WebSVN – oidinfo_new_design – Blame – /trunk/faq.raw.htm

Rev	Author	Line No.	Line
2	daniel-mar	1	<div id="global_content">
		2	<div id="table_faq">
		3	<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="100%">
		4	<tr>
		5	<!--<td width="2%" valign="top"></td>-->
		6	<td valign="top" colspan="3">
		7	<span class="page_title">Frequently Asked Questions</span>
		8	<table>
		9	<tr>
		10	<td rowspan="2"><a href="/helper"><img src="images/helper.png" height="55" width="55" border="0" alt="OID helper" align="middle"></a></td>
		11	<td>Please check the Q&A below or ask your question directly to <a href="/helper">OID helper</a>.</td>
		12	</tr>
		13	<tr><td>To search for a particular OID, please use the <a href="basic-search.htm">search feature</a>.</td></tr>
		14	</table>
		15	<br><span class="page_subtitle">Questions</span>
		16	<ol>
		17	<li><a href="#1">What are the standards that define OIDs and the OID tree?</a></li>
		18	<li><a href="#2">Which kind of objects can be referenced by OIDs?</a></li>
		19	<li><a href="#3">Where can I learn more about OIDs and their registration?</a></li>
		20	<li><a href="#4">How to add information to the OID repository?</a></li>
		21	<li><a href="#modify">How to modify the description of an OID?</a></li>
		22	<li><a href="#6">How to delete an OID (or move it elsewhere in the OID tree)?</a></li>
		23	<li><a href="#7">How does the OID repository provided on this website compare with Harald Alvestrand's repository?</a></li>
		24	<li><a href="#8">How to reference an OID description from this repository?</a></li>
		25	<li><a href="#9">How many OIDs are currently described in this repository?</a></li>
		26	<li><a href="#10">How to get an OID assigned?</a></li>
		27	<li><a href="#national-RA">What decision needs be taken if a country wants a national Registration Authority for OIDs?</a></li>
		28	<li><a href="#12">Are there guidelines or standards regarding subsequent arcs of a country arc?</a></li>
		29	<li><a href="#13">What is the Internet OID?</a></li>
		30	<li><a href="#14">Where does the dot notation for OIDs come from?</a></li>
		31	<li><a href="#15">Why are top-level arcs restricted to three arcs numbered <tt>0</tt> to <tt>2</tt>, and why are arcs beneath top-level arcs <tt>0</tt> and <tt>1</tt> restricted to fourty arcs numbered <tt>0</tt> to <tt>39</tt>?</a></li>
		32	<li><a href="#16">What do we call a registration tree (or object identifier tree)?</a></li>
		33	<li><a href="#17">What is the ASN.1 notation of an OID?</a></li>
		34	<li><a href="#management">How is the entire registration tree managed?</a></li>
		35	<li><a href="#features">Which features are offered by this repository?</a></li>
		36	<li><a href="#syntax-rules">What are the syntax rules to enter information about OIDs through the web interface?</a></li>
		37	<li><a href="#oid-info">Which information is necessary to apply for an OID?</a></li>
		38	<li><a href="#example">Is there a particular OID that can be used for documenting examples of object identifiers?</a></li>
		39	<li><a href="#registration-authorities">What is the difference between the first and current Registration Authorities that appear in the description of some OIDs? What is their duty?</a></li>
		40	<li><a href="#mib">What constraints are imposed to OIDs used in SNMP MIBs (Management Information Bases)?</a></li>
		41	<li><a href="#lookup">Is there a way to look up an OID in the OID repository from my web browser?</a></li>
		42	<li><a href="#leaf">What is a leaf OID? What is a frozen OID?</a></li>
		43	<li><a href="#orphan">What is an orphan OID?</a></li>
		44	<li><a href="#iri">What is an OID-IRI (Internationalized Resource Identifier)?</a></li>
		45	<li><a href="#29">What are the duties of a Registration Authority?</a></li>
		46	<li><a href="#size-limitations">Are there size limitations for OID encoding?</a></li>
		47	<li><a href="#31">Are there binary encoders/decoders for OIDs?</a></li>
		48	<li><a href="#cookies">Does this web site use cookies?</a></li>
		49	<li><a href="#33">How does this web site protect users' privacy?</a></li>
		50	</ol><br></td>
		51	</tr>
		52	</table>
		53	</div>
		54	<div id="table_answers_in_faq">
		55	<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="100%">
		56	<tr>
		57	<!--<td width="2%" valign="top"></td>-->
		58	<td valign="top" colspan="3">
		59	<span class="page_subtitle">Answers</span>
		60
		61	<ol>
		62	<li>
		63	<div class="question">
		64	What are the standards that define OIDs and the OID tree?<a name="1"></a>
		65	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		66	</div>
		67	<div class="answer">
		68	They are defined in the <a href="standards.htm">Recommendation ITU-T
		69	X.660 \| ISO/IEC 9834 series</a>, and in particular in <a href="http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/X.660">Rec.
		70	ITU-T X.660 \| ISO/IEC 9834-1</a>.<br>Binary encodings of OIDs are specified in <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.690/en">Rec.
		71	ITU-T X.690 \| ISO/IEC 8825-1</a> for the Binary (BER) and Distinguished
		72	(DER) Encoding rules, in <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.691/en">Rec.
		73	ITU-T X.691 \| ISO/IEC 8825-2</a> for the Packed Encoding rules (PER).
		74	An XML encoding of OIDs is specified in <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.693/en">Rec.
		75	ITU-T X.693 \| ISO/IEC 8825-3</a>. (See also <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.691/en">question
		76	31</a> about binary encoders/decoders for OIDs.)<br><br></div>
		77	</li>
		78	<li>
		79	<div class="question">
		80	Which kind of objects can be referenced by OIDs?<a name="2"></a>
		81	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		82	</div>
		83	<div class="answer">
		84	Objects that can typically be identified by an object identifier are
		85	(non exhaustively):
		86	<ul>
		87	<li>
		88	an <a href="/cgi-bin/display?tree=0.0">ITU-T Recommendation</a>,
		89	an <a href="/cgi-bin/display?tree=1.0&see=all">ISO International
		90	Standard</a>;
		91	</li>
		92	<li>
		93	a <a href="country_oids.htm">country</a>, a company, a
		94	project;
		95	</li>
		96	<li>
		97	a certificate policy specified according to <a href="http://itu.int/ITU-T/X.500">Rec.
