13.9 The MgmtData Element


The MgmtData element appears as a child of KeyInfo. It is defined as a string value used to convey in-band key distribution or agreement data as content.

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The MgmtData element was included in the XML Digital Signature specifi cation as a place holder. During the XML Encryption specification effort, two more precise and interoperable elements were defined for in-band key distribution or agreement: EncryptedKey and AgreementMethod. MgmtData would have been dropped from XMLDSIG except for one thing: W3C namespace stability rules would have required changing the XMLDSIG namespace because it would have been possible to produce XML that would have been valid under the original DTD/schema but would fail after MgmtData was removed (not that anyone was actually trying to use such XML). No one involved in implementation of this standard wanted a namespace change because it would eliminate interoperability with existing and, in some cases, deployed code. As a result, MgmtData remains as a deprecated wart on the XMLDSIG specification.


MgmtData is much too poorly defined to be interoperable and its use is not recommended. You should use EncryptedKey or AgreementMethod instead.

The MgmtData element syntax follows:

 <!-- MgmtData DTD --> <!ELEMENT MgmtData (#PCDATA)> 

In schema notation, it has the following form:

 <!-- MgmtData schema --> <element name="MgmtData" type="string"/> 


Secure XML(c) The New Syntax for Signatures and Encryption
Secure XML: The New Syntax for Signatures and Encryption
ISBN: 0201756056
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 186

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