Access to the Directory Sevice through MHS

In RedIRIS, the Spanish research and academic network, a Directory Pilot Service is being implemented. It is compose by several DSAs accessible from different DUAs. In addition to this interactive, a non interactive service will be provided through electronic mail.

In this demonstration, the ASEDI service will be described and shown. This service tries to facilitate all users posessing electronic mail, the possibility of carrying out requests and introducing information from and into the Directory by sending certain messages to a pre-defined IP_UA (asedi@iris-dcp.es).

The users use a special sintax to compose messages that are automatically interpreted by this IP_UA which, in its turn, accesses to the Directory through a DUA. Later, the IP_UA sends the response back to the user with the requested information.

Two different modes can be used:

A more complete way which, by means of a predefined sintax, allows the user to accomplish all the operations defined in the X.500 recomendation.
A simpler way more adapted to the natural language which allows the user to access to the Directory in a restricted way, by using a set of easy-memorizable words.

Mainly this last option is the one to be proved more intensivly in the environment of RedIRIS Directory Pilot Service. It will be focused to those users not possessing a DUA or those who want to obtain a deferred-answer list by means of simple questions.

Many users only possessing a simple PC will be able to use, in any way, electronic mail. This electronic mail service will allow them to access to the Directory through ASEDI.