RFC8982: Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) Partial Response
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(Partial response)
(RDAP)
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) M. Loffredo
Request for Comments: 8982 M. Martinelli
Category: Standards Track IIT-CNR/Registro.it
ISSN: 2070-1721 February 2021
Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) Partial Response
Abstract
The Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) does not include
capabilities to request partial responses. Servers will only return
full responses that include all of the information that a client is
authorized to receive. A partial response capability that limits the
amount of information returned, especially in the case of search
queries, could bring benefits to both clients and servers. This
document describes an RDAP query extension that allows clients to
specify their preference for obtaining a partial response.
Status of This Memo
This is an Internet Standards Track document.
This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has
received public review and has been approved for publication by the
Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on
Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 7841.
Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8982.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2021 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Conventions Used in This Document
2. RDAP Path Segment Specification
2.1. Subsetting Metadata
2.1.1. RDAP Conformance
2.1.2. Representing Subsetting Links
3. Dealing with Relationships
4. Basic Field Sets
5. Negative Answers
6. IANA Considerations
7. Security Considerations
8. References
8.1. Normative References
8.2. Informative References
Appendix A. Approaches to Partial Response Implementation
A.1. Specific Issues Raised by RDAP
Acknowledgements
Authors' Addresses
1. Introduction
The use of partial responses in RESTful API [REST] design is very
common. The rationale is quite simple: instead of returning objects
in API responses with all data fields, only a subset of the fields in
each result object is returned. The benefit is obvious: less data
transferred over the network means less bandwidth usage, faster
server responses, less CPU time spent both on the server and the
client, and less memory usage on the client.
Currently, RDAP does not provide a client with any way to request a
partial response. Servers can only provide the client with a full
response [RFC7483]. Servers cannot limit the amount of information
returned in a response based on a client's preferences, and this
creates inefficiencies.
The protocol described in this specification extends RDAP search
capabilities to enable partial responses through the provisioning of
predefined sets of fields that clients can submit to an RDAP service
by adding a new query parameter. The service is implemented using
the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) [RFC7230] and the conventions
described in [RFC7480].
1.1. Conventions Used in This Document
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
"OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in
BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
capitals, as shown here.
2. RDAP Path Segment Specification
The path segment defined in this section is an OPTIONAL extension of
search path segments defined in [RFC7482]. This document defines an
RDAP query parameter, "fieldSet", whose value is a non-empty string
identifying a server-defined set of fields returned in place of the
full response. The field sets supported by a server are usually
described in out-of-band documents (e.g., RDAP profile) together with
other features. Moreover, this document defines in Section 2.1 an
in-band mechanism by means of which servers can provide clients with
basic information about the supported field sets.
The following is an example of an RDAP query including the "fieldSet"
parameter:
https://example.com/rdap/domains?name=example*.com&fieldSet=afieldset
This solution can be implemented by RDAP providers with less effort
than field selection and is easily requested by clients. The
considerations that have led to this solution are described in more
detail in Appendix A.
2.1. Subsetting Metadata
According to most advanced principles in REST design, collectively
known as "Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State" (HATEOAS)
[HATEOAS], a client entering a REST application through an initial
URI should use server-provided links to dynamically discover
available actions and access the resources it needs. In this way,
the client is not required to have prior knowledge of the service
nor, consequently, to hard-code the URIs of different resources.
This allows the server to make URI changes as the API evolves without
breaking clients. Definitively, a REST service should be as self-
descriptive as possible.
Therefore, servers implementing the query parameter described in this
specification SHOULD provide additional information in their
responses about the available field sets. Such information is
collected in a new JSON data structure named "subsetting_metadata"
containing the following properties:
"currentFieldSet": "String" (REQUIRED)
either the value of the "fieldSet" parameter as specified in the
query string, or the field set applied by default.
"availableFieldSets": "AvailableFieldSet[]" (OPTIONAL)
an array of objects, with each element describing an available
field set. The AvailableFieldSet object includes the following
members:
"name": "String" (REQUIRED)
the field set name.
"default": "Boolean" (REQUIRED)
indicator of whether the field set is applied by default. An
RDAP server MUST define only one default field set.
"description": "String" (OPTIONAL)
a human-readable description of the field set.
"links": "Link[]" (OPTIONAL)
an array of links as described in [RFC8288] containing the
query string that applies the field set (see Section 2.1.2).
2.1.1. RDAP Conformance
Servers returning the "subsetting_metadata" section in their
responses MUST include "subsetting" in the rdapConformance array.
2.1.2. Representing Subsetting Links
An RDAP server MAY use the "links" array of the "subsetting_metadata"
element to provide ready-made references [RFC8288] to the available
field sets (Figure 1). The target URI in each link is the reference
to an alternative to the current view of results identified by the
context URI.
The "value", "rel", and "href" JSON values MUST be specified. All
other JSON values are OPTIONAL.
{
"rdapConformance": [
"rdap_level_0",
"subsetting"
],
...
