Subject: A proposal for SLP evolution

From: Peter Ford <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 21:10:07 -0800

In discussing discovery with people with wildly different products we have
discovered that most  have one requirement in common (discovery) and have
many other requirements in a common area (directory).   Unfortunately, their
requirements in directory are divergent.  

SLP was originally designed when there were few (if no) options in directory
and one result is that SLP now has quite a bit of directory functionality.
Today, we have established, IETF working group documents for directory
functionality (e.g. LDAP, ...).  Specifically,  people have established
other ways to obtain 'attribute' information and don't need yet another
protocol for this.  E.g. several companies are using simple HTTP based
operations for directory functionality, others are using LDAP, etc.

We would like to propose that the discovery and directory functionality of
SLP be separated  with the result being a single base protocol for discovery
with the expectation that there will be more than one solution/protocol for
directory access of attributes.  This would entail dropping attribute
request/response from SLP and service type request/response.  This one
document would specify: UA & SA Service Request, Service Reply; SA & DA
Service Register & Deregister; UA & DA Service Request, Service Reply 
; as well as DA and SA discovery.  

We believe this proposal makes SLP simpler, smaller in implementation which
is important for embedded devices, and meets the requirements that customers
have.

Peter Ford
Ye Gu
Microsoft Corporation

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