Inter-Federation Agreements
eduGAIN and beyond?
Andrew Cormack
Chief Regulatory Adviser, JANET(UK)
[email protected]
Copyright JNT Association 2009
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
1
Why?
• Purpose of Federation
– Entities establish trusted communication
• Purpose of Inter-federation
– Same for entities in different federations
Copyright JNT Association 2009
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
2
Challenges
• Entities are identified by local processes
– Technical trust
• Members behave according to local rules
– Behavioural trust
• Systems may not (technically) inter-operate
– Not covered here
• What about non-members?
– May assume they have guarantees/rights
Copyright JNT Association 2009
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
3
Bilateral agreement
Metadata
Inter-fed agreement
Fed.
Rules
Copyright JNT Association 2009
Metadata
Fed.
Fed.
Rules
Rules
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
4
Inter-Federation Agreement:
Technical Trust
• Metadata checked by local published process
– Keep metadata up to date
– Announce any changes to process
• Agree basic trust/LoA mapping
– Can agree additional mappings if required
• Recipient fed. publishes metadata to members
Copyright JNT Association 2009
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
5
Inter-Federation Agreement:
Behaviour
• Members bound by local rules
– Complaints dealt with by “home” federation
– According to its rules
– In (if appropriate) local legal jurisdiction
• Agreement creates no legal rights/liabilities
– To members or federation operator
– Resolve problems by talking
• Anything else goes in separate agreement
Copyright JNT Association 2009
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
6
Possible Legal Forms
• Same text can be wrapped as...
• Contract (e.g. UK federation agreement)
– Creates legal obligations
– Requires two legal parties (hub & spoke)
• MoU (e.g. JANET-Internet2)
– Creates moral obligations
– Requires two (or more) legal parties
• Unilateral declaration (e.g. Kalmar)
– May create legal obligations (still checking!)
– Made by a single legal party
Copyright JNT Association 2009
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
7
Multi-lateral agreement
Metadata
Fed.
Rules
?
Fed.
Rules
Metadata
Terms of
Use
Fed.
Rules
Copyright JNT Association 2009
Fed.
Fed.
Rules
Rules
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
8
Metadata Terms of Use
• Permitted use
– Establishing trusted communications
• Disputes, liability, etc.
– Members of signer’s Fed: use by Fed. rules
– Others: use at own risk
• May copy/redistribute
– But must retain these Terms of Use
• Continued use = acceptance of Terms
– Creates contract with operator of registrar fed.
Copyright JNT Association 2009
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
9
Proposed Documents
• Federation agreements/rules
– Apply within a federation
• Inter-federation agreement (eduGAIN declaration?)
– Links together federation agreements
– Establishes technical and behavioural trust
– Final wording depends on chosen legal structure
• Metadata Terms of Use
– Protects use by non-members
– Whether individuals or federations
– Metadata must identify registrar federation
• eduGAIN service profile(s)
– Establishes technical interoperability
Copyright JNT Association 2009
GN3 , 8thSeptember 2009
10