Open Pluggable Edge Services (opes)

Last Modified: 2006-12-29

Additional information is available at tools.ietf.org/wg/opes

Chair(s):

  • Tony Hansen <tony@att.com>

  • Markus Hofmann <hofmann@bell-labs.com>

    Applications Area Director(s):

  • Ted Hardie <hardie@qualcomm.com>
  • Lisa Dusseault <lisa@osafoundation.org>

    Applications Area Advisor:

  • Ted Hardie <hardie@qualcomm.com>

    Technical Advisor(s):

  • Allison Mankin <mankin@psg.com>
  • Hilarie Orman <ho@alum.mit.edu>

    Mailing Lists:

    General Discussion: ietf-openproxy@imc.org
    To Subscribe: ietf-openproxy-request@imc.org
    Archive: http://www1.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/newtrk/current/

    Description of Working Group:

    The Internet facilitates the development of networked services at the
    application level that both offload origin servers and improve the
    user experience. Web proxies, for example, are commonly deployed to
    provide services such as Web caching, virus scanning, and request
    filtering. Lack of standardized mechanisms to trace and to control
    such intermediaries causes problems with respect to failure
    detection, data integrity, privacy, and security.

    The OPES Working Group has previously developed an architectural
    framework to authorize, invoke, and trace such application-level
    services for HTTP. The framework follows a one-party consent model,
    which requires that each service be authorized explicitly by at least
    one of the application-layer endpoints. It further requires that OPES
    services are reversible by mutual agreement of the application
    endpoints.

    In particular, the WG has developed a protocol suite for invocation
    and tracking of OPES services inside the net. The protocol suite
    includes a generic, application-agnostic protocol core (OCP Core)
    that is supplemented by profiles specific to the application-layer
    protocol used between the endpoints. So far, the WG has specified an
    OCP profile for HTTP, which supports OPES services that operate on
    HTTP messages.

    In a next step, the WG will specify one or more OCP profiles that
    will support OPES services operating on SMTP. In particular, the
    profile to be specified will enable an SMTP server (the OPES
    processor) to encapsulate and forward SMTP data and metadata to a
    callout server for additional processing. Several kinds of agents
    participate in SMTP exchanges, including MSA, MTA, MDA, and MUA. The
    first OCP/SMTP profile will address the needs of at least the MTA
    and/or MDA. More profiles may be needed to address other
    agent-specific needs, such as for LMTP and/or SUBMIT. The security
    and privacy concerns of SMTP must be carefully analyzed as part of
    the definition of the profile.

    In addition, the WG will define a rules language to control selection
    and invocation of services by an OPES processor. This includes a
    mechanism allowing an OPES processor to perform a runtime check of
    service parameters, leveraging existing interface description
    standards like WSDL, if possible, or OPES-specific description
    otherwise. Defining language(s) for implementing OPES services is out
    of the WG scope. The rules language will be based on previous work of
    the WG on a rules language named "P". The WG will have a design goal
    that the language be compatible with existing policy work within the
    IETF (e.g. IETF Policy Framework) and be able to interface with
    systems automating distribution of policies to multiple endpoints. It
    will be out of scope for this WG to develop the policy framework and
    specify multiple-endpoint policy distribution.

    The group's new work items can be listed as:

    - Develop a document about "Scenarios and Use Cases for
    OPES Services operating on SMTP".
    - Define profile(s) for OCP core that handle SMTP messages
    or parts thereof.
    - Define a rules language to control the selection and
    invocation of HTTP-based or SMTP-based OPES services.

    Each deliverable must follow the previously developed OPES
    architecture. As each deliverable is developed, it must address the
    IAB considerations specified in RFC 3238.

    Goals and Milestones:

    Done  Submit OPES scenarios document and architecture document to IESG for Informational.
    Done  Submit document on protocol (callout and tracing) requirements to IESG for Informational.
    Done  Submit document on endpoint authorization and enforcement requirements to IESG for Informational.
    Done  Submit document on threat/risk model for OPES services to IESG for Informational.
    Done  Initial protocol document for OPES services including their authorization, invocation, tracking, and enforcement of authorization.
    Done  Initial document on rules specification method.
    Done  Submit protocol document for OPES services including their authorization, invocation, tracking, and enforcement of authorization to IESG for Proposed Standard.
    Done  Submit use cases document for OPES services operating on SMTP to IESG for Informational.
    Done  Initial document on OCP/SMTP profile for MTAs, including mechanisms for tracing and bypass.
    Done  Consider additional OPES work such as extension to traffic beyond HTTP and RTSP and present new charter to IESG, or conclude working group.
    Done  Submit document on OCP/SMTP profile for MTAs, including mechanisms for tracing and bypass, to IESG for Proposed Standard.
    Done  Submit document(s) on OCP/SMTP profile(s) for those other SMTP agents the WG has decided to work on, if any, to IESG as Proposed Standard(s).

    Internet-Drafts:

    Integrity, privacy and security in OPES for SMTP (29875 bytes)

    Request For Comments:

    OPES Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios (RFC 3752) (29481 bytes)
    An Architecture for Open Pluggable Edge Services (OPES) (RFC 3835) (36113 bytes)
    Requirements for OPES Callout Protocols (RFC 3836) (28438 bytes)
    Security Threats and Risks for Open (RFC 3837) (31883 bytes)
    Policy, Authorization and Enforcement Requirements of OPES (RFC 3838) (38739 bytes)
    OPES entities and end points communication (RFC 3897) (33890 bytes)
    OPES Treatment of IAB Considerations (RFC 3914) (37411 bytes)
    Open Pluggable Edge Services (OPES) Callout Protocol (OCP) Core (RFC 4037) (131487 bytes)
    HTTP Adaptation with Open Pluggable Edge Services (OPES) (RFC 4236) (53512 bytes)
    Open Pluggable Edge Services (OPES) SMTP Use Cases (RFC 4496) (27403 bytes)
    IETF Secretariat - Please send questions, comments, and/or suggestions to ietf-web@ietf.org.

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