"subsetting_metadata": {
"currentFieldSet": "afieldset",
"availableFieldSets": [
{
"name": "anotherfieldset",
"description": "Contains some fields",
"default": false,
"links": [
{
"value": "https://example.com/rdap/domains?name=example*.com
&fieldSet=afieldset",
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://example.com/rdap/domains?name=example*.com
&fieldSet=anotherfieldset",
"title": "Result Subset Link",
"type": "application/rdap+json"
}
]
},
...
]
},
...
"domainSearchResults": [
...
]
}
Figure 1: Example of a "subsetting_metadata" Instance
3. Dealing with Relationships
Representation of second-level objects within a field set produces
additional considerations. Since the representation of the topmost
returned objects will vary according to the field set in use, the
response may contain no relationships (e.g., for an abbreviated field
set) or may contain associated objects as in a normal RDAP query
response. Each field set can indicate the format of the additional
objects to be returned, in the same manner that the format of the
topmost objects is controlled by the field set.
4. Basic Field Sets
This section defines three basic field sets that servers MAY
implement to facilitate their interaction with clients:
"id": The server provides only the key field; "handle" for entities,
and "ldhName" for domains and nameservers. If a returned domain
or nameserver is an Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) [RFC5890],
then the "unicodeName" field MUST additionally be included in the
response. This field set could be used when the client wants to
obtain a collection of object identifiers (Figure 2).
"brief": The field set contains the fields that can be included in a
"short" response. This field set could be used when the client is
asking for a subset of the full response that provides only basic
knowledge of each object.
"full": The field set contains all of the information the server can
provide for a particular object.
The "objectClassName" field is implicitly included in each of the
above field sets. RDAP providers SHOULD include a "links" field
indicating the "self" link relationship. RDAP providers MAY also add
any property providing service information.
Fields included in the "brief" and "full" field set responses MUST
take into account the user's access and authorization levels.
{
"rdapConformance": [
"rdap_level_0",
"subsetting"
],
...
"domainSearchResults": [
{
"objectClassName": "domain",
"ldhName": "example1.com",
"links": [
{
"value": "https://example.com/rdap/domain/example1.com",
"rel": "self",
"href": "https://example.com/rdap/domain/example1.com",
"type": "application/rdap+json"
}
]
},
{
"objectClassName": "domain",
"ldhName": "example2.com",
"links": [
{
"value": "https://example.com/rdap/domain/example2.com",
"rel": "self",
"href": "https://example.com/rdap/domain/example2.com",
"type": "application/rdap+json"
}
]
},
...
]
}
Figure 2: Example of RDAP Response According to the "id" Field Set
5. Negative Answers
Each request including an empty or unsupported "fieldSet" value MUST
produce an HTTP 400 (Bad Request) response code. Optionally, the
response MAY include additional information regarding the supported
field sets in the HTTP entity body (Figure 3).
{
"errorCode": 400,
"title": "Field set 'unknownfieldset' is not valid",
"description": [
"Supported field sets are: 'afieldset', 'anotherfieldset'."
]
}
Figure 3: Example of RDAP Error Response Due to an Invalid Field
Set Included in the Request
6. IANA Considerations
IANA has registered the following value in the "RDAP Extensions"
registry:
Extension identifier: subsetting
Registry operator: Any
Published specification: RFC 8982
Contact: IETF <iesg@ietf.org>
Intended usage: This extension describes a best practice for partial
response provisioning.
7. Security Considerations
A search query typically requires more server resources (such as
memory, CPU cycles, and network bandwidth) when compared to a lookup
query. This increases the risk of server resource exhaustion and
subsequent denial of service. This risk can be mitigated by
supporting the return of partial responses combined with other
strategies (e.g., restricting search functionality, limiting the rate
of search requests, and truncating and paging results).
Support for partial responses gives RDAP operators the ability to
implement data access control policies based on the HTTP
authentication mechanisms described in [RFC7481]. RDAP operators can
vary the information returned in RDAP responses based on a client's
access and authorization levels. For example:
* the list of fields for each set can differ based on the client's
access and authorization levels;
* the set of available field sets could be restricted based on the
client's access and authorization levels.
Servers can also define different result limits according to the
available field sets, so a more flexible truncation strategy can be
implemented. The new query parameter presented in this document
provides RDAP operators with a way to implement a server that reduces
inefficiency risks.
8. References
8.1. Normative References
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
[RFC5890] Klensin, J., "Internationalized Domain Names for
Applications (IDNA): Definitions and Document Framework",
RFC 5890, DOI 10.17487/RFC5890, August 2010,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5890>.
[RFC7230] Fielding, R., Ed. and J. Reschke, Ed., "Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP/1.1): Message Syntax and Routing",
RFC 7230, DOI 10.17487/RFC7230, June 2014,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7230>.
[RFC7480] Newton, A., Ellacott, B., and N. Kong, "HTTP Usage in the
Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP)", RFC 7480,
DOI 10.17487/RFC7480, March 2015,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7480>.
