# Policy Decision Point (PDP)

## Definition

The **PDP, Policy Decision Point**, is in charge of evaluating the defined rules. The Policy Decision Point is essentially a policy compiler. The PDP must verify that the specified rules are within the scope of the rule authors authority. The PDP **provides the authorization** to the PEP.

## XACML Policy Management

The policy language is used to describe general access control requirements, and has standard extension points for defining new functions, data types, combining logic, etc. The request/response language lets you form a query to ask whether or not a given action should be allowed, and interpret the result.

`<span class="link" id="bkmrk-main-menu">Main Menu</span><span id="bkmrk-%C2%A0%3E%C2%A0"> > </span><span class="link" id="bkmrk-administration">Administration</span><span id="bkmrk-%C2%A0%3E%C2%A0-0"> > </span><span class="link" id="bkmrk-configure-soffid">Configuration</span><span id="bkmrk-%C2%A0%3E%C2%A0-1"> > </span><span class="link" id="bkmrk-security-settings">Security settings</span><span id="bkmrk-%C2%A0%3E%C2%A0-2"> > </span><span id="bkmrk-xacml-policy-managem-0">XACML Policy Management</span>`

It is possible to import an existing PolicySet into Soffid. The file to import must be a well-formed XML.

<p class="callout info">To know more about XACML, read [XACML 2.0 Standard Specification](https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=xacml#XACML20)</p>

## Related objects

- [Policy set](https://bookstack.soffid.com/books/xacml/page/policy-set "Policy set")
- [Policy](https://bookstack.soffid.com/books/xacml/page/policy "Policy")
- [Policy set reference](https://bookstack.soffid.com/books/xacml/page/policy-set-reference "Policy set reference")
- [Policy reference](https://bookstack.soffid.com/books/xacml/page/policy-reference "Policy reference")

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*[https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/2713/Brief\_Introduction\_to\_XACML.html](https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/2713/Brief_Introduction_to_XACML.html)*