Overview
ISO/IEC 9834-2:1993 - "Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Procedures for the Operation of OSI Registration Authorities - Part 2: Registration procedures for OSI document types" specifies how OSI document types are named, recorded and published. It defines the required contents and form of register entries, the assignment of an unambiguous ASN.1 Object Identifier (OID) to each OSI document type, and the procedures for operating an International Registration Authority for OSI document types. Annex A is normative (format of register entries); Annex B is informative (concepts and examples).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Register entry contents: must record document semantics (partially or fully defined), abstract syntactic structure, transfer rules and any protocol-specific operations or support requirements.
- OID assignment: each document type is given a unique ASN.1 Object Identifier. For the International Register the OID form is specified as:
{ iso registration-authority document-type (2) x }
- Carrier standards: any ISO/CCITT carrier standard that references OSI document type registration must provide protocol fields able to carry an ASN.1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER and an ASN.1 typed field for entry parameters (or indicate absence of parameters).
- Transfer model: OSI documents are transferred as a series of Presentation Service data values (per ISO 8822). Register entries must define abstract syntax names and associated transfer syntax names and encodings that can carry the semantics.
- Registration governance: entries are publicly available; addition/modification/deletion requires consensus among ISO/IEC national bodies (similar to agreeing an International Standard). Assigned OIDs must not be re-used.
- Format and conformance: Annex A prescribes the structure and clauses of a register entry (identifier, object descriptors, abstract/transfer syntax names, parameter type definitions).
Practical applications and users
- Organizations implementing or specifying OSI-based protocols (e.g., FTAM, JTM) use this standard to register and reference document types unambiguously.
- Standards bodies, registration authorities and protocol designers rely on these procedures to publish interoperable document-type definitions.
- Product vendors and implementers use registered OIDs and register entries to ensure consistent encoding, transfer and operations across heterogeneous systems.
- Useful for architects working with ASN.1, Presentation Service (ISO 8822), and any system requiring standardized payload type identification.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO/IEC 9834-2, OSI document types, registration procedures, ASN.1 Object Identifier, OSI Registration Authority, Presentation Service, register entries.
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