[RFC7481] Hollenbeck, S. and N. Kong, "Security Services for the
Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP)", RFC 7481,
DOI 10.17487/RFC7481, March 2015,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7481>.
[RFC7482] Newton, A. and S. Hollenbeck, "Registration Data Access
Protocol (RDAP) Query Format", RFC 7482,
DOI 10.17487/RFC7482, March 2015,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7482>.
[RFC7483] Newton, A. and S. Hollenbeck, "JSON Responses for the
Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP)", RFC 7483,
DOI 10.17487/RFC7483, March 2015,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7483>.
[RFC8174] Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.
[RFC8288] Nottingham, M., "Web Linking", RFC 8288,
DOI 10.17487/RFC8288, October 2017,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8288>.
8.2. Informative References
[CQL] Whitaker, G., "Catnap Query Language Reference", commit
d4f402c, September 2017,
<https://github.com/gregwhitaker/catnap/wiki/Catnap-Query-
Language-Reference>.
[HATEOAS] Jedrzejewski, B., "HATEOAS - a simple explanation",
February 2018, <https://www.e4developer.com/2018/02/16/
hateoas-simple-explanation/>.
[REST] Fielding, R., "Architectural Styles and the Design of
Network-based Software Architectures", Ph.D. Dissertation,
University of California, Irvine, 2000,
<https://www.ics.uci.edu/~fielding/pubs/dissertation/
fielding_dissertation.pdf>.
Appendix A. Approaches to Partial Response Implementation
Looking at the implementation experiences of partial responses
offered by data providers on the web, two approaches are observed:
* the client explicitly describes the data fields to be returned;
* the client describes a name identifying a server-defined set of
data fields.
The former is more flexible than the latter because clients can
specify all the data fields they need. However, it has some
drawbacks:
* Fields have to be declared according to a given syntax. This is a
simple task when the data structure of the object is flat, but it
is much more difficult when the object has a tree structure like
that of a JSON object. The presence of arrays and deep nested
objects complicate both the syntax definition of the query and,
consequently, the processing required on the server side.
* Clients need to recognize the returned data structure to avoid
cases when the requested fields are invalid.
* The request of some fields might not match the client's access and
authorization levels. Clients might request unauthorized fields,
and servers have to define a strategy for responding such as
always returning an error response or returning a response that
ignores the unauthorized fields.
A.1. Specific Issues Raised by RDAP
In addition to those listed above, RDAP responses raise some specific
issues:
* Relevant entity object information is included in a jCard, but
such information cannot be easily selected because it is split
into the items of a jagged array.
* RDAP responses contain some properties providing service
information (e.g., rdapConformance, links, notices, remarks,
etc.), which are not normally selected but are just as important.
They could be returned anyway but, in this case, the server would
provide unrequested data.
It is possible to address these issues. For example, the Catnap
Query Language [CQL] is a comprehensive expression language that can
be used to customize the JSON response of a RESTful web service.
Application of CQL to RDAP responses would explicitly identify the
output fields that would be acceptable when a few fields are
requested but it would become very complicated when processing a
larger number of fields. In the following, two CQL expressions for a
domain search query are shown (Figure 4). In the first, only
objectClassName and ldhName are requested. In the second, the fields
of a possible WHOIS-like response are listed.
https://example.com/rdap/domains?name=example*.com
&fields=domainSearchResults(objectClassName,ldhName)
https://example.com/rdap/domains?name=example*.com
&fields=domainSearchResults(objectClassName,ldhName,
unicodeName,
status,
events(eventAction,eventDate),
entities(objectClassName,handle,roles),
nameservers(objectClassName,ldhName))
Figure 4: Examples of CQL Expressions for a Domain Search Query
The field set approach seems to facilitate RDAP interoperability.
Servers can define basic field sets that, if known to clients, can
increase the probability of obtaining a valid response. The usage of
field sets makes the query string less complex. Moreover, the
definition of predefined sets of fields makes it easier to establish
result limits.
Finally, considering that there is no real need for RDAP users to
have the maximum flexibility in defining all the possible sets of
logically connected fields (e.g., users interested in domains usually
need to know the status, the creation date, and the expiry date of
each domain), the field set approach is preferred.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Scott Hollenbeck, Tom Harrison,
Karl Heinz Wolf, Jasdip Singh, Patrick Mevzek, Benjamin Kaduk, Roman
Danyliw, Murray Kucherawy, Erik Kline, and Robert Wilton for their
contribution to this document.
Authors' Addresses
Mario Loffredo
IIT-CNR/Registro.it
Via Moruzzi,1
56124 Pisa
Italy
Email: mario.loffredo@iit.cnr.it
URI: https://www.iit.cnr.it
Maurizio Martinelli
IIT-CNR/Registro.it
Via Moruzzi,1
56124 Pisa
Italy
Email: maurizio.martinelli@iit.cnr.it
URI: https://www.iit.cnr.it