Re: Ambiguity

[Rob Enns <rpe@juniper.net>]

Yes, there's a definite problem with specifying the target
of a replace operation--the draft version 00 provides no way 
to do it.

In a message to the list on 5/15 Phil talked about fixing this by 
introducing a replace="replace" attribute on the element to be 
replaced (this is how it is handled in JUNOScript).

Would that address the concern?

thanks,
 Rob

On Tue, May 27, 2003 at 02:12:02PM -0500, Allen, Keith wrote:
> I'm still concerned about ambiguity in the approach described by the Enns
> draft.  I've read what Phil and Rob have said about it, and I appreciate the
> "assume it's always the innermost element(s) that are being operated upon"
> argument, but I'm still not convinced that solves the ambiguity problem.
> 
> Consider if a device has a 1000 line XML configuration file, and I want to
> change the IP address of one of the interfaces.  The Enns draft would have
> me send an edit-config message with the following contents.  Presumably,
> this would change only 2 lines out of those 1000 lines.
> 
> 
>      <rpc id="102" xmlns="http://ietf.org/xmlconf/1.0/base";>
>          <edit-config>
>            <target>
>              <running></running>
>            </target>
>            <test-option>test-then-set</test-option>
>            <write-option>replace</write-option>
>            <error-option>stop-on-error</error-option>
>            <config xmlns="http://example.com/schema/1.2/config";>
>              <interface name="Ethernet0/0">
>                 <address>
>                    <ipv4>1.2.3.4</ipv4>
>                    <ipv4-mask>255.0.0.0</ipv4-mask>
>                 </address>
>              </interface>
>            </config>
>          </edit-config>
>        </rpc>
> 
> Now, here's my question.  What if I want to instead replace the entire 1000
> lines of data with the following 6 lines?  
> 
>              <interface name="Ethernet0/0">
>                 <address>
>                    <ipv4>1.2.3.4</ipv4>
>                    <ipv4-mask>255.0.0.0</ipv4-mask>
>                 </address>
>              </interface>
> 
> How would I do that?  If it's with the same message as above, then I think
> there is an ambiguity problem.  I guess as an operator I should be concerned
> that by trying to change only 2 lines of data I end up wiping out 994 lines
> of data, but I don't think equipment suppliers would really let this happen.
> Instead, I'm more concerned that equipment suppliers will find that
> preventing this from happening will be burdensome to the point that the
> protocol is difficult to implement.
> 
> If instead of using the same message, your answer to "How would I do that?"
> is "You can't," then I'm concerned about what else the protocol won't let me
> do.
> 
> Does anybody else see a problem here?
> 
> 
> Keith Allen
> SBC Labs
> 9505 Arboretum Blvd.
> Austin, TX 78759
> (512) 372-5741
> kallen@tri.sbc.com
>  
> 
> 
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