		98	ITU-T X.500</a>;
		99	</li>
		100	<li>an encryption algorithm (for example <a href="/get/1.3.14.3.2.26">SHA-1</a>);</li>
		101	<li>
		102	<a href="/get/2.27">identification schemes</a> for tag-based
		103	applications (see <a href="http://itu.int/ITU-T/X.668">Recommendation
		104	ITU-T X.668 \| ISO/IEC 9834-9</a>);
		105	</li>
		106	<li>
		107	e-health data (for example, data from the <a href="/get/2.16.840.1.113883">HL7
		108	Consortium</a>);
		109	</li>
		110	<li>
		111	Common Alerting Protocol (<a href="/get/0.0.24.1303">CAP</a>)
		112	emergency messages;
		113	</li>
		114	<li>
		115	an attribute of an ITU-T X.500- or LDAP-based directory to make
		116	up a <code>DistinguishedName</code>;
		117	</li>
		118	<li>
		119	an ASN.1 module (for example, for the <a href="/get/2.41.0.1">BioAPI
		120	Interworking Protocol</a>), an ASN.1 type (or abstract syntax);
		121	</li>
		122	<li>
		123	a <a href="/cgi-bin/display?tree=2.1(1,2,3,4,5">set of ASN.1
		124	encoding rules</a>;
		125	</li>
		126	<li>a MIB for SNMP network management;</li>
		127	<li>
		128	a managed object class, one of its attributes, a notification
		129	or even other templates used in the area of network management
		130	and the GDMO standard (see <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.722/en">Recommendation
		131	ITU-T X.722 \| ISO/IEC 10165-4</a>);
		132	</li>
		133	<li>
		134	an information object (see <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.681/en">Recommendation
		135	ITU-T X.681 \| ISO/IEC 8824-2</a>);
		136	</li>
		137	<li>the type of some part of an ITU-T X.400 electronic message body;</li>
		138	<li>a file format;</li>
		139	<li>etc.</li>
		140	</ul>
		141	Examples of OID uses are also listed on the <a href="http://www.itu.int/oth/T0B04000048/en">ITU-T flyer</a>.<br><br></div>
		142	</li>
		143	<li>
		144	<div class="question">
		145	Where can I learn more about OIDs and their registration?<a name="3"></a>
		146	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		147	</div>
		148	<div class="answer">
		149	Apart from the <a href="standards.htm">official standards</a> (see
		150	<a href="faq.htm#1">question 1</a>), OIDs are explained in:
		151	<ul>
		152	<li>
		153	the <a href="http://www.itu.int/oth/T0B04000048/en">OID flyer</a>
		154	from ITU-T Study Group 17;
		155	</li>
		156	<li>
		157	the quick <a href="doc/introduction%20to%20object%20identifiers%20(OIDs).pdf">introduction
		158	to OIDs</a>;
		159	</li>
		160	<li>the ITU handbook "<a href="http://www.itu.int/pub/T-HDB-LNG.4-2010">Object identifiers (OIDs) and their registration authorities</a>";</li>
		161	<li>
		162	section 10.8 of Olivier Dubuisson's <a href="http://www.oss.com/asn1/dubuisson.html">book
		163	"ASN.1 - Communication between heterogeneous systems"</a>;
		164	</li>
		165	<li>
		166	John Larmouth's <a href="http://www.oss.com/asn1/larmouth.html">book
		167	"ASN.1 complete"</a>;
		168	</li>
		169	<li>
		170	John Larmouth's tutorial "Registration authorities
		171	for OID components" [<a href="doc/OID-tutorial.htm">html</a>]
		172	[<a href="doc/OID-tutorial.ppt">ppt</a>];
		173	</li>
		174	<li>
		175	the presentation "<a href="doc/MoU%20presentation%20on%20OIDs.pdf">Identifying
		176	objects: The ASN.1 approach</a>";
		177	</li>
		178	<li>see also <a href="#16">question 16</a>.<br><br></li>
		179	</ul>
		180	</div>
		181	</li>
		182	<li>
		183	<div class="question">
		184	How to add information to the OID repository?<a name="4"></a>
		185	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		186	</div>
		187	<div class="answer">
		188	This OID repository is not an official Registration Authority,
		189	so any OID described in this OID repository has to be officially allocated
		190	by the Registration Authority of its parent OID. There are at least
		191	4 ways of adding a new OID description to the repository: <br>a. Enter the OID value in the box under "Add a description for the
		192	following OID to the database" on the <a href="index.htm">main page</a> and
		193	click on the "Create" button; a new page will then be displayed with
		194	some boxes to fill. You can also enter the OID in the following box:<br><form method="post" action="/cgi-bin/manage" enctype="multipart/form-data">
		195	<input type="hidden" name="a" value="create">     <strong>{</strong>
		196	<input type="text" name="oid" size="30" value=""><strong>}</strong>
		197	<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Create"></form>
		198	b. Go to the parent OID of the OID that you want to add (i.e. the
		199	OID at the immediate upper level in the OID tree) and click on the
		200	"Create a child OID" link on the top right-hand side of the page;
		201	a new page will then be displayed with some boxes to fill.<br>c. Go to an OID at the same level as the OID that you want to add
		202	(a.k.a. sibling OID) and click on the "Create a sibling OID" link
		203	on the top right-hand side of the page; a new page will then be displayed
		204	with some boxes to fill.<br>d. If you have a lot of OID descriptions to add, it is more convenient
		205	to describe them in an XML document that conforms to our <a href="oid.xsd">XML
		206	Schema for OIDs</a> and <a href="submit.htm">submit</a> this document
		207	through the web interface. <br><em>
		208	Note: In all 4 cases, the person (if any) you mention as <a href="#registration-authorities">registrant</a>
		209	for the OID, and the person (if known) who is the <a href="#registration-authorities">registrant</a>
		210	for the parent OID are automatically informed by email and can make
		211	comments on your submission. The description of an OID will not be
		212	visible until it is validated by the webmaster who is also automatically
		213	informed by email.
		214	</em><br><strong><br></strong>
		215	</div>
		216	</li>
		217	<li>
		218	<div class="question">
		219	<a name="modify"></a>How to modify the description of an OID?<a name="5"></a>
		220	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		221	</div>
		222	<div class="answer">
		223	If you want to update an OID that is described in the OID repository,
		224	please click on the "Modify this OID" hyperlink at the top-right
		225	of the web page that describes the OID or enter the OID in the following
		226	box:
		227	<form method="post" action="/cgi-bin/manage" enctype="multipart/form-data">
		228	<input type="hidden" name="a" value="modify">     <strong>{</strong>
		229	<input type="text" name="oid" size="30" value=""><strong>}</strong>
		230	<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Suggest a modification"></form>
		231	<em>
		232	Note: Your proposed modifications will have to be validated by
		233	the <a href="#registration-authorities">registrant</a> of the OID
		234	being modified (if known), the <a href="#registration-authorities">registrant</a>
		235	of the parent OID (if known) and the OID repository administrator
		236	(who will all be automatically informed by e-mail) before they get
		237	published.
