From: stephe@usenix.org (Stephen R. Walli)
Newsgroups: comp.std.unix
Subject: Standards Update, POSIX.17 - Directory Services API
Date: 29 Dec 1992 14:24:47 -0800
Organization: USENIX Standards Watchdog Committee
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Submitted-by: stephe@usenix.org (Stephen R. Walli)

Mark Hazzard <markh@rsvl.unisys.com> reports on the October 19-23,
1992 meeting in Utrecht, the Netherlands:

Summary

A re-circulation ballot of Draft 4.0 of POSIX.17 completed just prior
to the Utrecht meeting and the group met primarily as a ballot
resolution team.  All but one of the outstanding comments and
objections were resolved.

The next draft (Draft 5.0) will contain editorial changes and two
minor technical changes.  The changes will require another
re-circulation ballot.  Only the pages effected by the technical
changes will be distributed and can be balloted upon.

We expect to produce a Draft 5.0, do the ``mini'' re-circulation,
process and incorporate changes (if any) in time for the March 1993
IEEE Revcom meeting.  Given this schedule, you can expect publication
of our approved specifications in the middle of 1993.

The US TAG to ISO/IEC JTC1 has stated their intention to forward our
specification to ISO for fastracking (direct ISO ballot) when approved
as an ANSI/IEEE standard.

Introduction

The POSIX.17 group has generated and is currently balloting a user to
directory services API (e.g. API to an X.500 DUA - Directory User
Agent). We used APIA - X/Open's XDS specification as a basis for work.
XDS is included in XPG4 and has been adopted as part of both OSF's DCE
and UI's Atlas.

XDS is an object oriented interface and requires a companion
specification (XOM) for object management.  XOM is a stand- alone
specification with general applicability beyond the API to directory
services. It will be used by IEEE 1224.1 - X.400 API (and possibly
other POSIX groups) and is being standardized by POSIX/TCOS as P1224.
A draft of P1224 is already in ballot.

POSIX.17 is one of five ``networking'' groups that currently make up
the IEEE TCOS/POSIX Distributed Services and as such, POSIX.17 comes
under the purview of the Distributed Services Steering Committee
(DSSC).

Status

Draft 4.0 of POSIX.17, which included all the technical, editorial and
format changes identified in the July Chicago meeting, completed a
re-circulation ballot prior to the Utrecht meeting. POSIX.17 was
re-circulated as 4 separate specifications:

P1224.2   Directory Services API - Language Independent
 Specification

P1326.2   Test Methods for P1224.2

P1327.2   C Language Binding for P1224.2

P1328.2   Test Methods for P1327.2

NOTE: During a special ad hoc meeting of the US TAG to JTC1, POSIX.17
was one of 3 TCOS APIs recommended for fastrack to ISO. In order to
accommodate the ISO format, POSIX.17 was required to be split into 4
separate parts (documents), hence the four specifications.

The group spent a majority of the meeting processing the results of
that ballot and planning for another ``mini'' re-circulation and final
submission to IEEE RevCom for approval.  Most of the comments were
editorial in nature.  However, two minor technical corrections were
suggested and accepted by the committee, which (in the opinion of the
IEEE) will require another (mini) re-circulation.

All but one of the outstanding comments and objections were resolved
for Draft 4.0.  These results exceed the level of consensus (75%)
required by the IEEE for approval as a standard and we don't expect
much change in Draft 5.0.  We plan to complete this re-circulation
ballot, clean up the draft and submit it to IEEE RevCom for final
approval in time for their March 1993 quarterly review meeting. Based
on this schedule, I would expect to see it approved and published by
the IEEE mid-year 1993.

It is still my understanding that when P1224.2 and P1327.2 are
approved by the IEEE, the US TAG to ISO/IEC JTC1 will propose that
they be accepted by ISO as Draft International Standards (DIS) and
balloted directly (fast tracked).

In Closing ...

There's quite a bit of work remaining, such as coordinating the
re-circ and wrapping up loose ends for submission to IEEE RevCom. The
group is not planning to meet in New Orleans in January.

Volume-Number: Volume 30, Number 9