Subject: [KEYPROV] [issue23] Shall we use word "Key" in XML type names to replace word "Secret"?

From: Mingliang Pei <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:15:37 +0000

New submission from Mingliang Pei <[email-masked]>:

We are working on key provisioning and portable symmetric key container, 
however, the XML element for this is called SecretContainer. This isn't 
consistent. Naturally, we would like to call the container as "KeyContainer" 
but it isn't perfect. 

We have some debates on the names in the recent PSKC meetings. We discussed 
four candidates: "SecretContainer", "KeyContainer", "SymmetricKeyContainer", 
and "ProvisioningKeyContainer". The arguments were the following.

1. SecretContainer best reflects an OTP secret for the original main use case 
to provisioning an OTP secret. But it doesn't match our general referece 
for "key provisioning".
2. KeyContainer isn't 100% precise for the scope of the specifications. First, 
the scope is to carry a symmetric key but KeyContainer sounds broader that can 
contain an asymetric key such as RSA key pair. Secondly, some secret isn't a 
key. An OTP secret is a key. So KeyContainer for OTP secret doesn't sound a 
great match. That is why it was called SecretContainer in the first place. The 
pros of this choice is that it matches better to general purpose of this work 
group. Moreover, calling a "key" instead of "secret" is more friendly when it 
is applied to IEEE storage key case and possibly Kerberos key provisioning key. 
3. SymmetricKeyContainer matches scope but sounds long.
4. ProvisioningKeyContainer is similar to KeyContainer for scope concern.

We ranked these choices, and our pick from the meeting is that KeyContainer is 
best one. Thus we propose to make the followingchanges in PSKC and DSKPP:

1. Change element name SecretContainer to KeyContainer
2. Change Secret type to Key type

A KeyContainer contains multiple devices, and a device type contains multiple 
key types.

We like to hear more input from this email list. If there is no objections, we 
are going to make the changes to the next revision of PSKC.

----------
assignedto: mpei
messages: 39
nosy: keyprov, mpei
priority: critical
status: in-progress
title: Shall we use word "Key" in XML type names to replace word "Secret"?

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