		238	</em><br>If the First or Current Registration Authorities requested privacy
		239	protection, their postal address, email address and phone number are
		240	not displayed (but you can receive them by email). In that case, please
		241	use the "Comments" box at the bottom of the "Suggest
		242	a modification" web page to describe the changes.<br>If an OID is misplaced in the OID tree and should be moved elsewhere
		243	in the tree, please use the "Comments" box at the bottom
		244	of the "Suggest a modification" web page to be displayed
		245	to explain where (and why) the OID should be moved.<br>You can also mention in the "Comments" box that an OID is
		246	a <a href="#leaf">leaf</a> in the OID tree (i.e. child OIDs cannot
		247	be allocated) or is <a href="#leaf">frozen</a> (i.e. no more child
		248	OIDs can be allocated).<br><br></div>
		249	</li>
		250	<li>
		251	<div class="question">
		252	How to delete an OID (or move it elsewhere in the OID tree)?<a name="6"></a>
		253	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		254	</div>
		255	<div class="answer">
		256	According to <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.660/en">Recommendation
		257	ITU-T X.660 \| ISO 9834-1</a>, an OID shall not be deleted once it
		258	has been allocated by a Registration Authority. However if an OID
		259	that is described in this OID repository has never been officially
		260	allocated by the Registration Authority for the parent OID (or is
		261	misplaced in the OID tree), you can request its deletion from the
		262	OID repository (or move elsewhere) by clicking on the "Modify
		263	this OID" hyperlink at the top-right of the web page that describes
		264	the OID or by entering the OID in the following box:
		265	<form method="post" action="/cgi-bin/manage" enctype="multipart/form-data">
		266	<input type="hidden" name="a" value="modify">     <strong>{</strong>
		267	<input type="text" name="oid" size="30" value=""><strong>}</strong>
		268	<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Suggest deletion"></form>
		269	Use the "Comments" box at the bottom of the page to be displayed
		270	to explain why the OID should be deleted (or moved elsewhere). Your
		271	suggestion will have to be validated by the registrant of the OID
		272	(if known), the registrant of the parent OID (if known) and the OID
		273	repository administrator (who will all be automatically informed by
		274	e-mail) before it get published.<br><br></div>
		275	</li>
		276	<li>
		277	<div class="question">
		278	How does the OID repository provided on this website compare with Harald Alvestrand's repository?<a name="7"></a>
		279	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		280	</div>
		281	<div class="answer">
		282	We get Harald's agreement to dump his repository and merge the data
		283	into our repository. This was done in June 2003 and our OID repository
		284	now encompasses <a href="http://www.alvestrand.no/objectid/">Harald's
		285	registry</a>.<br><br></div>
		286	</li>
		287	<li>
		288	<div class="question">
		289	How to reference an OID description in this repository?<a name="8"></a><a name="get"></a>
		290	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		291	</div>
		292	<div class="answer">
		293	The shortest and easiest means is to append the OID (whether it is
		294	in <a href="#17">ASN.1 notation</a>, <a href="#14">dot notation</a>,
3	daniel-mar	295	<a href="#iri">IRI notation</a> or <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3061">URN
2	daniel-mar	296	notation</a>) to the <a href="/get/">http://oid-info.com/get/</a>
		297	URL, <em>e.g.</em>:
		298	<ul>
		299	<li> <a href="/get/2.999">http://oid-info.com/get/2.999</a> (recommended);</li>
		300	<li>
		301	<a href="/get/%7Bjoint-iso-itu-t%20example(999)%7D">http://oid-info.com/get/{joint
		302	iso-itu-t example(999)}</a> (ASN.1 notation);
		303	</li>
		304	<li>
		305	<a href="/get//Joint-ISO-ITU-T/Example">http://oid-info.com/get//Joint-ISO-ITU-T/Example</a>
		306	or <a href="/get//2/999">http://oid-info.com/get//2/999</a> (OID-IRI
		307	notation; with a '/' at the beginning of the OID notation, hence
		308	two '/'s after 'get');
		309	</li>
		310	<li>
		311	<a href="/get//Example">http://oid-info.com/get//Example</a>
		312	(OID-IRI notation using a long arc; with a '/' at the beginning
		313	of the OID notation, hence two '/'s after 'get');
		314	</li>
		315	<li>
		316	<a href="/get/urn:oid:2.999">http://oid-info.com/get/urn:oid:2.999</a>
		317	(URN notation).<br><br></li>
		318	</ul>
		319	</div>
		320	</li>
		321	<li>
		322	<div class="question">
		323	How many OIDs are currently described in this repository?<a name="9"></a>
		324	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		325	</div>
		326	<div class="answer">
		327	There are more than 950 000 OID descriptions stored in our repository
		328	(see <a href="/cgi-bin/display?a=count_nodes">exact number</a>). The
		329	repository is well alive and updated as often as necessary; <a href="/cgi-bin/display?a=count_nodes">statistics</a>
		330	are available about the number of OIDs added to the repository (or
		331	updated) over the past 12 months. A (non-exhaustive) list of standards
		332	(and other documents that define OIDs) which have been captured in
		333	our repository is <a href="captured-standards.htm">available</a>.<br><br></div>
		334	</li>
		335	<li>
		336	<div class="question">
		337	How to get an OID assigned?<a name="10"></a>
		338	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		339	</div>
		340	<div class="answer">
		341	The original intention of the <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.660/en">Recommendation
		342	ITU-T X.660 \| ISO/IEC 9834</a> series was that anyone should be able
		343	to get an OID if they needed one. There are registration authorities
		344	from which it is easy and quite cheap (sometimes even free!) to have
		345	an OID assigned, such as:
		346	<ul>
		347	<li>
		348	If you only need an OID for an example in a document, use <code><a href="/get/2.999">{joint-iso-itu-t(2)
		349	example(999)}</a></code> as explained in <a href="#example">question
		350	22</a>.
		351	</li>
		352	<li>
		353	<a href="country_oids.htm#agreements">Several countries</a>
		354	assign OIDs (usually after paying a fee decided by the national
		355	registration authority) under their country arc <a href="/get/2.16"><code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2)
		356	country(16)}</code></a> and/or <a href="/get/1.2"><code>{iso(1)
		357	member-body(2)}</code></a> (see <a href="country_codes.htm">correspondence
		358	table between country codes and OIDs</a>). (Note: If you are representing
		359	a country and want to nominate a registration authority for your
		360	country arc under <a href="/get/1.2"><code>{iso(1) member-body(2)}</code></a>
		361	or <a href="/get/2.16"><code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16)}</code></a>,
		362	please see <a href="#11">question 11</a> below.)
		363	</li>
		364	<li>
		365	<a href="http://pen.iana.org/pen/PenApplication.page">IANA</a>
		366	(Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) hands out OIDs for free under
		367	<a href="/get/1.3.6.1.4.1"><code>{iso(1) identified-organization(3)
		368	dod(6) internet(1) private(4) enterprise(1)}</code></a>; these OIDs
		369	are used a lot (but not only) to identify Management Information
		370	Bases (MIBs) for network management (SNMP).
		371	</li>
		372	<li>
		373	<a href="https://www.viathinksoft.com/freeoid">ViaThinkSoft</a>
		374	freely assigns an OID to private persons and developers of freeware,
		375	shareware or open-source software under <a href="/get/1.3.6.1.4.1.37476.9000"><code>{iso(1)
		376	identified-organization(3) dod(6) internet(1) private(4) enterprise(1)
		377	37476 freesub(9000)}</code></a>.
		378	</li>
		379	<li>
		380	<a href="http://webapp.etsi.org/ASN1ObjectTree/ASN1.asp">ETSI</a>
		381	(European Telecommunication Standards Institute) hands out OIDs
		382	under <code><a href="/get/0.4.0.127.0">{itu-t(0) identified-organization(4)
		383	etsi(0) reserved(127) etsi-identified-organization(0)}</a></code>
		384	even for non-ETSI-members.
		385	</li>
		386	<li>
		387	Network operators can have an OID assigned by ITU-T under <code><a href="/get/0.3">{itu-t(0)
		388	network-operator(3)}</a></code>; telecom operators can have an OID
		389	assigned by their national PTT administration under <code><a href="/get/0.2">{itu-t(0)
		390	administration(2)}</a></code>.
		391	</li>
		392	<li>
		393	For the health sector, see <a href="http://wiki.hl7.org/index.php?title=HL7_OID_Registry_Frequently_Asked_Questions#Somebody_told_me_I_need_an_OID_for_my_Organization._What_do_I_do.3F">HL7's
		394	FAQ</a>.
		395	</li>
		396	<li>
		397	Dave Harvey (UK) <a href="http://www.medicalconnections.co.uk/Free_UID">sub-delegate
		398	ranges of his own OID</a> to anyone who uses a <a href="http://medical.nema.org/">DICOM</a>
		399	toolkit (communication in medicine).
		400	</li>
		401	<li>
		402	You can <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms677620.aspx">obtain
		403	an OID from Microsoft</a> to extend the Active Directory schema.
		404	</li>
		405	<li>
		406	You can <a href="http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/asn1/uuid.html#UUID%20Generation%20&%20Registration">generate
		407	a UUID</a> (or use a UUID that you already hold) and append it as
		408	a subsequent arc of <a href="/get/2.25"><code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2)
		409	uuid(25)}</code></a> (without registering it, in particular in this
		410	OID repository, because it is guaranteed to be globally unique with
		411	a high probability) according to <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.667/en">Recommendation
		412	ITU-T X.667 \| ISO/IEC 9834-8</a> (but see <a href="#size-limitations">question
		413	30 about size limitations of OID encodings</a>).
