The Mailbox Reputation Network

Draft specification

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BNF Syntax

DNS path syntax:
  <mrn-party>     := <domain-party> | <mailbox-party>
  <domain-party>  := _mrn.<domain>
  <mailbox-party> := <localpart>._mrn.<domain>
  <peer-exists>   := <mrn-party>._p.<mrn-party>
  <agent-exists>  := <mrn-party>._a.<mrn-party>

MRN record syntax:
  <mrn-party-record> := "v=mrn1"
                        ( ((<SP> "sponsor=" <sponsor>)? (<SP> "peer=" <peer>)*) | (<SP> "principal=" <principal>)?)
                        (<SP> "profile=" <profile-url-encoded>)*
                        (<SP> "home=" <homepage-url-encoded>)?
                        (<SP> "name=" <prettyname-urlencoded>)?
  <peer>             := <party>
  <principal>        := <party>
  <party>            := (<localpart>@<domain> | <domain>)
  <profile-url>      := <url>
  <homepage-url>     := <url>
  <prettymame>       := url-encoded string
  <url>              := url-encoded string

DNS lookup operations:
  dns_lookup(<mrn-party>,TXT)    = (<mrn-party-record>)*
  dns_lookup(<peer-exists>,TXT)  = ('' | 'OK'  | <url>)*
  dns_lookup(<agent-exists>,TXT) = ('' | 'OK'  | <url>)*

MRN party records

• Party may be either an agent or a principal (but not both)
• Agents must have exactly one principal
• Agents must not have any peers
• Agents share a common reputation with their principal
• Each principal has a list of zero or more peers in TXT record

• The subject of a principal relation must be a principal
• All relations are directed
• All relations listed in the party record are advisory
• Advisory relations must be confirmed via an exists lookup under the peer's DNS tree
• Profile URLs must point to a valid XML document
• A home URL must point to a valid HTML document
• The name attribute encodes the mailboxes' displayable name, for use in human-friendly email addresses such as "John Smith <jsmith@abc.com>"

Exists records

• No record: No relation exists
• Empty record '': No relation exists. This is equivalent to having no record except that the result is cacheable.
• OK: Relation exists. This is generic and provides no further information concerning the relation.
• URL: Relation exists. URL must point to a valid XML document which gives further information. Document DTD determines the relation-type.

Appendices

• DNS Record examples

last updated: Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100