Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (xmpp)

Last Modified: 2009-05-29

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

Chair(s):

  • Joe Hildebrand <jhildebr@cisco.com>

  • Sean Turner <turners@ieca.com>

    Real-time Applications and Infrastructure Area Director(s):

  • Robert Sparks <rjsparks@nostrum.com>
  • Cullen Jennings <fluffy@cisco.com>

    Real-time Applications and Infrastructure Area Advisor:

  • Robert Sparks <rjsparks@nostrum.com>

    Mailing Lists:

    General Discussion: xmpp@ietf.org
    To Subscribe: https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/xmpp
    Archive: http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/xmpp/

    Description of Working Group:

    The Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) is an
    technology for the near-real-time exchange of messages and presence
    notifications, where data is exchanged over Extensible Markup Language
    (XML) streams. The original XMPP working group published RFCs 3920-3923.

    Implementation and deployment experience since that time has resulted
    in errata, clarifications, and suggestions for improvement to the core
    XMPP specifications (RFCs 3920 and 3921). Some technologies on which
    XMPP depends (e.g., Transport Layer Security and the Simple
    Authentication and Security Layer) have undergone modifications of their
    own, which XMPP needs to track. Finally, the group needs to define a
    sustainable solution to internationalization of XMPP addresses, since
    the approach taken in RFC 3920 (based on stringprep profiles) is limited
    to Unicode 3.2 characters. Both draft-saintandre-rfc3920bis-* and
    draft-saintandre-rfc3921bis-* reflect community input so
    far regarding these modifications, but the group needs to complete this
    work, especially with regard to internationalization. Because of the
    scope of changes involved, it is envisioned that these specifications
    will be cycled at Proposed Standard.

    Although RFC 3923 defines an end-to-end signing and encryption
    technology for use by XMPP systems, to date it has not been implemented.
    A goal of the group is to develop an implementable method for end-to-end
    encryption, preferably based on well known and widely deployed security
    technologies.

    XMPP uses TLS for encryption and the Simple Authentication and Security
    Layer (SASL) for authentication. In the case of a server-to-server
    stream, XMPP is deployed using TLS and the SASL EXTERNAL mechanism,
    where each peer presents an X.509 certificate. This model introduces
    scaling challenges in multi-domain deployments because RFC 3920 requires
    that a stream cannot be reused for more than one domain, thus
    necessitating multiple TCP connections. The group will work to overcome
    these challenges by defining an optional mechanism for using a single
    connection with multiple identities. It is anticipated that most of the
    work will consist of defining and providing requirements to the TLS and
    SASL working groups.

    Many of the core and extended features of XMPP have also been
    implemented in technologies based on the Session Initiation Protocol
    (SIP). To ensure interworking between XMPP systems and SIP systems, a
    number of Internet-Drafts (draft-saintandre-sip-xmpp-*) have been
    produced. The group will define a framework within which this work could
    be completed.

    In completing its work, the group will strive to retain backwards
    compatibility with RFCs 3920 and 3921. However, changes that are not
    backwards compatible might be accepted if the group determines that the
    changes are required to meet the group's technical objectives and the
    group clearly documents the reasons for making them.

    Goals and Milestones:

    Mar 2010  Decide upon a direction for server-to-server connection reuse.
    Aug 2010  Deliver rfc3920bis and rfc3921bis to the IESG.
    Dec 2010  Decide upon a direction for end-to-end encryption.
    Jan 2011  Define a framework for SIP-XMPP interworking.
    Feb 2011  Define a solution for server-to-server connection reuse.
    Aug 2011  Define a solution for end-to-end encryption.

    Internet-Drafts:

    Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP): Instant Messaging and Presence (199340 bytes)
    Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP): Core (333708 bytes)

    Request For Comments:

    End-to-End Object Encryption in the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) (RFC 3923) (51828 bytes)
    Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP): Core (RFC 3920) (194313 bytes)
    Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP): Instant Messaging and Presence (RFC 3921) (217527 bytes)
    Mapping the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) to Common Presence and Instant Messaging (CPIM) (RFC 3922) (70790 bytes)
    IETF Secretariat - Please send questions, comments, and/or suggestions to ietf-web@ietf.org.

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