Mode of operation

index.html

@@ -1497,6 +1497,95 @@ <h2>Refreshing</h2>
 
       </section>
 
+      <section>
+       <h2> Mode of Operation</h2>
+
+<em>This section is non-normative.</em>
+
+<p>
+Section <a href="#ecosystem-overview"></a> provided an overview of the verifiable 
+credential ecosystem. A more detailed look at the way the eco-system is envisaged 
+to operate is as follows.
+</p>
+
+      <p>
+Note that the following ordering of steps is not fixed and some steps may be repeated 
+multiple times.
+      </p>
+
+      <ul style="list-style-type:none">
+        <li>
+Step 1. The verifier defines its policies for accepting verifiable credentials 
+from holders for its supported actions.
+   </li>
+   <li>
+Step 2. The issuer issues a verifiable credential to the holder.
+  </li>
+   <li>
+Step 3. The holder MAY pass on its verifiable credentials to another holder.
+  </li>
+   <li>
+Step 4. The final holder presents its verifiable credentials to the verifier in 
+a verifiable presentation, requesting a supported action.
+  </li>
+   <li>
+Step 5. The verifier verifies the authenticity of the verifiable presentation
+and verifiable credentials.
+  </li>
+   <li>
+Step 6. The verifier verifies that the holder may posses the verifiable 
+credentials.
+  </li>
+   <li>
+Step 7. The verifier determines whether to accept the verifiable credentials for 
+the requested action, taking into account its policy, the holder, and the contents 
+of the verifiable credentials.
+  </li>
+   <li>
+Step 8. The verifier either performs the requested action or rejects the request.
+  </li>
+  </ul>
+
+  <p>
+This specification does not define any protocol for the transfer 
+of verifiable credentials or verifiable presentations, but assuming that other 
+specifications do specify how they are transferred between the various entities, then:
+  </p>
+
+  <ul>
+  <li>
+This verifiable credentials specification is directly applicable to steps 
+2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
+  </li>
+  <li>
+This verifiable credentials specification is not sufficient on its own for 
+steps 1, 7, and 8 as an authorisation framework will be needed as well.
+  </li>
+  </ul>
+
+<p>
+In particular, Section <a href="#terms-of-use"></a> and Section 
+<a href="#subject-holder-relationships"></a> specify how a verifier can 
+determine whether:
+</p>
+ <ul>
+  <li>
+the holder is the subject of a verifiable credential, 
+  </li>
+   <li>
+the relationship between the subject and the holder,
+  </li>
+   <li>
+the original holder passed a verifiable credential to a subsequent holder, 
+  </li>
+   <li>
+any restrictions on the use of the verifiable credentials by the holder and/or verifier.
+  </li>
+  </ul>
+
+
+     </section>
+
       <section>
         <h2>Terms of Use</h2>