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   "http://forrest.apache.org/dtd/document-v20.dtd" [
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<document>
  <header>
    <title>Apache Avro&#153; &AvroVersion; SASL Profile</title>
  </header>
  <body>
    <section id="intro">
      <title>Introduction</title>
      <p>SASL (<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2222.txt">RFC 2222</a>)
      provides a framework for authentication and security of network
      protocols.  Each protocol that uses SASL is meant to define a
      SASL <em>profile</em>.  This document provides a SASL profile
      for connection-based Avro RPC.</p>
    </section>

    <section id="overview">
      <title>Overview</title>
      <p>SASL negotiation proceeds as a series of message interactions
      over a connection between a client and server using a selected
      SASL <em>mechanism</em>.  The client starts this negotiation by
      sending its chosen mechanism name with an initial (possibly
      empty) message.  Negotiation proceeds with the exchange of
      messages until either side indicates success or failure.  The
      content of the messages is mechanism-specific.  If the
      negotiation succeeds, then the session can proceed over the
      connection, otherwise it must be abandoned.</p>
      <p>Some mechanisms continue to process session data after
      negotiation (e.g., encrypting it), while some specify that
      further session data is transmitted unmodifed.</p>
    </section>

    <section id="negotiation">
      <title>Negotiation</title>
      <section id="commands">
	<title>Commands</title>
	<p>Avro SASL negotiation uses four one-byte commands.</p>
	<ul>
	  <li><code>0: START</code>  Used in a client's initial message.</li>
	  <li><code>1: CONTINUE</code> Used while negotiation is ongoing.</li>
	  <li><code>2: FAIL</code> Terminates negotiation unsuccessfully.</li>
	  <li><code>3: COMPLETE</code> Terminates negotiation sucessfully.</li>
	</ul>
	
	<p>The format of a START message is:</p>
	<source>| 0 | 4-byte mechanism name length | mechanism name | 4-byte payload length | payload data |</source>
	
	<p>The format of a CONTINUE message is:</p>
	<source>| 1 | 4-byte payload length | payload data |</source>
	
	<p>The format of a FAIL message is:</p>
	<source>| 2 | 4-byte message length | UTF-8 message |</source>
	
	<p>The format of a COMPLETE message is:</p>
	<source>| 3 | 4-byte payload length | payload data |</source>
      </section>

      <section id="process">
	<title>Process</title>
	<p>Negotiation is initiated by a client sending a START command
	  containing the client's chosen mechanism name and any
	  mechanism-specific payload data.</p>
	
	<p>The server and client then interchange some number
	  (possibly zero) of CONTINUE messages.  Each message contains
	  payload data that is processed by the security mechanism to
	  generate the next message.</p>
	
	<p>Once either the client or server send a FAIL message then
	  negotiation has failed.  UTF-8-encoded text is included in
	  the failure message.  Once either a FAIL message has been
	  sent or recieved, or any other error occurs in the
	  negotiation, further communication on this connection must
	  cease.</p>
	
	<p>Once either the client or server send a COMPLETE message
	  then negotiation has completed successfully.  Session data
	  may now be transmitted over the connection until it is
	  closed by either side.</p>
      </section>

    </section>

    <section id="session">
      <title>Session Data</title>
      <p>If no SASL QOP (quality of protection) is negotiated, then
	all subsequent writes to/reads over this connection are
	written/read unmodified.  In particular, messages use
	Avro <a href="spec.html#Message+Framing">framing</a>, and are
	of the form:</p>
      <source>| 4-byte frame length | frame data | ... | 4 zero bytes |</source>
      <p>If a SASL QOP is negotiated, then it must be used by the
	connection for all subsequent messages. This is done by
	wrapping each non-empty frame written using the security
	mechanism and unwrapping each non-empty frame read.  The
	length written in each non-empty frame is the length of the
	wrapped data. Complete frames must be passed to the security
	mechanism for unwrapping.  Unwrapped data is then passed to
	the application as the content of the frame.</p>
      <p>If at any point processing fails due to wrapping, unwrapping
	or framing errors, then all further communication on this
	connection must cease.</p>
    </section>

    <section id="anonymous">
      <title>Anonymous Mechanism</title>
      <p>The SASL anonymous mechanism
      (<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2222.txt">RFC 2245</a>) is
      quite simple to implement.  In particular, an initial anonymous
      request may be prefixed by the following static sequence:</p>
      <source>| 0 | 0009 | ANONYMOUS | 0000 |</source>
      <p>If a server uses the anonymous mechanism, it should check
      that the mechanism name in the start message prefixing the first
      request recieved is 'ANONYMOUS', then simply prefix its initial
      response with a COMPLETE message of:</p>
      <source>| 3 | 0000 |</source>
      <p>If an anonymous server recieves some other mechanism name,
      then it may respond with a FAIL message as simple as:</p>
      <source>| 2 | 0000 |</source>
      <p>Note that the anonymous mechanism need add no additional
      round-trip messages between client and server.  The START
      message can be piggybacked on the initial request and the
      COMPLETE or FAIL message can be piggybacked on the initial
      response.</p>
    </section>

  <p><em>Apache Avro, Avro, Apache, and the Avro and Apache logos are
   trademarks of The Apache Software Foundation.</em></p>

  </body>
</document>