		414	</li>
		415	</ul>
		416	<em>Important note</em>: OIDs have to be requested from those registrations authorities because this OID repository
		417	is
		418	<em>not</em> a registration authority.
		419	<br><br></div>
		420	</li>
		421	<li>
		422	<div class="question">
		423	What decision needs be taken if a country wants a national Registration Authority for OIDs?<a name="11"></a><a name="national-RA"></a><a name="country"></a>
		424	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		425	</div>
		426	<div class="answer">
		427	Country arcs are the subsequent arcs of <a href="/get/1.2"><code>{iso(1)
		428	member-body(2)}</code></a> and <a href="/get/2.16"><code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2)
		429	country(16)}</code></a>. The values assigned to country arcs are the
		430	<a href="http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49alpha.htm">numerical
		431	codes</a> (without leading zeros) assigned by the United Nations Statistics
		432	Division together with the corresponding and the <a href="https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#search">ISO
		433	3166-1-alpha-2 code</a>. <a href="/get/1.2"><code>{iso(1) member-body(2)}</code></a>
		434	was deprecated in favour of <a href="/get/2.16"><code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2)
		435	country(16)}</code></a>, thus countries which have never been operating
		436	a national Registration Authority (RA) for OIDs are encouraged to
		437	request an arc under <a href="/get/2.16"><code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2)
		438	country(16)}</code></a>. Countries are discouraged to request an arc
		439	under both <a href="/get/1.2"><code>{iso(1) member-body(2)}</code></a>
		440	and <a href="/get/2.16"><code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16)}</code></a>.<br><a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.660/en">Recommendation ITU-T
		441	X.660 \| ISO/IEC 9834-1</a>, clause A.4.5, specifies that the <a href="http://www.iso.org/iso/about/iso_members.htm">ISO
		442	National Body</a> of the country and the <a href="http://www.itu.int/GlobalDirectory/search.html">administration
		443	representing the country in the ITU</a> shall agree together (as a
		444	national decision) on the organization that will be the RA for their
		445	country arc. In the case of a country arc under <a href="/get/1.2"><code>{iso(1)
		446	member-body(2)}</code></a> the decision is only taken by the <a href="http://www.iso.org/iso/about/iso_members.htm">ISO
		447	National Body</a> of the country. For more detailed information, see
		448	"<a href="country_oids.htm">Operation of a country Registration
		449	Authority</a>".<br>One way to know if your country is already operating an RA for OIDs
		450	is too check the <a href="country_oids.htm#agreements">known
		451	country RAs</a>.<br><br></div>
		452	</li>
		453	<li>
		454	<div class="question">
		455	Are there guidelines or standards regarding subsequent arcs of a country arc?<a name="12"></a>
		456	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		457	</div>
		458	<div class="answer">
		459	Country arcs are the subsequent arcs of <a href="/get/1.2"><code>{iso(1)
		460	member-body(2)}</code></a> and <a href="/get/2.16"><code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2)
		461	country(16)}</code></a>.<br>The structure underneath a country arc is a national decision. The
		462	basic standard is of course <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.660/en">Recommendation
		463	ITU-T X.660 \| ISO/IEC 9834-1</a>. It might be worth having a look
		464	at <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.670/en">Recommendation
		465	ITU-T X.670</a> "<em>
		466	Procedures for registration agents operating
		467	on behalf of organizations to register organization names subordinate
		468	to country names
		469	</em>".<br>There is no guidelines besides the fact that any registration authority
		470	needs to keep records according to the aforementioned standards. A
		471	good idea is probably to look at <a href="country_oids.htm#agreements">how
		472	other countries have organized subsequent arcs beneath their country
		473	arc</a> as well as reading the ITU handbook on "<a href="http://www.itu.int/pub/T-HDB-LNG.4-2010"><em>
		474	Object
		475	identifiers (OIDs) and their registration authorities
		476	</em></a>".<br><br></div>
		477	</li>
		478	<li>
		479	<div class="question">
		480	What is the Internet OID?<a name="13"></a>
		481	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		482	</div>
		483	<div class="answer">
		484	The Internet OID is <code><a href="/get/1.3.6.1">{iso(1) identified-organization(3)
		485	dod(6) internet(1)}</a></code> or equivalently in dot notation <code><a href="/get/1.3.6.1">1.3.6.1</a></code>.<br><br></div>
		486	</li>
		487	<li>
		488	<div class="question">
		489	Where does the dot notation for OIDs come from?<a name="14"></a>
		490	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		491	</div>
		492	<div class="answer">
		493	(<em>from Harald Alvestrand's <a href="http://www.alvestrand.no/objectid/index.html">website</a></em>)<br>The dot notation is an IETF invention. The ASN.1 group thought it
		494	better to have a notation using spaces and braces, with optional text
		495	labels, so that <code>1.3.6.1</code> would become something like <code>{iso(1)
		496	identified-organization(3) dod(6) internet(1)}</code> or <code>{1
		497	3 6 1}</code> or variants thereof.<br>The IETF folks thought this was somewhat inconvenient, and decided
		498	to use a space-free notation. This is, among other things, spelled
3	daniel-mar	499	out in IETF <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc1778">RFC 1778,
		500	section 2.15</a>, but was in use long before that time. IETF <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2252">RFC
2	daniel-mar	501	2252, section 4.1</a>, eliminates the "<code>ds.4.10</code>" form.<br><br></div>
		502	</li>
		503	<li>
		504	<div class="question">
		505	Why are top-level arcs restricted to three
		506	arcs numbered <code>0</code> to <code>2</code>, and why are arcs beneath
		507	top-level arcs <code>0</code> and <code>1</code> restricted to fourty
		508	arcs numbered <code>0</code> to <code>39</code>?<a name="15"></a>
		509	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		510	</div>
		511	<div class="answer">
		512	This enables optimized binary encodings in which all arcs beneath
		513	top-level arcs <code>0</code> and <code>1</code>, and arcs <code>0</code>
		514	to <code>47</code> beneath top-level arc <code>2</code> are encoded
		515	on a single octet (see <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.690/en">Rec.
