Skip to main content

JMAP Blob management extension
draft-gondwana-jmap-blob-00

The information below is for an old version of the document.
Document Type
This is an older version of an Internet-Draft whose latest revision state is "Replaced".
Author Bron Gondwana
Last updated 2020-11-01
Replaced by draft-ietf-jmap-blob, RFC 9404
RFC stream (None)
Formats
Additional resources
Stream Stream state (No stream defined)
Associated None milestone
Jul 2021
Adopt a document for creating Blobs via JMAP method call
Consensus boilerplate Unknown
RFC Editor Note (None)
IESG IESG state I-D Exists
Telechat date (None)
Responsible AD (None)
Send notices to (None)
draft-gondwana-jmap-blob-00
EXTRA                                                   B. Gondwana, Ed.
Internet-Draft                                                  Fastmail
Updates: 5228 (if approved)                              2 November 2020
Intended status: Standards Track                                        
Expires: 6 May 2021

                     JMAP Blob management extension
                      draft-gondwana-jmap-blob-00

Abstract

   The JMAP base protocol (RFC8620) provides the ability to upload and
   download arbitrary binary data via HTTP PUT and GET on defined
   endpoint.  This binary data is called a "Blob".

   This extension adds additional ways to handle Blobs, by making inline
   method calls within a standard JMAP request.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.  The list of current Internet-
   Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on 6 May 2021.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2020 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

Gondwana                   Expires 6 May 2021                   [Page 1]
Internet-Draft                  JMAP Blob                  November 2020

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/
   license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document.
   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
   and restrictions with respect to this document.  Code Components
   extracted from this document must include Simplified BSD License text
   as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are
   provided without warranty as described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Conventions Used In This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  Blobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     3.1.  Blob/set  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
       3.1.1.  create  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
       3.1.2.  update  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
       3.1.3.  destroy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.2.  Blob/get  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.3.  Blob/lookup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   4.  Security considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   5.  IANA considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   6.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   7.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   8.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7

1.  Introduction

   Sometimes JMAP ([RFC8620]) interactions require creating a Blob and
   then referencing it.  In the same way that IMAP Literals ([RFC7888])
   were extended to reduce roundtrips for simple data, embedding simple
   small blobs into the JMAP method stream can reduce roundtrips.

   Likewise, when fetching an object, it can be useful to also fetch the
   raw content of that object without a separate roundtrip.

   Where JMAP is being proxied through a system which is providing
   additional access restrictions, it can be useful to be able to see
   where a blob is referenced in order to decide whether to allow it to
   be downloaded.

Gondwana                   Expires 6 May 2021                   [Page 2]
Internet-Draft                  JMAP Blob                  November 2020

2.  Conventions Used In This Document

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
   "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP
   14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
   capitals, as shown here.

3.  Blobs

   A blob is a sequence of zero or more octets.

   The JMAP base spec [RFC8210] defines the "Blob/copy" method, which is
   unchanged by this specfication.

3.1.  Blob/set

   This is a standard JMAP "set" method.

3.1.1.  create

   *Properties:*

   Any one of:

   *  data:asText: String|null

   *  data:asBase64: String|null

   *  data:asHex: String|null

   *  catenate: [SetObject] _list of byte sources in order_

   Also:

   *  type: String|null

   Result is:

   *  id: Id the blobId

   *  type: String|null _as given in the creation (if any); or detected
      from content; or null_

   *  size: UnsignedInt _as per RFC8620 - the size of the file in
      Octets_

Gondwana                   Expires 6 May 2021                   [Page 3]
Internet-Draft                  JMAP Blob                  November 2020

   Any other properties identical to those that would be returned in the
   JSON response of the RFC8620 upload endpoint.

   SetObject:

   Any one of

   *  data:asText: String|null

   *  data:asBase64: String|null

   *  data:asHex: String|null

   OR a blobId source:

   *  blobId: Id

   *  offset: UnsignedInt|null

   *  length: UnsignedInt|null

3.1.2.  update

   It is not possible to update a Blob, so any update will result in a
   "notUpdated" response.

3.1.3.  destroy

   If an uploaded Blob is not referenced by any persistent object, the
   server SHOULD destroy the object.  Some systems use a content-based
   ID for blobs, so the server MAY respond "destroyed" and yet that
   blobId still exist with the same content.

3.2.  Blob/get

   A standard JMAP get.

   *Properties:*

   Any of

   *  data:asText

   *  data:asBase64

   *  data:asHex

Gondwana                   Expires 6 May 2021                   [Page 4]
Internet-Draft                  JMAP Blob                  November 2020

   *  data _selects data:asText if the content is UTF-8, or
      data:asBase64_

   *  size

   If not given, returns "data" and "size".

   QUESTION: do we want to add range operators?

   *  offset: UnsignedInt|null

   *  length: UnsignedInt|null

   Returns that range of bytes (not characters!) from the blob

3.3.  Blob/lookup

   A reverse lookup!

   Work to be done here, but something like this.

   Map from blobId to object type:

   e.g.

   [ "Blob/lookup", {
     "objects": ["Mailbox", "Thread", "Email"],
     "ids": ["Gd2f81008cf07d2425418f7f02a3ca63a8bc82003",
             "G6f954bcb620f7f50fc8f21426bde3669da3d9067"]
   }, "R1" ]

   Response:

   [ "Blob/lookup", {
     "list": [
       {
         "id": "Gd2f81008cf07d2425418f7f02a3ca63a8bc82003",
         "Mailbox": ["M54e97373", Mcbe6b662"],
         "Thread": ["T1530616e"],
         "Email": ["E16e70a73eb4", "E84b0930cf16"]
       },
     ],
     "notFound": ["G6f954bcb620f7f50fc8f21426bde3669da3d9067"]
   }, "R1"]

Gondwana                   Expires 6 May 2021                   [Page 5]
Internet-Draft                  JMAP Blob                  November 2020

   This tells which objects of each type "contain" a reference to that
   blobId.  "Contain" is defined somewhat losely here, so for example
   "the Mailbox contains an Email which references this blobId" is the
   standard in the response above, likewise for Thread.

4.  Security considerations

   TO BE IMPROVED:

   JSON parsers are not all consistent in handling non-UTF-8 data.  JMAP
   requires that all JSON data be UTF-8 encoded, so servers MUST either
   return "data:asBase64" or "isEncodingProblem: true" and modify the
   data to be UTF-8 safe.

5.  IANA considerations

   TBD

6.  Acknowledgements

   TBD

7.  Normative References

   [RFC8620]  Jenkins, N. and C. Newman, "The JSON Meta Application
              Protocol (JMAP)", RFC 8620, DOI 10.17487/RFC8620, July
              2019, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8620>.

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.

   [RFC8174]  Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
              2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
              May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.

   [RFC8210]  Bush, R. and R. Austein, "The Resource Public Key
              Infrastructure (RPKI) to Router Protocol, Version 1",
              RFC 8210, DOI 10.17487/RFC8210, September 2017,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8210>.

8.  Informative References

   [RFC7888]  Melnikov, A., Ed., "IMAP4 Non-synchronizing Literals",
              RFC 7888, DOI 10.17487/RFC7888, May 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7888>.

Gondwana                   Expires 6 May 2021                   [Page 6]
Internet-Draft                  JMAP Blob                  November 2020

Author's Address

   Bron Gondwana (editor)
   Fastmail
   Level 2, 114 William St
   Melbourne  VIC 3000
   Australia

   Email: brong@fastmailteam.com
   URI:   https://www.fastmail.com

Gondwana                   Expires 6 May 2021                   [Page 7]