Please use this page to suggest (and answer) questions that you would like to see attached to an FAQ for PEER / REEP.

* Q: What is the difference between PEER and REEP?

PEER  is an open source software package that anyone can download and use as a metadata registry. The registry may be used to support individual identity federations or as a repository for multiple sources of metadata.

REEP is a service run by REFEDS, based on the PEER software. It is used by research and education identity federations as a central place to fetch Identity Provider and Service Provider metadata.

* Q: Why should I use REEP?

If you are a Service Provider that is a member of multiple identity federations, you will know that you are currently required to maintain and update metadata held in the repository at each and every federation. REEP, or another metadata repository, allows you to maintain your metadata in one place. When registering entities with federations, you simply request that they fetch this metadata from the repository instead of requiring you to deposit locally. 

* Q: Do I still have to join federations?

By joining a federation you sign up to its rules about how you and other members will behave. Joining a federation may also involve registering metadata with that federation. REEP cuts down on the process of registering and maintaining the metadata entities you register with each federation - simply register the data with REEP and ask the federations to fetch the data from REEP.

* Q: Who can use REEP?

Anyone can register an entity with REEP. You will need to prove that you have the authority to register entities for your domain. Federations can chose to whitelist or blacklist entities from REEP to a set that matches their membership.

* Q: How do federations fetch metadata from REEP?

TBD

* Q: What is the difference between REEP and eduGAIN?

eduGAIN is a full interfederation service - it means that you only have to be a member of one federation, and they provide your metadata to the eduGAIN service. You will need to participate in eduGAIN via your 'home' federation and meet the technical specifications required by eduGAIN to participate. You will also need to be sure that your target service(s) / customer (s) is / are participating in eduGAIN.

REEP still requires you to join multiple federations, but cuts down on the metadata management overhead by only needing to register the service in one place.

Both services can help you reach more federation members more effectively, different organisations are likely to have a preference for each approach.