Draft EDI-INT Features Header August 2005
Private K. Meadors
Internet-Draft Drummond Group Inc.
Document: draft-meadors-ediint-features- August 2005
header-00.txt
Expires: February 2006
Target Category: Informational
EDI-INT Features Header
draft-meadors-ediint-features-header-00.txt
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Abstract
With the maturity of the EDI-INT standard of AS1, AS2 and AS3,
applications and additional features are being built upon the basic
secure transport functionality. These features are not necessarily
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Draft EDI-INT Features Header August 2005
supported by all EDI-INT applications and could cause potential
problems with implementations
Conventions used in this document
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in RFC-2119.
Feedback Instructions
NOTE TO RFC EDITOR: This section should be removed by the RFC editor
prior to publication.
If you want to provide feedback on this draft, follow these
guidelines:
-Send feedback via e-mail to kyle@drummondgroup.com, with "EDIINT
Features Header" in the Subject field.
-Be specific as to what section you are referring to, preferably
quoting the portion that needs modification, after which you state
your comments.
-If you are recommending some text to be replaced with your suggested
text, again, quote the section to be replaced, and be clear on the
section in question.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction...................................................2
2. EDIINT Features Header Syntax..................................3
3. Implementation and Processing..................................3
4. EDI-INT Applications...........................................3
5. Security Considerations........................................4
6. References.....................................................4
6.1 Normative References.......................................4
6.2 Informative References.....................................4
Author's Address..................................................4
1. Introduction
EDI-INT applications provide for a secure means of payload document
transport. The original intent was for transport of a single EDI or
XML document. However, as AS1 [AS1], AS2 [AS2] and AS3 [AS3] matured,
other features and application logic were implemented upon EDI-INT
standards. Since these features go beyond but do not violate the
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basic premise of EDI-INT, a means is needed to communicate to trading
partners features which are supported by the originating user agent.
The EDIINT Features header indicates the capability of the user agent
to support the listed feature with its trading partner without out-
of-band communication and agreement.
2. EDIINT Features Header Syntax
The EDIINT Features header can appear in the header section of an
AS1, AS2 and AS3 message. Its BNF syntax is listed below.
Feature = "EDIINT-Features: " Feature-Name 1*("," Feature-Name)
Feature-Name = Feature-Token
Feature-Token = %d48-57 / ; 0-9
%d65-
90 / ; A-Z
%d97-122 / ; a-z
"-"
The Feature-Token allows for feature names to be specified and can
only contain alphanumeric characters along with the hyphen. Feature
names are case-insensitive.
3. Implementation and Processing
The EDIINT Features header indicates the originating user agent is
capable of supporting the features listed. The feature header MUST be
present in all messages transmitted by the user agent and not just
messages which utilize the feature. Upon examination of the feature
header, the trading partner SHOULD assume the user agent is capable
of receiving messages utilizing any of the features listed.
The features listed MUST be supported by existing IETF RFC or RFC-
track Internet-draft standards. These standards MUST describe the
feature name which is listed in the header and the means which it
should be used.
4. EDI-INT Applications
Since AS1 uses email and the EDIINT Features header is not a
registered header with IANA, the header MUST be preceded by a "X-" to
be used. If the receiving trading partner does not support EDIINT
Features, it can choose to ignore the header because of the "X-".
Because AS2 and AS3 utilize transports of HTTP and FTP, respectively,
which allow the application to ignore headers which it does not
recognize, the addition of the EDIINT Features header in AS2 and AS3
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can be done without affecting trading partners who have not
implemented the header.
AS2 and AS3 applications currently use a version header, AS2-Version
and AS3-Version, respectively, to indicate functional support. The
EDIINT Features header tremendously improves the purpose and function
of the old version header. However, to provide a connection from the
old version header and the EDIINT Features header, AS2 and AS3
applications which implement the EDIINT Features header MUST use the
version value of "1.2" to indicate the support of the Feature header.
Also, since version "1.1" indicates the implementation supports
compression [COMPRESS] and "1.2" builds upon "1.1", AS2-Version or
AS3-Version of "1.2" MUST support compression regardless of whether
it is mentioned as a feature in the EDIINT Features header.
5. Security Considerations
Because headers are often un-encrypted, it may be possible for the
feature header to be altered. Trading partners MAY consult out-of-
band to confirm feature support.
6. References
6.1 Normative References
[AS1] RFC3335 ôMIME-based Secure Peer-to-Peer Business Data
Interchange over the Internet using SMTPö, T. Harding, R.
Drummond, C. Shih, 2002.
[AS2] RFC4130 ôMIME-based Secure Peer-to-Peer Business Data
Interchange over the Internet using HTTPö, D. Moberg, R.
Drummond, 2005.
[AS3] draft-ietf-ediint-as3-03.txt ôMIME-based Secure Peer-to-Peer
Business Data Interchange over the Internet using FTPö, T.
Harding, R. Scott, 2005.
[COMPRESS] draft-ietf-ediint-compression-04.txt ôCompressed Data for
EDIINTö, T. Harding, 2005.
6.2 Informative References
[RFC2828] RFC2828 ôInternet Security Glossaryö, R. Shirley, May 2000.
[RFC2119] RFC2119 ôKey Words for Use in RFC's to Indicate Requirement
Levelsö, S.Bradner, March 1997.
Author's Address
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Draft EDI-INT Features Header August 2005
Kyle Meadors
Drummond Group Inc.
4700 Bryant Irvin Court, Suite 303
Fort Worth, TX 76107 USA
Email: kyle@drummondgroup.com
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