On Tue, 2006-06-27 at 09:00 +0100, Brian Hulse wrote: 
> I understand what you're saying, but there's a processing overhead
> here. In your model, each module will winnow out the alternatives it
> cannot support and pass on the result to the next. The problem with
> this is that each will have to do an exhaustive search throughout the
> whole policy tree, including, as you say, a complete match on what
> could be very complex WS-SecurityPolicy assertions. This isn't
> necessary, we only want a single supported alternative, we don't need
> to process everything to get this.

So what algorithm are you suggesting? I guess an option would be to ask
all the modules whether they can handle a specific alternative and then
if not go to the next alternative?

Even for that, the method indicated would have to be added to
Module.java; the difference is how we call it.

So, can we go ahead with adding this method?

> In addition, I was being circumspect when I stated registration of
> QNames ... this is a first stage pass of the winnow process, which is
> high level and easy to do. After that, a higher level processing unit
> (higher than the modules) would need to examine each alternative and
> ask each module about its support statement on the assertions in its
> domain. This two stage approach is what our code does and in doing so,
> stops when a suitable alternative is found, rather than the exhaustive
> approach you suggest. I understand that in small policies, with no or
> simple choice, there is very little difference, but in the larger,
> more complex cases, this will matter.

See above; what you described is a good improvement of the above
algorithm. In any case, it still requires the same method to be added to
the Module class.

> It should also be stated that there is still the possibility with your
> model of a bad choice. If the model you choose is that domain A just
> removes all alternatives it cannot support, and it leaves 2
> alternatives ... which does it use? It could select one that some
> other domain could not support ... when in fact there is an
> alternative which could pass everyone's tests. In this respect, you
> have to have some central point of control, a Policy Decision Point,
> and it can't be farmed out to the domains. Am I just confusing the
> issue?

No that cannot happen. If domain A leaves 2 alternatives, that means it
CAN handle both. The policy decision point can pick any of those
alternatives and then life must be good with that. Period.

Sanjiva. 



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