From: markson@osmosys.incog.com (Tom Markson)
Date: Sat, 2 Dec 1995 23:56:39 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: re: SKIP source release is out
In-Reply-To: <199511301758.JAA08943@bullterrier.incog.com>
Message-ID: <9512010919.AA29567@monster.incog.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


> Doug Hughes writes:
[ Perry Metzger writes: ]
> > >SKIP is a non-standard being pushed by Sun.
> >
> > Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't sun trying to make it a standard
> > (in competetion with Photuris) ?

Doug, you are correct.  SKIP is an IPSEC internet draft.  Photuris is
an IPSEC internet draft.  Perry is incorrect in saying that SKIP is 
a non-standard.   Both of the chairs of the IPSEC group have said SKIP 
is part of the IPSEC working group.   Phil Karn (author of Photuris)
has also said this.  Both SKIP and Photuris are on the standards track.
They are, as you indicated, "competing" protocols.

> The IETF has many sorts of standards. It explicitly has a way to
> standardize things that the IETF doesn't think are a good idea but
> which should have the ability to interoperate if you do them.

That's true, but SKIP is not in that category.    I believe neither SKIP
nor Photuris have been declared "mandatory" as of this point.  They both
have the same status in IPSEC.  

> My opinion is that it is fairly clear that Photuris is the key
> management system people will be using, although it is going to have
> to evolve to work with a real network wide certificate database
> infrastructure. SKIP isn't going to be the standard.

Again, in *your* opinion.  No determination has been made that I know of.

--tom