Template-driven XML digital signature
View Patent ↗An XML digital signature standard is applied to an XML document to sign it. The XML digital signature is an XML fragment with a specified schema that includes (a) data to describe how the signature should be calculated (e.g., digest methods, filters, and data sources) and (b) actual signature data (e.g., digests and signature values). The data describing how the signature should be calculated (i.e., the “group (a)” data) is placed inside an XML digital signature template, which is then used (e.g., by an API (application programming interface)) to create the actual digital signature containing the “group (b)” data.
1. A method of generating a digital signature for a document comprising:
receiving a template comprising first information including data to describe how the digital signature should be calculated at a digital signature generator from a data storage device;
generating second information including actual signature data based on the first information;
storing the second information in the template;
creating a key;
signing the first information and the second information with the key to provide the digital signature; and
storing the digital signature in the template.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the template and storing the template in the data storage device prior to receiving the template.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the template comprises:
receiving a call at the digital signature generator from an application for the digital signature; and
retrieving the template from the data storage device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the template having first information comprises receiving the template comprising at least one digest method and at least one canonicalization method.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the second information based on the first information comprises generating a digest value and a signature value.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a signature element comprising the first information and the second information, wherein signing the first information and the second information comprises signing the signature element with the key.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the second information is based on the first information and the document.
8. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method of generating a digital signature for a document, the method comprising:
receiving a template comprising first information including data to describe how the digital signature should be calculated at a digital signature generator from a data storage device;
generating second information including actual signature data based on the first information;
storing the second information in the template;
creating a key;
signing the first information and the second information with the key to provide the digital signature; and
storing the digital signature in the template.
9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , having further computer-executable instructions for generating the template and storing the template in the data storage device prior to receiving the template.
10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein receiving the template comprises:
receiving a call at the digital signature generator from an application for the digital signature; and
retrieving the template from the data storage device.
11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein receiving the template having first information comprises receiving the template comprising at least one digest method and at least one canonicalization method.
12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein generating the second information based on the first information comprises generating a digest value and a signature value.
13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , having further computer-executable instructions for generating a signature element comprising the first information and the second information, wherein signing the first information and the second information comprises signing the signature element with the key.
14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein generating the second information is based on the first information and the document.
15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method of generating a digital signature for a document, the method comprising:
receiving a template comprising first data including data to describe how the digital signature should be calculated;
generating second data comprising a digest value and a signature value and including actual signature data;
storing the second data in the template;
providing the digital signature based on the first data and the second data; and
storing the digital signature in the template.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first data comprises at least one digest method and at least one canonicalization method.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the second data is based on the first data.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the template comprises empty data fields corresponding to the second data for use in calculating the digital signature, the second data subsequently determined based on the first data and stored in the empty data fields.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the first data and the second data are signed with a key to become the digital signature.
20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the digital signature is in an extensible markup language (XML) data format.