		516	ITU-T X.690 \| ISO/IEC 8825-1</a>, clause 8.19). Arcs greater to <code>47</code>
		517	benath top-level arc <code>2</code> are hence encoded on more than
		518	one octet.<br><br></div>
		519	</li>
		520	<li>
		521	<div class="question">
		522	What do we call a registration tree (or object identifier tree)?<a name="16"></a>
		523	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		524	</div>
		525	<div class="answer">
		526	In an open and international world such as the one of telecommunications
		527	and information technologies, you often need to be able to reference
		528	an "object" (see <a href="#1">question 1</a>) in a unique and universal
		529	way. The ASN.1 standard defines an object as being "<em>
		530	a well-defined
		531	piece of information, definition or specification which requires a
		532	name in order to identify its use in an instance of communication
		533	</em>".<br>In general, an object is a class of information (for example, a file
		534	format), rather than an instance of such a class (for example, an
		535	individual file). It is thus the class of information (defined by
		536	some referenceable specification), rather than the piece of information
		537	itself, that is assigned a place in the tree.<br>The naming structure that has been chosen is a tree structure that
		538	allows to name objects in a local or international context, without
		539	beeing limited either by the registration authority, nor by the number
		540	of objects they can register.<br><br></div>
		541	</li>
		542	<li>
		543	<div class="question">
		544	What is the ASN.1 notation of an OID?<a name="17"></a>
		545	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		546	</div>
		547	<div class="answer">
		548	Each OID arc is associated with a mandatory number (used for data
		549	transfers) and an optional (but recommended) alphanumeric identifier
		550	(for legibility).<br>An identifier begins with a lower-case letter (from '<code>a</code>'
		551	to '<code>z</code>') and is followed by lower-case or upper-case letters
		552	(from '<code>a</code>' to '<code>z</code>', or from '<code>A</code>'
		553	to '<code>Z</code>'), digits (from '<code>0</code>' to '<code>9</code>')
		554	or hyphens ('<code>-</code>'). See Rec. ITU-T X.680 \| ISO/IEC 8824-1,
		555	clause 32, for more details.<br>In <a href="name-forms.htm">some cases</a>, the identifier has been
		556	standardized and can be used alone (without the associated number)
		557	in the ASN.1 notation. The number can always be used alone. This web
		558	site will issue an error message if you are trying to display an OID
		559	using an invalid ASN.1 notation.<br>An OID is semantically an ordered list of OID components (number only,
		560	or identifier followed by a number between parentheses, or identifier
		561	alone in <a href="name-forms.htm">some cases</a>). Starting with the
		562	root of the OID tree, each OID component identifies an arc in the
		563	OID tree. The last OID component identifies an arc leading to a node
		564	to which an object has been assigned. It is this object which is identified
		565	by the OID.<br>Example: <a href="/get/2.5.4.49"><code>{joint-iso-itu-t ds(5) attributeType(4)
		566	distinguishedName(49)}</code></a> where <a href="/get/2"><code>joint-iso-itu-t</code></a>
		567	is a <a href="name-forms.htm">standardized identifier</a> which can
		568	appear alone, <i>i.e.</i>, without its associated number.<br>(See also <a href="#14">question 14</a> for the dot notation and <a href="#iri">question
		569	28</a> about the OID-IRI notation.) <br><br></div>
		570	</li>
		571	<li>
		572	<div class="question">
		573	How is the entire registration tree managed?<a name="18"></a><a name="management"></a>
		574	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		575	</div>
		576	<div class="answer">
		577	The management of the entire registration tree is accomplished by
		578	a process of delegation of authority. In this process the registration
		579	authority responsible for a given arc in the registration tree may
		580	partition that naming-domain. In doing so, it may or may not delegate
		581	the registration responsibility for the naming-domain formed by each
		582	partition to a subordinate Registration Authority. The naming of a
		583	partition does not necessarily imply authority to register objects
		584	under that partition. This delegation of registration responsibility
		585	can be applied repeatedly with a subordinate registration authority
		586	partitioning further the naming domain for which it is responsible
		587	and delegating responsibility for those partitions to registration
		588	authorities subordinate to it.<br>The registration authority responsible for a given naming-domain must
		589	assign a name to the partition of that naming-domain that a given
		590	sub-authority will manage. The name assigned shall be globally unambiguous,
		591	and shall be concatenated as a prefix to all names assigned by that
		592	sub-authority. The repeated application of this process through a
		593	hierarchy of registration agents ensures the generation of unambiguous
		594	names.<br>An organization, a standard or an automated facility can be the registration
		595	authority for more than one partition of a naming-domain (see also
		596	<a href="#11">questions 11 and 12</a> for how country arcs are managed).<br><br></div>
		597	</li>
		598	<li>
		599	<div class="question">
		600	Which features are offered by this repository?<a name="19"></a><a name="features"></a>
		601	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		602	</div>
		603	<div class="answer">
		604	The <a href="display-example.htm">description page</a> for each OID
		605	offers the ability to:
		606	<ul type="disc">
		607	<li>
		608	have a synthetic <a href="/cgi-bin/display?tree=">graphical
		609	view</a> of the tree (click on the<img src="images/pm.gif" width="19" height="18">and<img src="images/mm.gif" width="19" height="18">icons to
		610	fold and unfold arcs);
		611	</li>
		612	<li>display the description of another OID (the "Go" button);</li>
		613	<li>
		614	use the "remote control" to display the description
		615	of:
		616	<ul>
		617	<li>
		618	the parent OID (i.e. the OID at the immediate upper level
		619	in the OID tree),
		620	</li>
		621	<li>
		622	the previous or next sibling OID (i.e. OID at the same
		623	level in the OID tree),
		624	</li>
		625	<li>
		626	the very first or very last sibling OID (i.e. OID with the
		627	lowest or greatest number at the same level in the OID tree),
		628	or
		629	</li>
		630	<li>
		631	the first child OID (the OID with the lowest number at
		632	the immediate lower level in the OID tree);
		633	</li>
		634	</ul>
		635	</li>
		636	<li>
		637	submit a description of a child OID under the current OID (see
		638	also <a href="#syntax-rules">question 20</a>): After putting down
		639	some information (description of the OID, its registrant...),
		640	the registrant of the OID (if known), the registrant of the parent
		641	OID (if known) and the OID repository administrator will be automatically
		642	asked by email to review and validate your submission. Note that
		643	the description page of the newly created OID will only be available
		644	after validation;
		645	</li>
		646	<li>
		647	submit a description of a sibling OID, i.e. an OID at the same
		648	level as the current OID (see also <a href="#syntax-rules">question
		649	20</a>);
		650	</li>
		651	<li>
		652	propose modifications of the description of the current OID:
		653	these modifications will have to be validated by the registrant
		654	of the OID (if known), the registrant of the parent OID (if known)
		655	and the OID repository administrator (who will all be automatically
		656	informed by e-mail) before they get published;
		657	</li>
		658	<li>
		659	do a <a href="basic-search.htm">quick search</a> of the entire
		660	OID repository by searching for a particular string in all attributes;
		661	</li>
		662	<li>
		663	do an <a href="advanced-search.htm">advanced search</a> of the entire
		664	OID repository by searching for a particular value for each description
		665	attribute or even by using regular expressions.
