more flexible write-option alternative

[Larry Menten <lmenten@lucent.com>]

In the Enns draft, a global write option is proposed that is expressed
as a direct child of the <edit-config> element.  IMO, the write-option
tag should be an attribute of the target element that is to undergo the
operation.  This makes the target of the operation explicit, simplifies
the processing of the command, and allows multiple operations on the
tree to be expressed in a single atomic transaction.


Rather than:

<edit-config>
   <write-option>
        merge
   </write-option>
   <ospf>
        <id>135.104.52.1</id>
        <area>
             <id>0</id>
             <interface>
                 <id>135.104.52.3</id>
                  <helloInterval>10</helloInterval>
              </interface>
         </area>
    </ospf>
</edit-config>

... followed by three more <edit-config> statements of similar size, we 
should have
the following single configuration transaction:

<edit-config>
   <ospf id="135.104.52.1">
        <area id="0">
             <interface id="135.104.52.3" op="merge" helloInterval="10"/>
             <interface id="135.104.54.2" op="overwrite" 
helloInterval="10" deadInterval="40"/>
        </area>
        <area id="1" op="overwrite">
              <interface id="135.104.50.2" helloInterval="10" 
deadInterval="40"/>
        </area>
     </ospf>
<edit-config>

This is very clear to express and, in this example, less disruptive of 
the operation
of the target protocol implementation.  We have used this approach 
extensively
in the context of routing protocols and related subsystems after having 
explored a
representation similar to the one proposed in the Enns draft.  We have 
found that
placing the operation with the target element is a much more powerful 
approach.

Larry


--
Larry Menten               Lucent Technologies/Bell Laboratories
Phone: 908 582-4467        600 Mountain Avenue, Murray Hill, NJ  07974 USA 


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