Return to introduction.tex CVS log

Up to [CSRG BSD Unix] / 43BSDReno / contrib / isode-beta / doc / quipu

Annotation of 43BSDReno/contrib/isode-beta/doc/quipu/introduction.tex, revision 1.1

1.1     ! root        1: \chapter {Overview}
        !             2: 
        !             3: \section {Introduction}
        !             4: 
        !             5: QUIPU is a Public Domain implementation of the OSI Directory as 
        !             6: specified in CCITT X.500 Recommendations /
        !             7: ISO DIS 9594 for Directory Services \cite{ISO.Directory}
        !             8: \cite{CCITT.Directory}.
        !             9: It is intended to provide an environment for experimentation and for early
        !            10: pilots using Standardised Directory Services.  QUIPU is currently aligned to
        !            11: the CCITT X.500 Recommendations (unofficial version).  This is expected to
        !            12: be technically identical to the ISO IS.  The latest available ISO version is
        !            13: the DIS.  
        !            14: 
        !            15: This document describes the design of QUIPU 5.0, and looks at some
        !            16: extensions which are planned for QUIPU 6.0. 
        !            17: The reader who is only interested in the first aspect, should be careful to
        !            18: note those aspects (clearly marked) which are not yet implemented.
        !            19: This document is intended to complement
        !            20: the ISODE Manual \cite{QUIPU.Manual}, which describes how to operate QUIPU, and how
        !            21: to interface applications to it.  
        !            22: Familiarity with the OSI
        !            23: Directory specifications is assumed \cite{CCITT.Directory}.
        !            24: 
        !            25: 
        !            26: QUIPU fully implements both of the OSI Directory Protocols, and a number of
        !            27: extensions.
        !            28: The highlights of the QUIPU Directory Service
        !            29: Implementation are:
        !            30: 
        !            31: \begin {itemize}
        !            32: \item
        !            33: Use of memory structures to provide fast access, without use of
        !            34: complex keying techniques.
        !            35: \item
        !            36: Activity scheduling within the DSA to allow for multiple accesses.
        !            37: \item
        !            38: General and flexible searching capabilities.
        !            39: \item
        !            40: A mechanism to provide non-local access control.
        !            41: \item
        !            42: A mechanism to provide external schema management.
        !            43: \item
        !            44: A sophisticated approach for management of distributed operations and
        !            45: replication.
        !            46: \end {itemize}
        !            47: 
        !            48: The current implementation provides a DSA, and a procedural interface to the
        !            49: Directory Abstract Service and the associated Directory Access Protocol
        !            50: (DAP), which will enable other applications to use the Directory.
        !            51: 
        !            52: \section {General Aims}
        !            53: 
        !            54: To understand the rationale behind some of the decisions, it is
        !            55: useful to consider the original aims of the QUIPU project.
        !            56: These
        !            57: can then be mapped onto a number
        !            58: of more technical considerations:
        !            59: 
        !            60: \begin {itemize}
        !            61: \item To produce an implementation which followed the
        !            62: emerging standards.  This is an aim in itself.
        !            63: 
        !            64: \item Flexibility, to enable the system to be used
        !            65: for experimentation and research into problems relating to directory
        !            66: services.
        !            67: 
        !            68: \item To provide a vehicle for experimentation in the area of
        !            69: distribution and replication.
        !            70: 
        !            71: \item To provide some level of real usage.
        !            72: This sort of work is useless if entirely confined to the laboratory.
        !            73: It is important that it is capable of use for some level of experimental
        !            74: service.  However, it is not consciously designed to evolve into a full
        !            75: fledged product.
        !            76: \end {itemize}
        !            77: 
        !            78: As the work has evolved, the following goals have emerged as
        !            79: additional to the original ones listed above:
        !            80: 
        !            81: \begin {itemize}
        !            82: \item To provide a public domain the OSI Directory implementation as a part of
        !            83: the ISODE package.
        !            84: 
        !            85: \item To provide integrated support for the ISODE Applications.
        !            86: 
        !            87: \item To be used as a part of the initial pilot Directory Service in
        !            88: the UK Academic Community and in other pilots.
        !            89: \end {itemize}
        !            90: 
        !            91: 
        !            92: \section {Technical Goals}
        !            93: 
        !            94: The major goals of the QUIPU Directory Service are:
        !            95: 
        !            96: \begin {itemize}
        !            97: \item Full support of the Directory Access Protocol and Directory System
        !            98: Protocols \cite{CCITT.Directory}.
        !            99: \item