		666	</li>
		667	</ul>
		668	Other features are available from the <a href="index.htm">main page</a> of
		669	the OID repository:
		670	<ul>
		671	<li>
		672	display an <a href="/cgi-bin/display?a=random">OID description
		673	randomly</a>;
		674	</li>
		675	<li>
		676	display the <a href="/cgi-bin/display?a=count_nodes">number
		677	of OIDs</a> in the repository as well as statistics about how
		678	many OID descriptions were added or modified over the past 12
		679	months;
		680	</li>
		681	<li>
		682	add the description of a given OID (see also <a href="#syntax-rules">question
		683	20</a>);
		684	</li>
		685	<li>
		686	<a href="submit.htm">submit</a> many OIDs to the database by
		687	describing them in an XML file.<br><br></li>
		688	</ul>
		689	</div>
		690	</li>
		691	<li>
		692	<div class="question">
		693	What are the syntax rules to enter information about OIDs through the web interface?<a name="20"></a><a name="syntax-rules"></a>
		694	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		695	</div>
		696	<div class="answer">
		697	When adding information about an OID into the OID repository, non-ASCII
		698	characters such as accentuated letters are allowed in most fields
		699	("Description", "Information", registrant "First
		700	name", "Last name" and "Address"). The software
		701	will replace them by their equivalent <a href="http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/html-spec/html-spec_13.html#SEC106">HTML
		702	code</a>.<br>The following HTML tags are allowed in the "Description",
		703	"Information" and "Address" fields: <code><a></code>,
		704	<code><br/></code>, <code><code></code>, <code><em></code>,
		705	<code><img></code>, <code><li></code>, <code><ol></code>,
		706	<code><strong></code>, <code><sub></code>, <code><sup></code>
		707	and <code><ul></code>. Use of <code><br></code> or <code><br/></code>
		708	is not mandatory to break lines because any newline character will
		709	automatically be replaced with <code><br/></code> by the software.<br>The description should be as short as possible (usually, not more
		710	than one line), limited to what is identified by the OID (hence no
		711	need to use expressions like "OID for", "OID identifying", "Root OID
		712	for", "Arc for", "This OID describes", etc.) and written in such a
		713	way that is easily understandable by any user of the OID repository.<br><br></div>
		714	</li>
		715	<li>
		716	<div class="question">
		717	Which information is necessary to apply for an OID?<a name="21"></a><a name="oid-info"></a>
		718	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		719	</div>
		720	<div class="answer">
		721	According to clause 8.2 f of <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.660/en">Recommendation
		722	ITU-T X.660 \| ISO/IEC 9834-1</a>, the registration record for an OID
		723	shall include at least:<br>a) the definition of the object (when the registration authority of
		724	the parent OID performs a technical role, it checks that the objet
		725	can be registered under the parent OID);<br>b) when applicable, the identifier (beginning with a lowercase letter)
		726	assigned to the object (in addition to the unique number);<br>b) the name and contact information of the organization that proposed
		727	the entry (usually it is the "<a href="#registration-authorities">First
		728	registration authority</a>" for the requested OID);<br>c) the dates of submission/registration.<br><br></div>
		729	</li>
		730	<li>
		731	<div class="question">
		732	Is there a particular OID that can be used for documenting
		733	examples of object identifiers?<a name="22"></a><a name="example"></a>
		734	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		735	</div>
		736	<div class="answer">
		737	<a href="/get/2.999">{joint-iso-itu-t(2) example(999)}</a> (or <a href="/get/2.999">2.999</a>)
		738	can be used by anyone, without any permission, for the purpose of
		739	documenting examples of object identifiers (in the same way as "example.com"
3	daniel-mar	740	is defined in <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2606">IETF RFC
2	daniel-mar	741	2606</a> as an example for web sites). <br><br></div>
		742	</li>
		743	<li>
		744	<div class="question">
		745	What is the difference between the first and current Registration Authorities
		746	that appear in the description of some OIDs? What is their duty?<a name="23"></a><a name="registration-authorities"></a>
		747	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		748	</div>
		749	<div class="answer">
		750	A <em>Registration Authority</em> (RA) is responsible for allocating
		751	child arcs to the OID for which it manages. It ensures that an integer
		752	is used once among the subsequent arcs (child OIDs). As much as possible,
		753	it avoids the same identifier (beginning with a lowercase letter)
		754	being used for multiple sub-arcs. It also keeps a record of information
		755	(name of a contact person, postal address, telephone and fax numbers,
		756	email address, etc.) about the RA for each child OID and delegates
		757	its duty to each 'child' RA. Such information can be stored in the
		758	OID repository but it is important to understand that an OID first
		759	need to be <em>officially</em> allocated by an RA before it can be
		760	described on this website which is not an official RA, but a <em>repository</em>
		761	of information about existing OIDs.<br>The <em>first Registration Authority</em> of an OID is the very first
		762	person or company to whom the OID was allocated by the RA of the superior
		763	OID. According to <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.660/en">Recommendation
		764	ITU-T X.660 \| ISO/IEC 9834-1</a>,<!-- clause 9.2.f.a --> the first
		765	RA can't be changed (if the responsibility is transfered to someone
		766	else, the information is recorded in the "Current Registration
		767	Authority" section, without changing the "First Registration
		768	Authority" section).<br>By default, if the OID has recently been allocated, the Current RA
		769	is the First RA. So, if you are <a href="#4">entering information
		770	in the OID repository</a>, please fill only the "First Registration
		771	Authority" section, and don't copy the same information in the
		772	"Current Registration Authority" section).<br>When someone or an organization takes over the duty from the First
		773	RA, the relevant information is indicated in the "Current Registration
		774	Authority" section without changing the "First Registration
		775	Authority" section.<br><br></div>
		776	</li>
		777	<li>
		778	<div class="question">
		779	What constraints are imposed to OIDs used in SNMP MIBs (Management Information Bases)?<a name="24"></a><a name="mib"></a>
		780	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		781	</div>
		782	<div class="answer">
		783	The constraints are gathered in sections 4.6.5, 4.6.6, and Appendix
3	daniel-mar	784	D of IETF <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4181">RFC 4181</a>
		785	(updated by <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4841">RFC 4841</a>)
		786	which makes references to <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2578">RFC
		787	2578</a>, sections 3.5, 3.6, 5.6, 7.10, and <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3416">RFC
2	daniel-mar	788	3416</a>, section 4.1.<br>
3	daniel-mar	789	- According to <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2578">RFC 2578</a>, section 3.5, all OIDs are limited to 128 child OIDs and each OID has a maximum (integer) value of 2<sup>32</sup>-1 (<code>4294967295</code>).<br>
		790	- The last arc of an OID assigned to any object (be it table, row, column, or scalar) must not be equal to 0.<br>- In some cases, a final arc 0 is used to translate between SNMPv1 and SNMPv2 notification parameters as explained in <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2576">RFC 2576</a>, section 3.<br>One example of a MIB module whose OID assignments follow the recommended scheme is the <code>POWER-ETHERNET-MIB</code> defined in <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3621">RFC 3621</a>.<br>MIBs use a notation like "<code>.2.999</code>" where the leading dot shows that this OID is absolute while "<code>2.999</code>" might be considered as a relative OID by some tools which would then add a root OID in front of it.<br><br></div>
2	daniel-mar	791	</li>
		792	<li>
		793	<div class="question">
		794	Is there a way to look up an OID in the OID repository from my web browser?<a name="25"></a><a name="lookup"></a>
		795	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		796	</div>
		797	<div class="answer">
		798	- If you're using <img src="images/firefox-icon.png" width="16" height="16" alt="[Firefox Icon]"><a href="http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/">Mozilla Firefox</a> or <img src="images/mozilla-icon.png" width="16" height="16" alt="[Mozilla Icon]"><a href="http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/">Mozilla SeaMonkey</a>
		799	or <img src="images/google-chrome.ico" width="16" height="16" alt="[Chrome Icon]" border="0"><a href="http://www.google.com/chrome/">Google Chrome</a>, an <a href="http://mycroft.mozdev.org/search-engines.html?name=oid+resolver&skipcache=yes">OpenSearch
		800	Plugin</a> (a.k.a. search engine) allows to display information about
3	daniel-mar	801	an OID when an ASN.1 notation, dot notation, <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3061">URN</a> notation
2	daniel-mar	802	or <a href="#iri">OID-IRI</a> notation is entered in the search bar
		803	at the top-right.<br><!-- - If you're using <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/">Mozilla
		804	Thunderbird</a>, <img src="images/firefox-icon.png" width="16" height="16" alt="[Firefox Icon]"><a href="http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/">Mozilla Firefox</a>
		805	or <img src="images/mozilla-icon.png" width="16" height="16" alt="[Mozilla Icon]"><a href="http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/">Mozilla SeaMonkey</a>
		806	(formerly known as Mozilla Application Suite), the <a href="http://dictionarysearch.mozdev.org">DictionarySearch
		807	add-on</a> is easy to configure so that you can display information
		808	about an OID by right-clicking on its selection:<br><ul>
		809	<li>install the DictionarySearch extension corresponding to your
		810	tool from <a href="http://dictionarysearch.mozdev.org">http://dictionarysearch.mozdev.org</a>;</li>
		811	<li>in the "Tools" menu of your tool, select the "Extensions"
		812	item;</li>
		813	<li>highlight the line for DictionarySearch, then click on the "Options"
		814	button;</li>
		815	<li>add a new Dictionary with the following information (this will
		816	display the description of the selected OID in dot notation; it
		817	doesn't work well for a selected OID in ASN.1 notation because
		818	the closing parentheses are removed for whatever reason):<br><em>Text</em>: <code>Search for OID "$"</code><br><em>Access key</em>: <code>O</code><br><em>URL</em>: <code>http://oid-info.com/cgi-bin/display?oid=$&a=display</code></li>
		819	<li>This other new "Dictionary" may also be useful (it
		820	will display a tree for the selected OID in dot notation):<br><em>Text</em>: <code>Display tree for OID "$"</code><br><em>Access key</em>: <code>T</code><br><em>URL</em>: <code>http://oid-info.com/cgi-bin/display?oid=$&a=tree</code>
		821	</li>
		822	</ul> --> - See also <a href="#8">question 8</a>.<br><br></div>
		823	</li>
		824	<li>
		825	<div class="question">
		826	What is a leaf OID? What is a frozen OID?<a name="26"></a><a name="leaf"></a>
		827	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		828	</div>
		829	<div class="answer">
		830	These are not standardized concepts. In case an OID is a <em>leaf</em>
		831	in the OID repository, no child OIDs can be allocated under that OID.
