IFX> Fwd: Re: proposal for a fax number - email address database

IFX> Fwd: Re: proposal for a fax number - email address database

Richard Shockey rshockey at ix.netcom.com
Mon Nov 1 12:50:39 EST 1999


I'm forwarding this message from the IFAX list.... it does have some 
implications for the work at hand.  There is no reason the DNS database 
could not point to a IPP URL as well

For those of you going to Washington DC next week ENUM is definitely a WG 
to track.


>X-Sender: rshockey at popd.ix.netcom.com
>X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.0.58
>Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 10:29:38 -0500
>To: John Perkins <jperkins at exfax.com>, ietf-fax at imc.org
>From: Richard Shockey <rshockey at ix.netcom.com>
>Subject: Re: proposal for a fax number - email address database
>Sender: owner-ietf-fax at imc.org
>List-Archive: <http://www.imc.org/ietf-fax/mail-archive/>
>List-ID: <ietf-fax.imc.org>
>List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:ietf-fax-request at imc.org?body=unsubscribe>
>
>
>>
>>Proposal
>>--------
>>I would like to propose a universally accessible database or lookup
>>procedure whereby individuals may validly and voluntarily nominate an email
>>address to be associated with their fax telephone number. Database entries
>>could be set up at a web site administered by a suitable authority or in
>>conjuction with telephone companies. The email address would be for use as
>>an alternative destination to the fax number under certain conditions. The
>>email address would be retrieved by suitable URL reference which would
>>include the phone number. The alternative email address could be used when
>>for example the fax line was busy or unavailable, and would receive the fax
>>as a TIFF attachment. The database facility would enable automatic
>>contingency routing. The database may reside on a server accessed by cgi
>>scripts or may take some other form compatible with the infrastructure.
>
>
>Well ...you're not too far off from reality its just that the database is 
>DNS.... the following new work has just been chartered in the IETF.  It 
>has additional implications for discovering the capabilities of a IFAX 
>machine in advance of sending a document.
>
>Telephone Number Mapping (enum)
>-------------------------------
>
>
>  Current Status: Proposed Working Group
>
>  Chair(s):
>      Scott Petrack <scott.petrack at metatel.com>
>
>  Transport Area Director(s):
>      Scott Bradner  <sob at harvard.edu>
>      Vern Paxson  <vern at aciri.org>
>
>  Transport Area Advisor:
>      Vern Paxson  <vern at aciri.org>
>
>  Mailing Lists:
>      General Discussion:enum at ietf.org
>      To Subscribe:      enum-request at ietf.org
>          In Body:       subscribe
>
>      OR, subscribe via the web at
>         http://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/enum
>
>      Archive:           ftp://ftp.ietf.org/ietf-mail-archive/enum/
>
>Description of Working Group:
>
>This working group will define a DNS-based architecture and protocols
>for mapping a telephone number to a set of attributes (e.g. URLs) which
>can be used to contact a resource associated with that number.
>
>Background:
>
>Telephone numbers now identify many different types of end terminals,
>supporting many different services and protocols. Telephone numbers
>are used to identify ordinary phones, fax machines, pagers, data
>modems, email clients, text terminals for the hearing impaired, etc.
>
>A prospective caller may wish to discover which services and
>protocols are supported by the terminal named by a given telephone
>number. The caller may also require more information than just the
>telephone number to communicate with the terminal.
>
>As an example, certain telephones can receive short email messages.
>The telephone number is not enough information to be able to send
>email; the sender must have more information (equivalent to the
>information in a mailto: URL).
>
> From the callee's perspective, the owner of the telephone number
>or device may wish to control the information which prospective
>callers may receive.
>
>The architecture must allow for different service providers competing
>openly to furnish the directory information required by clients to
>reach the desired telephone numbers.
>
>Working Group Goals and Scope:
>
>The working group will specify a DNS-based architecture and protocols
>which fulfill at least the following requirements:
>
>1. The system must enable resolving input telephone numbers into a set
>    of URLs which represent different ways to start communication with a
>    device associated to the input phone number.
>
>2. The system must scale to handle quantities of telephone numbers and
>    queries comparable to current PSTN usage. It is highly desireable
>    that the system respond to queries with speed comparable to current
>    PSTN queries, including in the case of a query failure.
>
>3. The system must have some means to insert the information needed
>    to answer queries into the servers via the Internet. The source of
>    this information may be individual owners of telephone numbers (or
>    the devices associated to the number), or it may be service providers
>    which own servers that can answer service-specific queries. The
>    system shall not preclude the insertion of information by competing
>    service providers (in such a way which allows for the source of the
>    information to be authenticated).
>
>4. The system shall enable the authorization of requests and of updates.
>
>5. The Working Group will carefully consider and document the security
>    and performance requirements for the proposed system and its use.
>
>6. The Working Group will understand the impact of developments in the
>    area of local number portability on the proposed system.
>
>The Working Group will take into consideration how number resolution
>using the ENUM system is affected by the PSTN infrastructure for
>telephone numbering plans, such as the ITU-T E.164 standard.
>
>The area directors will consider chartering an additional working group
>to pursue a non-DNS-based approach, if there's a constituency for the
>approach and a viable charter.
>
>Non-goals:
>
>1. ENUM shall not develop any protocols or system for routing calls of a
>    specific service or for locating gateways to a specific service.  One
>    example of such a service is mobile telephony, and one example of
>    such gateways is IP telephony gateways.
>
>2. ENUM shall not develop protocols for the "intelligent" resolution of
>    these queries. That is, the updates to the ENUM data are limited to
>    the insertion, update, and removal of URL information, and will not
>    include inserting "logic" into the servers (to be used to respond to
>    queries in an "intelligent" manner).  (Of course, servers are free to
>    support such intelligent services, but the insertion of such logic is
>    not the object of ENUM standardization).
>
>Document deliverables:
>
>1. Telephone Number to IP Mapping Service Requirements (Informational)
>
>2. Telephone Number to IP Mapping Service Architecture and
>    Protocols (Standards Track)
>
>    These documents will specify the architecture and protocols
>    (query, update) of the ENUM system.
>
>3. A MIB for managing the service
>
>4. The Working Group may decide to deliver a document which describes
>    the relation between ENUM and E.164 or other PSTN telephone number
>    infrastructure.
>
>  Goals and Milestones:
>
>    Nov 99       Initial draft of Service ENUM Requirements
>
>    Jan 00       Initial draft of ENUM Protocol
>
>    Mar 00       Revised draft of ENUM Service Requirements
>
>    Mar 00       Revised draft of ENUM Protocol
>
>    Mar 00       Possible draft on relation between ENUM and E.164 or 
> other PSTN
>                 infrastructure



 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Richard Shockey
Shockey Consulting LLC
8045 Big Bend Blvd. Suite 110
St. Louis, MO 63119
Voice 314.918.9020
eFAX Fax to EMail 815.333.1237 (Preferred for Fax)
INTERNET Mail & IFAX : rshockey at ix.netcom.com
GSTN Fax 314.918.9015
MediaGate iPost VoiceMail and Fax 800.260.4464
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<



More information about the Ifx mailing list