[Kroupware] Kroupware RFC update
Stephan Buys
s.buys at codefusion.co.za
Tue Apr 29 11:12:18 CEST 2003
Hi all,
Some minor changes and one or two new FIXME's added as per user feedback.
Same as before: Any comments welcome :-)
Regards,
Stephan
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FIXME S. Buys
Internet-Draft Code Fusion
FIXME FIXME
erfrakon, Intevation, Klarälvdalens Datakonsult
FIXME
IMAP Groupware Folders (IGF)
Status of this Memo
To: Kroupware community.
This is a very early draft. Before this document is submitted to the
IETF standards track an attempt will be made to clarify the processes
used in the Kolab server as well as other relevant components.
To get more details of this process see RFC2026 (www.ietf.org).
Where do we need your help?
1) Overlap with other RFCs (we can't read through them all :-)
2) Missing components.
3) References to other standards and RFCs.
4) Editing.
5) Technical details.
Just search for FIXME and go crazy :-)
Please feel free to make contributions and send in comments to the
kroupware at mail.kde.org mailing list.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2003 Stephan Buys.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no
Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section
entitled "GNU Free Documentation License" at the end of the document.
Abstract
IMAP Groupware Folders is a draft proposal for the Internet Standards
track that defines a standard for storing [Groupware] items in an
[IMAP] mailbox.
This draft is based on the methods used by the Kolab KDE Client[1]
and the Bynari Insight Connector[2]. FIXME - Is this correct?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
This document specifies how a Mail User Agent [MUA] uses an [IMAP]
server to store [Groupware] information. [Groupware] information can
be seen as the user's [Contacts], [Calendar Entries],
[Notes] and [Task Lists]. Currently there is an abundance of
applications that can handle these types of information on the client
hosting the [MUA], however, there is no standard way of storing these
items in a standard format on a central server.
IGF addresses this need and specifies the specific
standards and formats to be used by a [MUA] to access and store
Groupware information in an interoperable fashion.
This document does not cover the process of sending [Groupware]
related items between different User Agents. These processes are covered by
[iTIP] and [iMIP].
1.1 Formatting Conventions
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY" and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in [RFCWORDS].
1.2 Related Documents
Other pertinent documents needed for implementation are:
[IMAP] - (RFC2060) Specifies the server protocol that a [MUA] uses
to access [Groupware] information.
[IMAP-ACL] - (RFC2086) Specifies the standard for handling Access
Control Lists with an [IMAP] server.
[iTIP] - (RFC2446) Specifies the standard protocol for scheduling
between different applications.
[iMIP] - (RFC2447) Specifies the transport of [iTIP] items through
email.
[iCalendar] - (RFC2445)
[vCard] - FIXME
[vToDo] - (RFC2446)
1.3 Definitions
Groupware - FIXME
---------------------SECTION 2 (To be removed) -------------------------------
FIXME - This section is flagged for removal. The concern has been raised that
this does not address the issues surrounding the RFC. Any comments?
The intention with this section was that it helps a implementor to understand
what groupware items actually is. (But then again he/she should probably know)
2. Groupware Items
2.1 Contacts
Analogous to Business Cards. Users are able to maintain a private
repository of contacts. A contact could be an organization or
an individual. Typical information associated with a contact is:
- name
- email address
- role
- organization
2.2 Calendar Entries
The user's private calendar entries. Information stored could
include important dates, appointments and events. A calendar entry
will typically include:
- description
- start time
- end time
- location
2.3 Notes
This addresses the need for a user to centrally store information
items or notes. A note is typically just composed of text.
2.4 Task Lists
Allows a user to keep track of private action items. A task typically
contains the following information:
- description
- priority
- due date
- status
-----------------------END OF SECTION 2 (To be removed)-----------------------
3. IGF Access Method
FIXME - In the KMail client the folders are all stored under a specific
folder. Would it be possible to have all the folders under the root
folder? Ie. INBOX, Contacts, Tasks, etc. on the same depth?
FIXME (new) - A suggestion has been made that the folders should not
be listed at all with the LIST or LSUB commands but should be accessed
through hard-coded default folders. This is not possible with Bynari
but Kolab can do this. Folders can also be hidden on the IMAP server.
Suggestion: Maybe there should be special, hidden folders like:
__GW_Contacts, __GW_Calendar, __GW_Tasks, __GW_Notes?
FIXME - Describe the process whereby a UA logs into the IMAP server
and the transport is used. Security comes into this as well. Do we do
any special actions or do we just open the hardcoded folders?
FIXME - What consideration is given to offline storage or is it
defined by the UA? Disconnected IMAP?
FIXME - Should the UA have hardcoded folder names? Ideally there will
be fixed names for the folders with a translation done by the client.
This way different clients using different languages can use the same
store. Is this feasible?
