Re: NAI decoration: User Identity issues

[Barney Wolff <barney@databus.com>]

On Thu, Jul 15, 2004 at 09:38:12AM -0700, Bernard Aboba wrote:
> 
> In addition to the billable identity attribute though, I think we will
> probably need to explain the logic behind it and provide advice on how
> User-Name and Class can/should be used, to make sure people understand the
> issues.  That might go in the "RADIUS issues and solutions" draft.

I'm a little confused.  Can someone state clearly what problem is being
solved by Billing-Identity that would not just as well be solved by
leaving User-Name alone and putting any altered name in Class?  Is it
just that people perceive a need for entities other than the home
authentication and accounting servers to know the "true" identity of
the user?  If that were all, I'd push back, asking why it's anybody's
business other than those home servers'.

If Billing-Identity is intended for detailed cost accumulation, perhaps
it should be called Billing-Accumulator-Id instead.  But in any case,
it would seem that it has meaning only within the scope of the server
that generates it; otherwise, ford.com's server can routinely generate
Billing-Identities that say @chevy.com.  Presumably that's why we don't
want to overwrite the original User-Id.  Is leaving User-Id alone
enough to provide auditability, or should we introduce a Diameter-style
audit trail that records how the Access-Accept got back to the NAS?

-- 
Barney Wolff         http://www.databus.com/bwresume.pdf
I'm available by contract or FT, in the NYC metro area or via the 'Net.

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