Subject: Re: Time-stamp server. TimePrecision info

From: "Todd S. Glassey" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 20:56:58 -0800

Steven, A policy Anchor is exactly what it sounds like. A mechanism used to
anchor a point in the operational policy of some system making it
referencable.

-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Kent <[email-masked]>
To: Todd S. Glassey <[email-masked]>
Cc: [email-masked] <[email-masked]>
Date: Friday, April 02, 1999 3:16 PM
Subject: Re: Time-stamp server. TimePrecision info

>Todd,
>
>I have no idea what the phrase "a policy anchor for a PKI" means.  As a
>provider of CA services and technology, I can assure you that none of my
>clients has ever felt the need for such a precise time base wrt certificate
>or CRL processing.

Becuase none of them or the auditors know its possible. Also most of the
world already believes that these issues are addressed. After all isn't the
OS trustable?

>So, I am puzzled by your terminology, insofar as it
>references PKIs, and suggest that you don't continue to use this phrease
>unless you can explain what it means and how it relates to the current
>discussion.

The phrase Policy Anchor is actually specific to an old IA concept with
regard to management policy for manufacturing and control applications.

>
>Separately, I am willing to believe that there may be applications that
>require the sort of precision you're suggesting, but I don't recall seeing
>them described here yet.

>Steve

---

From: Stephen Kent <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 11:18:30 -0500

Todd,

>anchor a point in the operational policy of some system making it

In PKIX we have certification policies and those are the policies that
first come to mind when we engage in discussions in this standards arena.
Your definition still does not allow me to relate your comment to the
general PKIX activities.  For CA policies, there is an element of time,
since we make use of time to determine validity intervals for certs,
timeliness for CRLs, etc.  But none of these functions require time with
the sort of precision that you were describing as critical.

Please try again,

Steve