        !           100: Support of the majority of the service elements specified in the OSI Directory.
        !           101: \item
        !           102: Full interworking with other OSI Directory implementations.
        !           103: \item
        !           104: Very full searching and matching capabilities, beyond the minimum
        !           105: required by the OSI Directory.
        !           106: \item
        !           107: Provision of a system which has potential for very high distribution.
        !           108: 
        !           109: \item Support of distributed operations in a manner which is full
        !           110: conformant with respect to non-QUIPU systems, and provides additional
        !           111: functionality for QUIPU systems.
        !           112: 
        !           113: \end {itemize}
        !           114: 
        !           115: The following areas were not intended as goals in the initial system.
        !           116: Some discussion is given as to how these areas might be tackled in
        !           117: future versions.
        !           118: 
        !           119: \begin {itemize}
        !           120: \item
        !           121: The QUIPU Directory is not intended for very large scale
        !           122: systems (i.e., Millions and tens of Millions of entries per DSA or hundreds
        !           123: of megabytes of data per DSA).
        !           124: 
        !           125: \item
        !           126: Substantial data robustness is not required: there is no need to employ
        !           127: complex data backup techniques, such as replicated hardware.
        !           128: \item
        !           129: The security aspects of the OSI Directory were initially omitted, as not
        !           130: required by the general aims.   
        !           131: At this point, there is no reason why this aspect should not be
        !           132: integrated.
        !           133: 
        !           134: \end {itemize}
        !           135: 
        !           136: \section {Further QUIPU documents}
        !           137: 
        !           138: 
        !           139: The following documents are available:
        !           140: 
        !           141: \begin {itemize}
        !           142: \item This document, which describes the design of QUIPU \cite{QUIPU.Design}.
        !           143: 
        !           144: \item The QUIPU Manual, which describes how to use QUIPU \cite{QUIPU.Manual}.
        !           145: 
        !           146: \item A paper on the original design, which is mainly of historical interest
        !           147: \cite{ECW87.INCA}.
        !           148: 
        !           149: \item A paper presented at the 1988 IFIP 6.5 conference, which gives a
        !           150: general overview \cite{QUIPU.IFIP}.
        !           151: 
        !           152: \item A paper presented at Esprit Conference Week 1988, which describes the
        !           153: distributed operations \cite{QUIPU.Distributed}.
        !           154: \end {itemize}
        !           155: 
        !           156: All of these papers, except the third, are distributed online with QUIPU.
        !           157: 
        !           158: \section {Acknowledgements}
        !           159: 
        !           160: QUIPU was developed in the Department of Computer Science at University
        !           161: College London, under the {\ae}gis of the INCA (Integrated Network
        !           162: Communication Architecture) project, which was project~395 
        !           163: of Esprit  (European Strategic Programme for Research into
        !           164: Information Technology). 
        !           165: The partners of INCA  (GEC plc, Olivetti,
        !           166: Nixdorf AG, and Modcomp GmbH) are acknowledged for releasing the first
        !           167: version of this
        !           168: software into the Public Domain.
        !           169: 
        !           170: Continued funding of QUIPU as Openly Available Software is provided by the
        !           171: Joint Network Team.
        !           172: 
        !           173: Colin Robbins, Alan Turland, Alastair Hickling, Marshall Rose, Stella Page,
        !           174: and Mike Roe have all made useful comments on this document.   
        !           175: 
        !           176: QUIPU 5.0 was implemented
        !           177: primarily by Colin Robbins and Alan Turland.  Additional acknowledgements
        !           178: for implementation efforts 
        !           179: are given in the manual \cite{QUIPU.Manual}.
        !           180: 
        !           181: \section {Pronouncing QUIPU}
        !           182: 
        !           183: It is clearly important to distinguish QUIPU verbally as well as in writing.
        !           184: The official pronunciation of QUIPU is {\em kwip --- ooo}.
        !           185: 
        !           186: \section {Why QUIPU}
        !           187: 
        !           188: QUIPU was originally developed as a part of the INCA project.
        !           189: The Inca of Peru did not have writing.  Instead, they stored information on
        !           190: strings, carefully knotted in a specific manner and with coloured thread, and
        !           191: attached to a larger rope.
        !           192: These devices were known as ``Quipus''.
        !           193: The encoding was obscure, and could only be read by selected trained people:
        !           194: the Quipucamayocs.
        !           195: The Quipu was a key component of Inca society, as it contained information
        !           196: about property and locations throughout the extensive Inca empire.
        !           197: 
        !           198: 
        !           199: 

This archive runs on limited infrastructure. Preserving old code on modern bandwidth. Automated agents are requested to crawl responsibly.