Re: EPP statuses and other questions

[Michael Graff <Michael_Graff@isc.org>]

"Hollenbeck, Scott" <shollenbeck@verisign.com> writes:

> The unique identifier for domains and hosts is the domain name and
> host name, respectively.  The valid syntax for these names is
> defined in multiple normative references listed in the specs.

Coming in somewhat late to the EPP game, I still find the object
identifiers to be somewhat confusing.  For contacts, we have a
client-supplied string.  Ok, I can live with that.  For domains, you
say it's the domain name, and for hosts, the hostname.

Then, the "roid" is confusing.  Not only is it NOT returned in
response to a <create> command, it needs to be used in some cases as a
unique identifier!

For authinfo, if you're working on a domain object and want to specify
the authinfo for a contact instead, you use the contact's "roid" --
the client-supplied name (converted to a globally-unique ID), like
"SA1234-ISC" or "MG2-ISC" or whatever.

  C:          <domain:pw roid="JD1234-REP">2fooBAR</domain:pw>

This specifies that the password data is associated with the contact
JD1234-REP, not the domain object's password.  However, this
contact:roid isn't returned in response to a contact <create> request
but is for <info>.

Domains and hosts have riods too, and they are not the
hostname or domain name.  In what context are these to be used?
If the domain roid is really the global identifier (the local ID with
the registry identifier appended, like FLAME-ISC for an "isc"
registry) then the (for lack of a beter term) "handle" for a host or
domain isn't the host or domain name.

  S:        <domain:name>example.tld</domain:name>
  S:        <domain:roid>EXAMPLE1-REP</domain:roid>

Additionally, from the definition of a riod, a period isn't allowed,
and they can only be 80 characters long before the dash.  Domain names
can be longer.

So, once again, I'm back to thinking that we have a unique string (the
old style "handle" mentality) in EPP.  Am I still not seeing
something?

If the riods aren't used externally, so they can be queried through
say whois, why are they needed at all?  In that case, the domain name
or host name really is enough.

--Michael