Feature request: Create page / tutorial comparing advantages / disadvantages of the different data formats supported by OpenSCAP

[iankko]

This RFE is based on request from the customer.

OpenSCAP currently supports multiple input data formats (e.g.

• SDS (SCAP Source DataStream),
• XCCDF (eXtensible Configuration Checklist Description Format)

and multiple output data formats (e.g.

• HTML report,
• ARF (Asset Reporting Format), and
• XCCDF results file

While the associated features and (dis)advantages of particular data format might be obvious for OpenSCAP team developers, this might not be the case for customers using the tools.

Therefore an OpenSCAP portal page / article / tutorial mentioning the main featues, and comparing the advantages / disadvantages of the various input / output formats might be suitable for the users of the tools they to be able properly to decide, which input / output format to use for scanning / reporting results.

For example of the advantages comparison refer e.g to:     [1] http://scap.nist.gov/events/2011/itsac/presentations/day3/Halbardier%20-%20SCAP%201.2%20Data%20Model.pdf

(Pages: 9, 10, 12, 18, 21, 27, 28, and 39).

I am more inclined the topic discussed in this issue to be covered by a dedicated portal page (but tutorial might be sufficient for the beginning too).

Thank you, Jan.

[yuumasato]

It is not priority to document this right now. We can have this documented in Fedora, and link to it from the portal.