[Atoca] On broadcasting and authentication/authorization (was Re: Requirement D2: "Large Audience")

Igor Faynberg <igor.faynberg@alcatel-lucent.com> Tue, 18 January 2011 01:06 UTC

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Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:09:05 -0500
From: Igor Faynberg <igor.faynberg@alcatel-lucent.com>
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Subject: [Atoca] On broadcasting and authentication/authorization (was Re: Requirement D2: "Large Audience")
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With many thanks to Hannes for a thorough follow-up on my humble 
questions, I just wanted to clarify that my question about "large 
audience" arose only because I was trained to test, and the word "large" 
is not something that any test can verify. Since the requirements has a 
MUST in it, it ought to be verifiable. (And I remember Scott echoed this 
by pointing to the word "simultaneously" as potentially problematic, too.

To this end, I am happy with the proposal to  use the term "broadcast."  
How about re-writing Req-D2 as follows:  

>
>       The protocol solution MUST allow broadcast delivery of messages
>        to the targeted audience.
>
>   
In this case, we avoid specification of the size of the audience as well 
as the issues of verifying simultaneity (broadcast takes care of  it).

On the issue of authentication/authorization, I actually meant exactly 
what Brian had said a while ago: The broadcaster has to be authenticated 
(lest a rogue entity creates panic or disrupts the network or both), and 
the network will deal with the authorization.  Indeed, TLS with client 
authentication (preferably, PKI-based) is a solution that I think perfect.

Igor