This document defines the roles and processes of the XMPP Registrar within the Jabber Software Foundation.
NOTICE: This Procedural document defines a process or activity of the Jabber Software Foundation (JSF) that has been approved by the XMPP Council and/or the JSF Board of Directors. The JSF is currently following the process or activity defined herein and will do so until this document is deprecated or obsoleted.
Status:
Active
Type:
Procedural
Number: 0053
Version: 1.2
Last Updated: 2006-10-04
Publishing Organization: Jabber Software Foundation
Approving Body: JSF Board of Directors
Dependencies: None
Supersedes: None
Superseded By: None
Short Name: N/A
Wiki Page: <http://wiki.jabber.org/index.php/XMPP Registrar (XEP-0053)>
Email:
stpeter@jabber.org
JID:
stpeter@jabber.org
This XMPP Extension Protocol is copyright 1999 - 2006 by the Jabber Software Foundation (JSF) and is in full conformance with the JSF's Intellectual Property Rights Policy <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/ipr-policy.shtml>. This material may be distributed only subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Creative Commons Attribution License (<http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/>).
The preferred venue for discussion of this document is the Standards-JIG discussion list: <http://mail.jabber.org/mailman/listinfo/standards-jig>.
Discussion by the membership of the JSF may also be appropriate (see <http://mail.jabber.org/mailman/listinfo/members> for details).
As the Jabber Software Foundation (JSF) [1] publishes more protocol specifications (see XMPP Extension Protocols [2]), it becomes necessary to keep better track of the namespaces defined by those specifications as well as the parameters used in the context of the relevant protocols. (Examples of such parameters include the features and options used in Feature Negotiation [3] and the identities and features used in Service Discovery [4].) In particular, the common use of protocols published by the JSF requires that namespaces and particular parameter values be assigned uniquely. It is the role of the XMPP Registrar to make those unique assignments and to maintain registries of the currently assigned values. The XMPP Registrar shall also function as a single point of contact between the Jabber/XMPP developer community and the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) [5].
Until there is a perceived need for a more formal governing body, the functions of the XMPP Registrar shall be managed by the XMPP Extensions Editor [6]. In the future, the XMPP Council [7] and/or the JSF Board of Directors [8] may decide to create a more formal panel to oversee the functions of the XMPP Registrar; if they do, this document shall be updated to reflect the change.
Every XMPP Extension Protocol specification (XEP) must contain a section devoted to "XMPP Registrar Considerations", detailing the namespaces and parameters to be registered with the XMPP Registrar, as well as any new registries to be created as a result of the XEP.
The registry additions or creations specified in an XMPP Extension Protocol specification shall not take effect until the document advances to a status of Draft (Standards-Track XEPs) or Active (Informational and Historical XEPs). Registration of namespaces shall be initiated by the XMPP Extensions Editor when a XEP advances to Draft or Active and shall not require the involvement of the document author. Registration of particular parameters used within a specification shall be initiated by the XMPP Extensions Editor if specified in the XEP, and may also be initiated by implementors of the XMPP Extension Protocol document after it has advanced to Active, Draft, or Final. Creation of new registries shall be initiated by the XMPP Registrar; if a document specifies the creation of a new registry, the author is strongly encouraged to consult with the XMPP Registrar before seeking a Last Call on the XEP.
Requests for namespace and parameter assignments must be sent to the XMPP Registrar in accordance with the process specified in the document (usually a XEP) that defines the relevant registry, normally by sending an appropriately formatted email message to <registrar@jabber.org>. If, in the Registrar's judgment, discussion of a request is required, the Registrar shall initiate such discussion within the Standards JIG [9]. The Registrar shall add registry items at his discretion based on discussion within the Standards JIG if necessary, but shall not unduly restrict registration of parameter values. If a document author or implementer thinks that a request was unfairly denied by the Registrar, an appeal of the decision may be directed to the XMPP Council.
The XMPP Registrar shall maintain registries of assigned namespaces and parameters at <http://www.xmpp.org/registrar/> and shall update those registries in a timely fashion. Changes to JSF registries shall be announced on the Standards-JIG mailing list.
Security considerations are primarily the responsibility of the protocols in which specific parameters are used. The XMPP Registrar shall respect the security considerations defined in JSF protocol specifications, and shall endeavor to ensure that registered parameter values do not compromise privacy or security in any way.
The XMPP Registrar shall be responsible for interacting with the IANA on behalf of the Jabber Software Foundation and Jabber/XMPP developer community. If an XMPP Extension Protocol document requires interaction with the IANA, that fact shall be noted by the document author and discussed on the Standards-JIG mailing list along with normal discussion of the XEP. The XMPP Registrar shall collaborate with the author to present an appropriate request to the IANA.
This entire document defines the processes and procedures of the XMPP Registrar.
1. The Jabber Software Foundation (JSF) is an independent, non-profit organization that develops open extensions to the IETF's Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP). For further information, see <http://www.jabber.org/jsf/>.
2. XEP-0001: XMPP Extension Protocols <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0001.html>.
3. XEP-0020: Feature Negotiation <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0020.html>.
4. XEP-0030: Service Discovery <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0030.html>.
5. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is the central coordinator for the assignment of unique parameter values for Internet protocols, such as port numbers and URI schemes. For further information, see <http://www.iana.org/>.
6. The XMPP Extensions Editor is the individual appointed by the JSF Board of Directors to handle protocol submissions and provide day-to-day management of the JSF's standards process. For further information, see <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/editor.shtml>.
7. The XMPP Council is a technical steering committee, authorized by the JSF Board of Directors and elected by JSF members, that approves of new XMPP Extensions Protocols and oversees the JSF's standards process. For further information, see <http://www.xmpp.org/council/>.
8. The JSF Board of Directors is an elected body that possesses overall responsibility for the affairs of the Jabber Software Foundation. For further information, see <http://www.jabber.org/board/>.
9. The Standards JIG is a standing Jabber Interest Group devoted to development of XMPP Extension Protocols. The discussion list of the Standards JIG is the primary venue for discussion of Jabber/XMPP protocols, as well as for announcements by the XMPP Extensions Editor and XMPP Registrar. To subscribe to the list or view the list archives, visit <http://mail.jabber.org/mailman/listinfo/standards-jig/>.
As approved by the members of the Jabber Software Foundation, changed Jabber Registrar to XMPP Registrar.
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