Subject: MHS use of the Directory to support distribution lists
From: Alan Shepherd <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 1994 14:26:26 +0000

I've just read the latest version of the internet draft on MHS use of
the directory to support distribution lists and I have some comments.

1) the listUA object class does not have, or inherit, commonName,
mhsCommonName or mhsSurname attributes.  In order to create the
correct entries in the routing part of the DIT, the objectclass needs
to allow mhsSurname and mhsCommonname and in earlier versions of the
mhs-ds schema cn in order to name the appropriate entries i.e. for
lists with an address /CN=list/..., a routing entry should be created
named mHSCommonName=list...  This needs to be addressed in the
document.  As an example, the Explode system defines a new object
class, dListUA which has the relevant attributes in the optional clause.

2) The section on identifying lists does not make it clear the precise
process involved in identifying a list from its or address.  It should
at least reference the procedure for producing a DN from an or address
and explain that this is how a distribution list mechanism would
proceed. i.e.  or address -> dn (well defined mapping).  The dn
references a "listUA" entry (with provisos outlined in 1) which
contains the name of the distribution list.

3) A greater level of control would be enabled if the dlAccess control
attribute was changed so that addSelf and deleteSelf had
submitPermission syntax (the Explode system has something similar).

4) Not quite sure what is involved or being suggested by the first
editor's not on page 5.

5) Not too sure about the usefulness of moderated lists.  

6) The member-of-dl submit permission is not specified in the same way
that the standard specifies it and it is not flagged as a difference.
The difference is that the submission right *should* be conferred to
members of sublists.  This is difficult to implement, but can be done
to some extent.  The Explode system does it be periodically checking
each member which is a DN to see if it is an mhs-distribution list.
If it is, the name of the list is stored to make the submit permission
processing faster.  Of course, this is done recursively.

For reference, Annex A.3.1 of X.402 says "Member-of-dl: each member of
the DL, any of whose O/R names is equal to the specified O/R name, or
of each ensted DL, recursively."

Hope the comments are helpful !

Alan

---------
Alan Shepherd, NEXOR, P.O. Box 132, Nottingham NG7 2UU.
Email: [email-masked], Phone: +44 (0) 602 520582 (Fax:520519)
X.400: C=GB;ADMD=CWMAIL;PRMD=NEXOR;O=NEXOR;S=Shepherd;G=Alan
X.500: C=GB@o=NEXOR Ltd@cn=Alan Shepherd