DSA Metrics (OSI-DS 34 (v3))
RFC 1564

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Network Working Group                                          P. Barker
Request for Comments: 1564                     University College London
Category: Informational                                       R. Hedberg
                                              Technical University Delft
                                                            January 1994

                              DSA Metrics
                            (OSI-DS 34 (v3))

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  This memo
   does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of
   this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   This document defines a set of criteria by which a DSA implementation
   may be judged.  Particular issues covered include conformance to
   standards; performance; demonstrated interoperability.  The intention
   is that the replies to the questions posed provide a fairly full
   description of a DSA. Some of the questions will yield answers which
   are purely descriptive; others, however, are intended to elicit
   answers which give some measure of the utility of the DSA. The marks
   awarded for a DSA in each particular area should give a good
   indication of the DSA's capabilities, and its suitability for
   particular uses.

   Please send comments to the authors or to the discussion group
   <osi-ds@CS.UCL.AC.UK>.

Table of Contents

   1.   Overview                                                      2
   2.   General Information                                           3
   3.   Conformance to OSI Standards                                  4
        3.1    Directory protocols.............................       4
        3.2    Implementors' agreements and profiles  .........       6
        3.3    Protocol stacks.................................       6
        3.4    DIT structure  .................................       7
   4.   Other protocols                                               7
   5.   Extensions to the 1988 Standard                               7
        5.1    Schema .........................................       7
        5.2    Support for replication.........................       8
        5.3    Support for access control .....................       8
        5.4    Miscellaneous  .................................       9
   6.   Miscellaneous characteristics                                10

Barker & Hedberg                                                [Page 1]
RFC 1564                      DSA Metrics                   January 1994

   7.   Management tools                                             11
        7.1    Dynamic system management  .....................      11
        7.2    Static system management  ......................      12
        7.3    Data management.................................      12
   8.   Operational Use                                              12
   9.   Interoperability                                             12
   10.  Performance                                                  13
        10.1   Speed for various operations  ..................      14
            10.1.1   Bind .....................................      14
            10.1.2   List .....................................      15
            10.1.3   Search  ..................................      15
            10.1.4   Read .....................................      16
            10.1.5   Add entry.................................      16
            10.1.6   Modify entry .............................      16
            10.1.7   Modify RDN  ..............................      16
            10.1.8   Query rate  ..............................      17
        10.2   The results.....................................      17
        10.3   Environment used for benchmarking  .............      17
   11. Security Considerations                                       21
   12. Authors' Addresses                                            21

1.  Overview

   The purpose of this document is to define some metrics by which DSA
   products can be measured.  Such metrics are valuable as whilst an
   X.500 DSA must conform to the specification in the standard - this is
   a sine qua non - protocol conformance is not in itself the hallmark
   of a usable implementation.  A DSA must perform operations within a
   reasonable time; a DSA must offer good throughput of queries; a DSA
   must be able to handle a reasonable volume of data; if modification
   operations are provided, some sort of access control must be
   provided; a DSA and its data must be manageable.

   In many respects, it is almost impossible to say that one DSA is
   better than other from looking at the responses to questions in this
   document.  For some, the cost or level of support will be the key
   criterion.  For another user, the flexibility of the schema
   management facilities, or the feasibility of running the DSA over an
   existing relational database, will be of prime importance.  In many