4. IMAP Groupware Folders
4.1 Contacts Folder
Each contact is represented as a multi-part MIME email with a [vCard]
attached in the user's IMAP contact folder.
vCard MIME Message:
Content-Type: Text/X-VCard;
charset="utf-8"
From: Stephan Buys <s.buys at codefusion.co.za>
Reply-To:
Bcc:
Organization: Code Fusion
X-KMail-Fcc:
To: Stephan Buys
Subject: Contact: Stephan Buys
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 11:19:56 +0200
User-Agent: KMail/kroupware-RC1
Status: RO
X-Status: O
X-KMail-EncryptionState:
X-KMail-SignatureState:
X-KMail-MDN-Sent:
X-UID: 1
BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
NAME:Stephan Buys
UID:rwxg4FeaU
FN:Stephan Buys
EMAIL:stephanb at codefusion.co.za
N:Buys;Stephan;;;
CLASS:PRIVATE
END:VCARD
FIXME - Is this compatible with Bynari Insight Connector?
4.2 Calendar Folder
Each calendar entry, appointment or conference, is represented as a
multi-part MIME email.
iCalendar MIME Message:
Content-Type: text/calendar;
method=REQUEST;
charset="utf-8"
From: Stephan Buys <s.buys at codefusion.co.za>
Reply-To:
Bcc:
Organization: Code Fusion
X-KMail-Fcc: sent-mail
To: Stephan Buys <s.buys at codefusion.co.za>
Subject: libkcal-2014235416.404
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 18:47:51 +0200
User-Agent: KMail/kroupware-RC1
Status: RO
X-Status: O
X-KMail-EncryptionState:
X-KMail-SignatureState:
X-KMail-MDN-Sent:
X-UID: 4
BEGIN:VCALENDAR
PRODID
:-//K Desktop Environment//NONSGML libkcal 3.1//EN
VERSION
:2.0
METHOD
:REQUEST
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP
:20030407T164751Z
ORGANIZER
:MAILTO:s.buys at codefusion.co.za
ATTENDEE
;CN=Stephan Buys
;RSVP=FALSE
;PARTSTAT=ACCEPTED
;ROLE=REQ-PARTICIPANT
:mailto:s.buys at codefusion.co.za
CREATED
:20030407T164751Z
UID
:libkcal-2014235416.404
SEQUENCE
:0
LAST-MODIFIED
:20030407T164751Z
SUMMARY
:A meeting
LOCATION
:The meeting place
CLASS
:PUBLIC
PRIORITY
:3
DTSTART
:20030407T074500Z
DTEND
:20030407T094500Z
TRANSP
:OPAQUE
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR
Each message is stored in the user's IMAP calendar folder.
FIXME - could the KMail guys explain the special format of the
Subject? (When accessing the IMAP store with "Groupware Disabled".
FIXME - Again. Any retrieval guidelines here? Should the UA only
retrieve messages according to a specific date? How will this scale?
See: Slow startup with many calendar entries - Andreas Gungl -
(4 April 2003) - [Kroupware] mailing list.
FIXME(new) - A recommendation has been made for a X-EndDate entry
in the mail header which will allow a client to retrieve only a
set period's mail which will greatly improve performance for really
big mailboxes.
4.3 Notes Folder
Each note is reprented by a multi-part MIME email. The note itself is
derived from the body of the email.
MIME Part:
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="utf-8"
From: Stephan Buys <s.buys at codefusion.co.za>
To: Stephan Buys <s.buys at codefusion.co.za>
X-KOrg-Note-Id: libkcal-1953363517.276
X-KOrg-Note-Color: #ffff00
Status: RO
X-Status: O
X-KMail-EncryptionState:
X-KMail-SignatureState:
X-KMail-MDN-Sent:
X-KOrg-Note-Geometry: 200x150+640+543
A note with some info on it.
FIXME - The notes in the Kolab client aren't even close to what is
described in Appendix A2 of the Architecture document?
4.4 Tasks Folder
Each task entry is represented as a multi-part MIME email with [iCAL]
[VTODO] information in a MIME part of the email. Each email is
representing a task is stored in the designated tasks folder.
MIME iCal Part:
Content-Type: text/calendar;
method=REQUEST;
charset="utf-8"
From: Stephan Buys <s.buys at codefusion.co.za>
Reply-To:
Bcc:
Organization: Code Fusion
X-KMail-Fcc: sent-mail
To: Stephan Buys <s.buys at codefusion.co.za>
Subject: libkcal-727785235.893
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 18:49:22 +0200
User-Agent: KMail/kroupware-RC1
Status: RO
X-Status: O
X-KMail-EncryptionState:
X-KMail-SignatureState:
X-KMail-MDN-Sent:
X-UID: 2
BEGIN:VCALENDAR
PRODID
:-//K Desktop Environment//NONSGML libkcal 3.1//EN
VERSION
:2.0
METHOD
:REQUEST
BEGIN:VTODO
DTSTAMP
:20030407T164922Z
ORGANIZER
:MAILTO:s.buys at codefusion.co.za
CREATED
:20030407T164922Z
UID
:libkcal-727785235.893
SEQUENCE
:0
LAST-MODIFIED
:20030407T164922Z
SUMMARY
:A todo
LOCATION
:The place
CLASS
:PUBLIC
PRIORITY
:3
PERCENT-COMPLETE
:0
END:VTODO
END:VCALENDAR
FIXME - Again. What is up with the special subject?
Appendix A. Acknowledgements
FIXME
Appendix B. Bibliography
FIXME
[IMAP] RFC....
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