Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP): The Binary Encoding Option
RFC 4522
Document | Type |
RFC - Proposed Standard
(June 2006; No errata)
Was draft-legg-ldap-binary (individual in app area)
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Author | Steven Legg | ||
Last updated | 2013-03-02 | ||
Stream | IETF | ||
Formats | plain text html pdf htmlized bibtex | ||
Stream | WG state | (None) | |
Document shepherd | No shepherd assigned | ||
IESG | IESG state | RFC 4522 (Proposed Standard) | |
Consensus Boilerplate | Unknown | ||
Telechat date | |||
Responsible AD | Ted Hardie | ||
Send notices to | steven.legg@adacel.com.au |
Network Working Group S. Legg Request for Comments: 4522 eB2Bcom Category: Standards Track June 2006 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP): The Binary Encoding Option 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. Copyright Notice Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006). Abstract Each attribute stored in a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory has a defined syntax (i.e., data type). A syntax definition specifies how attribute values conforming to the syntax are normally represented when transferred in LDAP operations. This representation is referred to as the LDAP-specific encoding to distinguish it from other methods of encoding attribute values. This document defines an attribute option, the binary option, that can be used to specify that the associated attribute values are instead encoded according to the Basic Encoding Rules (BER) used by X.500 directories. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................2 2. Conventions .....................................................2 3. The Binary Option ...............................................2 4. Syntaxes Requiring Binary Transfer ..............................3 5. Attributes Returned in a Search .................................4 6. All User Attributes .............................................4 7. Conflicting Requests ............................................5 8. Security Considerations .........................................5 9. IANA Considerations .............................................5 10. References .....................................................5 10.1. Normative References ......................................5 10.2. Informative References ....................................6 Legg Standards Track [Page 1] RFC 4522 LDAP: The Binary Encoding Option June 2006 1. Introduction Each attribute stored in a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory [RFC4510] has a defined syntax (i.e., data type) which constrains the structure and format of its values. The description of each syntax [RFC4517] specifies how attribute or assertion values [RFC4512] conforming to the syntax are normally represented when transferred in LDAP operations [RFC4511]. This representation is referred to as the LDAP-specific encoding to distinguish it from other methods of encoding attribute values. This document defines an attribute option, the binary option, which can be used in an attribute description [RFC4512] in an LDAP operation to specify that the associated attribute values or assertion values are, or are requested to be, encoded according to the Basic Encoding Rules (BER) [BER] as used by X.500 [X.500] directories, instead of the usual LDAP-specific encoding. The binary option was originally defined in RFC 2251 [RFC2251]. The LDAP technical specification [RFC4510] has obsoleted the previously defined LDAP technical specification [RFC3377], which included RFC 2251. The binary option was not included in the revised LDAP technical specification for a variety of reasons including implementation inconsistencies. No attempt is made here to resolve the known inconsistencies. This document reintroduces the binary option for use with certain attribute syntaxes, such as certificate syntax [RFC4523], that specifically require it. No attempt has been made to address use of the binary option with attributes of syntaxes that do not require its use. Unless addressed in a future specification, this use is to be avoided. 2. Conventions 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 BCP 14, RFC 2119 [BCP14]. 3. The Binary Option The binary option is indicated with the attribute option string "binary" in an attribute description. Note that, like all attribute options, the string representing the binary option is case insensitive. Legg Standards Track [Page 2] RFC 4522 LDAP: The Binary Encoding Option June 2006 Where the binary option is present in an attribute description, the associated attribute values or assertion values MUST be BER encodedShow full document text