> Lastly, if there is a decision to continue to work on this API I can remain > as main editor. However, I can currently not commit to more extensive tasks > such as implementation and test cases.
Claes Do you have information on W3C members committed to implementation & test cases going forward? This might be useful before considering venue for the work and detailed issues. (Is there a public web page with information on current implementations?) thanks regards, Frederick Frederick Hirsch www.fjhirsch.com @fjhirsch > On Apr 1, 2015, at 5:22 AM, Nilsson, Claes1 <claes1.nils...@sonymobile.com> > wrote: > > Hi all, > > Related to the recent mail thread about the SysApps WG and its deliverables I > would like to make a report of the status of the TCP and UDP Socket API, > http://www.w3.org/2012/sysapps/tcp-udp-sockets/. > > Note that this specification is still being worked on. Latest merged PR was > March 30. I think it is time for a new Public Working Draft. > > This API is used to send and receive data over the network using TCP or UDP. > Examples of use cases for the API are: > • An email client which communicates with SMTP, POP3 and IMAP servers > • An irc client which communicates with irc servers > • Implementing an ssh app > • Communicating with existing consumer hardware, like internet > connected TVs > • Game servers > • Peer-to-peer applications > • Local network multicast service discovery, e.g. UPnP/SSDP and mDNS > > The TCP and UDP Socket API is a phase 1 deliverable of the SysApps WG. > SysApps was originally chartered to provide a runtime and security model so > that it would be possible to open up sensitive APIs to SysApps enabled > runtimes. Accordingly, it was assumed that the TCP and UDP Socket API would > be exposed to such a “trusted runtime”. Looking at existing TCP and UDP > Socket APIs they are implemented in proprietary web runtimes, FFOS and > Chrome, which provide a security model for installed packaged web runtimes. > > Today we can conclude that it has not been possible to standardize a runtime > and security model in SysApps. However, there still seems to be an interest > in the TCP and UDP Socket API, at least from individuals at Google and > Mozilla. For example, there has been extensive work, supported by Google, to > adapt this API to the Streams API specification, > https://streams.spec.whatwg.org/. > > To meet the issue that we don’t have a standardized secure “web system > applications” runtime and that the current open web browser sandbox is not > secure enough for this kind of API (but the security features are evolving > through the Web Application Security Working Group) I recently added > “permission methods”, partly inspired by the W3C Push API. A webapp could for > example request permission to create a TCP connection to a certain host. The > ambition is to isolate the permission system from the socket interfaces > specifications and the manner in which permission to use this API is given > differs depending on the type of web runtime the API is implemented in. For > example, a web runtime for secure installed web applications may be able to > open up this API so that no explicit user content is needed, while an > implementation in a web browser may use a combination of web security > mechanisms, such as secure transport (https:), content security policies > (CSP), signed manifest, certificate pinning, and user consent to open up the > API. > > If SysApps WG is closed and the scope of W3C is limited to APIs that could be > exposed the “normal browser context” (which is evolving, once again referring > to Web Apps Sec WG) a new home for this API could be the Device API WG. A > Community Group, similar to what we have for Web Bluetooth and NFC, would > also be a possibility. > > WDYT? > > Lastly, if there is a decision to continue to work on this API I can remain > as main editor. However, I can currently not commit to more extensive tasks > such as implementation and test cases. > > Best regards > Claes > > > Claes Nilsson > Master Engineer - Web Research > Advanced Application Lab, Technology > > Sony Mobile Communications > Tel: +46 70 55 66 878 > claes1.nils...@sonymobile.com > > sonymobile.com > > <image003.png>