		832	In case an OID is <em>frozen</em> in the OID repository, no more child
		833	OIDs can be created in addition to the existing ones. In both cases,
		834	the system does not accept the creation of child OIDs. The status
		835	is also mentioned on the web page that describes an OID (see example
		836	for a <a href="/get/0.0.2">leaf OID</a> and for a <a href="/get/0">frozen
		837	OID</a>).<br>To report that an OID is a leaf or is frozen, please <a href="#modify">suggest
		838	a modification</a> for this OID and use the "Comments" box
		839	at the bottom.<br><br></div>
		840	</li>
		841	<li>
		842	<div class="question">
		843	What is an orphan OID?<a name="27"></a><a name="orphan"></a>
		844	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		845	</div>
		846	<div class="answer">
		847	This is not a standardized concept but this term is used to qualify
		848	an OID that is described in the OID repository, but some of its parent
		849	OIDs are not described in the OID repository. This does not mean that
		850	these unknown parent OIDs do not exist (actually they do exist because
		851	an OID can only be allocated by the Registration Authority of its
		852	parent OID). However the user who submitted the description of this
		853	OID has no knowledge of how to describe these parent OIDs.<br><!-- This is useful in cases such as:<br>- you have found the description of an OID somewhere on the web or
		854	in a document, but you don't know how to describe all arcs along the
		855	path;<br>- you have a bunch of OIDs to submit to the OID repository, so you
		856	can submit them in any order because there is no obligation to submit
		857	the father OID first.<br>-->
		858	Orphan OIDs are not visible when one
		859	<a href="/cgi-bin/display?tree=">walks down the OID tree</a>. However,
		860	they are <a href="display-example.htm">displayed</a> when one asks
		861	for the description of a particular OID. <em>Orphan grandchild OIDs</em>
		862	(<em>i.e.</em>, OIDs for which we have a description as well as a
		863	description of their grandparent OID, but no description of their
		864	parent OID) are accessible from the <a href="display-example.htm">description
		865	page</a> of their grandparent OID.<br><br></div>
		866	</li>
		867	<li>
		868	<div class="question">
		869	What is an OID-IRI (Internationalized Resource Identifier)?<a name="28"></a><a name="iri"></a>
		870	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		871	</div>
		872	<div class="answer">
		873	Historically, OIDs could only be denoted in <a href="#14">dot notation</a>
		874	(<em>e.g.</em>, <code>2.27</code>) or in <a href="#17">ASN.1 notation</a>
		875	(<em>e.g.</em>, <code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2) tag-based(27)}</code>) where
		876	only ASCII identifiers are allowed. The need was identified for a
		877	human-friendly notation which would not be limited to latin alphabets
		878	and would encompass the diversity of <a href="http://www.unicode.org">Unicode
		879	alphabets</a>.<br>An OID-IRI (a.k.a. international OID) is a string of slash-separated
		880	Unicode labels from the root of the OID tree, which unambiguously
		881	identifies a node in the OID tree (e.g., "<a href="/get//Joint-ISO-ITU-T/Example"><code>/Joint-ISO-ITU-T/Example</code></a>").<br>A Unicode label is a case-sensitive string of Unicode characters (except
		882	the <code>SPACE</code> character). Just as an OID node can have multiple
		883	identifiers in ASN.1 notation, it can have multiple Unicode labels
		884	(this allows backwards-compatibility when a company changes its name,
		885	for example). Each OID node has a default Unicode label which is its
		886	number (<em>e.g.</em>, "<a href="/get//2/999"><code>/2/999</code></a>").<br>In order to support names of OIDs in multiple languages, an OID can
		887	have multiple Unicode labels, giving rise to a need to transform a
		888	path using Unicode labels into a canonical form of purely numerical
		889	labels to identify the OID. This is handled by the <a href="introduction.htm#ors">OID
		890	Resolution System</a>.<br>A <em>long arc</em> is a particular kind of Unicode label which identifies
		891	an OID that is not immediately beneath the root of the OID tree. For
		892	example, OID <code>{joint-iso-itu-t(2) example(999)}</code> has a
		893	long arc named "<code>Example</code>" allowing OID-IRI "<code><a href="/get//Example">/Example</a></code>"
		894	which is shorter than OID-IRI "<code><a href="/get//Joint-ISO-ITU-T/Example">/Joint-ISO-ITU-T/Example</a></code>".
		895	Long arcs are only allowed for OIDs under the <code>joint-iso-itu-t(2)</code>
		896	top-level arc (see the <a href="http://itu.int/go/X660">register of
		897	long arcs)</a>.<br>The <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.680/en">ASN.1 standard</a>
		898	specifies an <code>OID-IRI</code> type for exchanging OID-IRI values
		899	between machines.<br><br></div>
		900	</li>
		901	<li>
		902	<div class="question">
		903	What are the duties of a Registration Authority?<a name="29"></a>
		904	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		905	</div>
		906	<div class="answer">
		907	Guidance is given in sections 8.2 (Operation), 9 (registration procedures)
		908	and 11 (recommended fee structure) of <a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.660/en">Recommendation
		909	ITU-T X.660 \| ISO/IEC 9834-1</a>.<br>The open-source database system <a href="https://oidplus.viathinksoft.com/oidplus/">OIDplus</a>
		910	from ViaThinkSoft can be used by Registration Authorities to manage
		911	their OIDs. It includes a feature to export data into an <a href="submit.htm">XML
		912	document that can then be uploaded to this OID repository</a>.<br><br></div>
		913	</li>
		914	<li>
		915	<div class="question">
		916	Are there size limitations for OID encoding?<a name="30"></a><a name="size-limitations"></a>
		917	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		918	</div>
		919	<div class="answer">
		920	The <a href="standards.htm">OID standards</a> have no limit whatsoever about the depth of an OID in the OID tree (i.e., number of arcs) and the size of the integer associated to each OID arc. At the moment, the <a href="/get/1.3.6.1.4.1.1248.1.1.2.1.3.21.69.112.115.111.110.32.83.116.121.108.117.115.32.80.114.111.32.52.57.48.48">longest OID</a> described in the OID repository has 171 chars and 34 arcs. The <a href="/get/2.25.336702412625001560652410773774433371419">greatest number</a> for an OID arc has 39 digits. However, there are constraints for OIDs used in SNMP Management Information Bases (<a href="#mib">see question 24</a>) and some tools may have size limitations (or bugs):<br>- The <a href="https://lapo.it/asn1js/">ASN.1 JavaScript decoder at
		921	lapo.it</a>, <a href="http://www.bouncycastle.org">Bouncy Castle Crypto
		922	APIs</a>, OpenSSL (version 0.9.8o, 1 Jun 2010) and the built-in Java
		923	class "<code>org.ietf.jgss.Oid</code>" can handle <a href="/get/2.25">UUIDs
		924	used as OIDs</a>.<br>- Windows CryptoAPI Shell Extension (tested with Windows XP and Windows
		925	7) cannot handle <a href="/get/2.25">UUIDs used as OIDs</a>: The maximum
		926	useable OID value in Windows is 2<sup>64</sup>-1 (e.g., <code>2.999.18446744073709551615</code>).
