Re: Implication of building storage around DIDcomm [Was:] DID USER AGENTS

There are a couple questions in here:

1. Can DIDComm be used without an agent?

I think the answer is yes. Can it be used without things that have a DID?
sorta, since any key material can be used to construct a DID via did:peer,
did:key, etc...

2. Can DIDComm be used with things like ZCaps?

I think the answer is yes. Consider the case where 2 agents use DIDComm to
agree to an authorization capability that when invoked grants access to
some data stored in an encrypted data vault.

OS

ᐧ

On Wed, Dec 11, 2019 at 3:05 PM Adrian Gropper <agropper@healthurl.com>
wrote:

> I just read the Aries Agents paper [1] and am trying to process it in the
> Alice-to-Bob storage context that I work with. [2]
>
> Let’s say that the A2A interaction between Alice and Bob is DIDcomm and,
> if successful, Bob gets a capability to access some storage resource
> controlled by Alice (that is operated by a different entity than Alice’s
> agent that issued the capability to Bob).
>
> Bob will access the storage resource using a client that is different from
> the agent Bob used in the A2A / DIDcomm transaction because, in the typical
> case, Bob’s client is not a fiduciary of Bob and therefore does not fit the
> Aries definition of agent.
>
> The protocol that transfers the capability from Bob’s agent to Bob’s
> client could be an A2A / DIDcomm transaction. Separately, the protocol that
> presents the capability to the storage resource could also be an A2A /
> DIDcomm transaction.
>
> Finally, the storage resource then has to verify the capability as being
> signed by Alice’s agent. If Alice has a DID, then that's probably obvious
> and DIDcomm would not be involved.
>
> The implication of building around the Aries agent definition is that the
> agents of all four parties (Alice, Bob, Bob's Employer, Storage) would need
> to deploy DIDcomm.
>
> Would this become an adoption problem for SSI? How can we reduce it?
>
> -Adrian
>
> [1]
> https://github.com/hyperledger/aries-rfcs/tree/master/concepts/0004-agents/README.md
> [2]
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FBfs4shirUAtqD_d_t6F6oi2NZ0Y7400MDoYSm14Yco/edit
>
> On Wed, Dec 11, 2019 at 7:18 AM Oliver Terbu <oliver.terbu@consensys.net>
> wrote:
>
>> IMO, a DID user agent is not a well-defined term. The community
>> distinguishes between different types of agents. These agents are either
>> controlled by an entity, or act on behalf of the entity, run in different
>> locations and have certain capabilities, e.g., routing messages between
>> entities, answering to credentials presentation requests on behalf of
>> entities. I assume you are referring to an agent that runs on a mobile
>> phone or in the browser (e.g., plugin/extension) that is controlled by an
>> entity.
>>
>> In general, there are a lot of companies working in this area and they
>> have their own agent implementations. The community has agreed so far on
>> the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model (W3C REC) and on the W3C CCG DID
>> Spec (Community Draft) so far. The DID spec is now being formalized in a
>> dedicated W3C DID WG. HL Aries/DIF is working on protocols that allows them
>> to interoperate on the messaging level. The following is a non-exhaustive
>> list of public edge agents available on Android/ iOS:
>> - uPort -> https://www.uport.me/
>> - Evernym/ connect.me -> https://www.evernym.com/products/
>> - Jolocom -> https://jolocom.io/
>> - Civic -> https://www.civic.com/
>> - ...
>>
>> Oliver
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 10, 2019 at 5:05 PM Daniel Hardman <
>> daniel.hardman@evernym.com> wrote:
>>
>>> If this topic is of interest to you, you may want to read this doc
>>> <https://github.com/hyperledger/aries-rfcs/tree/master/concepts/0004-agents/README.md>,
>>> and look at the list of implementations at the bottom
>>> <https://github.com/hyperledger/aries-rfcs/tree/master/concepts/0004-agents#implementations>.
>>> This is NOT an exhaustive list of agent technologies; others on the the
>>> list should chime in with other things, too.
>>>
>>> On Tue, Dec 10, 2019 at 2:49 AM Kenneth Anshewitz <kja10@my.fsu.edu>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hey guys,
>>>>
>>>> I'm trying to learn about DIDs and came across your org. I'm interested
>>>> to know of any emerging DID User agents out there besides potentially
>>>> Microsoft and BCDiploma. Would Civic be considered a DID user agent?
>>>>
>>>> Kenny
>>>>
>>>

-- 
*ORIE STEELE*
Chief Technical Officer
www.transmute.industries

<https://www.transmute.industries>