comments on SAMLCore CD 01

Some errata/minor edits for SAMLCore CD 01 (originally used
the feedback form; doesn’t appear to be working?):

 

Line 330 – “An assertion is a package of
information that supplies one or more statements…” Both the schema
and other places in the text (like line 536) give the cardinality as zero or
more.

 

Line 611 – Here and throughout the document, the
<BaseID> element is used as if it could appear in some XML document
context. However, it is an abstract type; perhaps it should be replaced with “A
concrete type derived from <BaseID>”.

 

Line 1134 – Insert “non-schema simple”
between “Specifying a “ and “datatype on
<AttributeValue>”. An extension schema would not be needed for a
built-in XML Schema type.

 

Line 1389 – If the signature is valid, why would the
responder “MAY process the request or respond with an error”? See
for comparison lines 1453-1455.

 

Line 1477 – Is <StatusDetail> only for error
conditions? That is the interpretation here and at lines 1571-1572. However,
lines 1497-1498 indicate that it can be used when the status is “success”.

 

Line 1984 – What is the point of the empty sequence
(<sequence />)? It appears that the element doesn’t have any
sub-elements (line 1955); this is also the case for line 2050.

 

Lines 2082-2083 – Please specify whether a set of
assertions returned as the result of an <AuthnReqest> must supply a
<AuthnStatement> in just one assertion, or in every assertion in the set.

 

Line 2256 – s/RegisterNameIDRequestType/ManageNameIDRequestType

 

Line 2521
s/NameIDRequestType/NameIDResponseType                  
s/RequestAbstractType/StatusResponseType

 

Line 3037 – No support for HTTP DELETE? Sections 8.1.1
and 8.1.2 both have the notion of a delete operation.

 

In general – There is little guidance with regards to
XML Encryption. It would help to offer some guidelines in areas like
recommended algorithms (as is done with SSL/TLS), encryption by different
parties, super-encryption, etc. Some (non-normative) examples would be
especially useful.

 

 

Regards,

John de Freitas