		927	Windows will show whitespace when any higher value occurs.<br>- Mozilla software cannot handle <a href="/get/2.25">UUIDs used as
		928	OIDs</a>: The maximum useable OID value in Mozilla software is 2<sup>32</sup>-1
		929	(e.g., <code>2.999.4294967295</code>). The program will show "Unknown"
		930	when an arc contains a higher value (e.g., <code>{2 999 Unknown 0}</code>).
		931	<br>- Mac OS X cannot handle OIDs of the form <code>2.<em>n</em></code>
		932	where <code><em>n</em></code> > 47 (i.e., it wrongly decodes OIDs
		933	which need more than one octet in the first two arcs). <br>More details can be found in <a href="http://www.viathinksoft.de/~daniel-marschall/asn.1/oid_facts.html">Daniel
		934	Marschall's study about OID encoding and size limitations</a>. Daniel's
		935	<a href="https://www.viathinksoft.de/%7Edaniel-marschall/asn.1/oid-converter/online.php">DER
		936	encoder</a> can also help in your testing.<br><br></div>
		937	</li>
		938	<li>
		939	<div class="question">
		940	Are there binary encoders/decoders for OIDs?<a name="31"></a>
		941	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		942	</div>
		943	<div class="answer">
		944	See for example (non-exhaustive list):<strong><br></strong>- OSS Nokalva's online <a href="http://asn1-playground.oss.com/">ASN.1
		945	playground</a> encodes/decodes OIDs in any encoding rule (BER, DER,
		946	PER, UPER, XER) with the following schema:<br><code>     OID-Module DEFINITIONS ::= BEGIN<br>       OID ::= OBJECT IDENTIFIER<br>     END</code><br>  The OID is provided in ASN.1 notation in the "Data:
		947	Encode" box as follows:<br><code>     oid OID ::= {2 999}</code><br>- Daniel Marschall's online <a href="https://www.viathinksoft.de/%7Edaniel-marschall/asn.1/oid-converter/online.php">DER
		948	encoder/decoder</a> (for PHP and C);<br>- <a href="http://bouncycastle.org">The Legion of the Bouncy Castle</a>'s
		949	API for Java and C#;<br>- <a href="http://wireshark.org">Wireshark</a>'s subtool for ASN.1.<br>See also <a href="https://misc.daniel-marschall.de/asn.1/oid_facts.html#chap4">Daniel
		950	Marschall's software compatibility analysis for large OIDs</a>.<br><br></div>
		951	</li>
		952	<li>
		953	<div class="question">
		954	Does this web site use cookies?<a name="32"></a><a name="cookies"></a>
		955	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		956	</div>
		957	<div class="answer">
		958	You can set up your browser to reject cookies: Disabling their use
		959	will not materially impact on your interaction with this website.<br>Only users who have submitted information on OIDs (description of
		960	a new OID or proposed modifications to an existing OID) have a unique
		961	cookie placed on their machine with their first name, last name and
		962	email address, so that the "submitter" section is automatically
		963	filled the next time they submit information. This cookie is not used
		964	to track your use of the OID repository.<br>The <a href="/helper">OID helper</a> chatbot is (externally) hosted
		965	by <a href="http://pandorabots.com/botmaster/en/~121e02c2b4d4270afe6afac6~/faq">Pandorabots</a>
		966	which normally tracks individual conversations by placing a cookie
		967	on your browser, in order to offer contextual answers to your questions
		968	(please check <a href="https://home.pandorabots.com/policies.html#privacy-policy">Pandorabots'
		969	privacy policy</a>). However, if your browser is not setup to accept
		970	cookies, an alternative mechanism is used through a hidden variable
		971	in the HTML form.<br><br></div>
		972	</li>
		973	<li>
		974	<div class="question">
		975	How does this web site protect users' privacy?<a name="33"></a><a name="privacy"></a>
		976	<a href="#top"><img src="images/page_top_fleche.png" width="27" height="17" border="0"></a>
		977	</div>
		978	<div class="answer">
		979	The purpose of this section (updated on 24 Jan 2019) is to inform
		980	you about the way your personal data is handled on this web site.
		981	By providing your personal data to this web site, you acknowledge
		982	and consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal
		983	data for a legitimate interest as explained hereunder. This web site
		984	never sells, leases or rents your personal data.<br>Only users who have submitted information on OIDs (description of
		985	a new OID or proposed modifications to an existing OID) have personal
		986	data stored in the OID repository database. The only reason to keep
		987	such information is to inform them when the OID description is validated
		988	or modified by the OID repository administrator, or when modifications
		989	are suggested by another user (see also <a href="#cookies">question
		990	32 about cookies</a>). This information is not publicly disclosed
		991	on the web site. (Note, however, that it may be sent by email to the
		992	<a href="#registration-authorities">(current or first) registration
		993	authority</a> of the OID and of its parent OID, when they are known).<br>Only those users who are the contact of a <a href="#registration-authorities">(current
		994	or first) registration authority</a> for an OID and have not ticked
		995	the box "<i>Protect the privacy of the Registration Authority
		996	by not displaying the contact information on the web site</i>"
		997	have their personal data (email address, postal address, phone number)
		998	publicly visible on the web site. (Note, however, that even when the
		999	"privacy" box is ticked, any user of this web site can <a href="/cgi-bin/manage?a=get-info">receive
		1000	by email a copy of such data</a> so as to be able to contact the registration
		1001	authority of an OID; such requests are recorded). These users are
		1002	automatically notified by email when information about them is entered
		1003	and can request deletion of such data.<br>In some cases, your personal data appears in the OID repository because
		1004	it is publicly available on another web site (e.g., <a href="https://www.iana.org/assignments/enterprise-numbers/enterprise-numbers">IANA
		1005	enterprise numbers</a>).<br>To check if personal data related to you appears in the OID repository,
		1006	please use the <a href="advanced-search.htm">advanced search</a>. You can
		1007	also <a href="/cgi-bin/manage?a=get-personal-data">get a copy</a>
		1008	of all personal data appearing in the OID repository. In any case,
		1009	your personal data is never used for sending any kind of publicity
		1010	to you.<br>A log of all modifications made to an OID is also kept (hence your
		1011	personal data may appear in that log) but it is not public and would
		1012	only be used by the OID repository administrator to explain or undo
		1013	changes if needed.<br>For any other question related to data protection or to request the
		1014	rectification or erasure of your personal data, you can <a href="/helper">contact
		1015	the webmaster</a>. Repetitive, disproportionate or impracticable requests
		1016	may be rejected.
		1017	</div>
		1018	</li>
		1019	</ol>
		1020
		1021	</td>
		1022	</tr>
		1023	</table>
		1024
		1025	</div>
		1026
		1027	<div class="clear"></div>
		1028	</div>

Subversion Repositories oidinfo_new_design

oidinfo_new_design/trunk/faq.raw.htm @ 28 – Rev 3