diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc1959.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc1959.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..f8c01be085 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc1959.txt @@ -0,0 +1,227 @@ + + + + + + +Network Working Group T. Howes +Request for Comments: 1959 M. Smith +Category: Standards Track University of Michigan + June 1996 + + + An LDAP URL Format + +Status of this Memo + + This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the + Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for + improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet + Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state + and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. + +1. Abstract + + LDAP is the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, defined in [1] and + [2]. This document describes a format for an LDAP Uniform Resource + Locator which will allow Internet clients to have direct access to + the LDAP protocol. While LDAP currently is used only as a front end + to the X.500 directory, the URL format described here is general + enough to handle the case of stand-alone LDAP servers (i.e., LDAP + servers not back-ended by X.500). + +2. URL Definition + + An LDAP URL begins with the protocol prefix "ldap" and is defined by + the following grammar. + + ::= "ldap://" [ ] "/" [ "?" + [ "?" "?" ] ] + + ::= [ ":" ] + + ::= a string as defined in RFC 1485 + + ::= NULL | + + ::= + | [ "," ] + + ::= a string as defined in RFC 1777 + + ::= "base" | "one" | "sub" + + ::= a string as defined in RFC 1558 + + + +Howes & Smith Standards Track [Page 1] + +RFC 1959 An LDAP URL Format June 1996 + + + The ldap prefix indicates an entry or entries residing in the LDAP + server running on the given at the given . + The default port is TCP port 389. The is an LDAP Distinguished + Name using the string format described in [1], with any URL-illegal + characters (e.g., spaces) escaped using the % method described in RFC + 1738. + + The construct is used to indicate which attributes + should be returned from the entry or entries. Individual + names are as defined for AttributeType in RFC 1777. + If the part is omitted, all attributes of the entry or + entries should be returned. + + The construct is used to specify the scope of the search to + perform in the given LDAP server. The allowable scopes are "base" + for a base object search, "one" for a one-level search, or "sub" for + a subtree search. If is omitted, a scope of "base" is + assumed. + + The is used to specify the search filter to apply to entries + within the specified scope during the search. It has the format + specified in [4], with any URL-illegal characters escaped using the % + method described in RFC 1738. If is omitted, a filter of + "(objectClass=*)" is assumed. + + Note that if the entry resides in the X.500 namespace, it should be + reachable from any LDAP server that is providing front-end access to + the X.500 directory. If the part of the URL is missing, + the URL can be resolved by contacting any X.500-back-ended LDAP + server. + +3. Examples + + The following are some example LDAP URLs using the format defined + above. An LDAP URL referring to the University of Michigan entry, + available from any X.500-capable LDAP server: + + ldap:///o=University%20of%20Michigan,c=US + + An LDAP URL referring to the University of Michigan entry in a + particular ldap server: + + ldap://ldap.itd.umich.edu/o=University%20of%20Michigan,c=US + + This URL corresponds to a base object search of the "o=University of + Michigan, c=US" entry using a filter of (objectclass=*), requesting + all attributes. + + + + +Howes & Smith Standards Track [Page 2] + +RFC 1959 An LDAP URL Format June 1996 + + + An LDAP URL referring to only the postalAddress attribute of the + University of Michigan entry: + + ldap://ldap.itd.umich.edu/o=University%20of%20Michigan,c=US?postalAddress + + The corresponding LDAP search operation is the same as in the + previous example, except that only the postalAddress attribute is + requested. + + An LDAP URL referring to the set of entries found by querying any + X.500-capable LDAP server and doing a subtree search of the + University of Michigan for any entry with a common name of "Babs + Jensen", retrieving all attributes: + + ldap:///o=University%20of%20Michigan,c=US??sub?(cn=Babs%20Jensen) + + An LDAP URL referring to all children of the c=GB entry: + + ldap://ldap.itd.umich.edu/c=GB?objectClass?one + +The objectClass attribute is requested to be returned along with the +entries. + +4. Security Considerations + + The LDAP URL format does not provide a way to specify credentials to + use when resolving the URL. Therefore, it is expected that such + requests will be unauthenticated. The security implications of + resolving an LDAP URL are the same as those of resolving any LDAP + query. See the RFC 1777 for more details. + +5. Prototype Implementation Availability + + There is a prototype implementation of the specification defined in + this document available. It is an extension to the libwww client + library, provided in both source and binary forms. Also included are + binary versions of the Mosaic WWW client for various platforms. See + the following URL for more details: + + ftp://terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu/ldap/url/ + + + + + + + + + + + +Howes & Smith Standards Track [Page 3] + +RFC 1959 An LDAP URL Format June 1996 + + +6. Bibliography + + [1] Kille, S., "A String Representation of Distinguished Names", + RFC 1779, March 1995. + + [2] Yeong, W., Howes, T., and S. Kille, "Lightweight + Directory Access Protocol", RFC 1777, March 1995. + + [3] Howes, R., Kille, S., Yeong, W., and C. Robbins, "The String + Representation of Standard Attribute Syntaxes", RFC 1778, + March 1995. + + [4] Howes, T., "A String Representation of LDAP Search Filters", + RFC 1558, December 1993. + + [5] Berners-Lee, T., Masinter, L., and M. McCahill, "Uniform + Resource Locators (URL)", RFC 1738, December 1994. + +7. Acknowledgements + + This material is based upon work supported by the National Science + Foundation under Grant No. NCR-9416667. + +8. Authors' Addresses + + Tim Howes + University of Michigan + ITD Research Systems + 535 W William St. + Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4943 + USA + + Phone: +1 313 747-4454 + EMail: tim@umich.edu + + + Mark Smith + University of Michigan + ITD Research Systems + 535 W William St. + Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4943 + USA + + Phone: +1 313 764-2277 + EMail: mcs@umich.edu + + + + + + +Howes & Smith Standards Track [Page 4] +