This draft can't stipulate that an
older client will work correctly with a newer server which, for example,
includes a bug fix that introduces incompatibilities with older clients.



> 
> >I also wonder if there should be a vendorProductName attribute as well,
> >given that some vendors produce more than one product that processes
> >LDAP requests.
> 
> Or some products might be comprised of software from multiple vendors...
> many server implementations support plugin architectures after all.
> In many cases, the vendor providing the core implementation is not
> the primary vendor providing the end "product".  This is a rat hole.

Good point.  I agree.  So we might as well just stick with one value
(vendorName).

-- 
Mark Smith
Directory Product Development / iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions
My words are my own, not my employer's.            Got LDAP?