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RE: message to nanog



> Reading this message, I wonder if it makes sense to ask operators
> these questions without some explanation of the tradeoffs involved...
> The notifications question may be fairly straightforward, but do we
> expect engineers who haven't read the netconf specs to understand
> the concept of "channels" and to know what benefits they have, what
> complexity they add, etc?
> 
And the question is first (I think):
- do you plan to have multiple things going on in paralel
- if so is having multiple connections an issue?

> Bert had mentioned the possibility of sending a longer questionnaire
> to operators (I think he meant the ops-dir) regarding their need for
> various netconf features.  Bert, are you still planning to do that?
> 
I hope so. But we need the WG to come up with the list.

> If so, we might want to combine these questionnaires and send the
> same questions to both ops-dir and nanog.  What do folks think?
> 
I think that is what we should do.

Bert
> Margaret
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-netconf@ops.ietf.org 
> [mailto:owner-netconf@ops.ietf.org]On
> > Behalf Of ext Eliot Lear
> > Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 2:00 PM
> > To: netconf
> > Subject: message to nanog
> > 
> > 
> > At the plenary, we agreed that I would draft a message to 
> > NANOG to ask 
> > for feedback on features such as notifications & channels.  
> > Here is my 
> > first cut at such a message.  Let me propose that if we don't 
> > get enough 
> > responses, we actually go to NANOG and do a presentation.
> > 
> > Subject: YOUR opinions needed for Network Configuration Protocols
> > Reply-to: netconf@ops.ietf.org
> > 
> > 
> > Dear NANOG folk,
> > 
> > The NETCONF working group of the IETF is currently developing a 
> > collection of protocol specifications for the configuration 
> > of network 
> > elements.  This work originated from a roadshow that many of 
> > us went on 
> > to learn what operators of different types want in such a 
> > protocol.  Now 
> > we would like to checkpoint with you on some of the 
> contents of those 
> > specifications.
> > 
> > The protocol itself is split into two parts: an abstract set of 
> > functions, and a binding to specific protocols, including 
> > SSH, BEEP, and 
> > SOAP over HTTP(s).  Each protocol has its pluses and minuses.
> > 
> > As envisioned, the base protocol supports an option for 
> > notifications. 
> > The idea is that a manager would be notified of 
> configuration-related 
> > events, such as a card insertion or removal, and act 
> appropriately to 
> > configure the element.  The envisioned format of 
> > notifications is either 
> > reliable syslog from RFC 3195 or something similar.  Because 
> > notifications are asynchronous, one writes code that implements a 
> > dispatch mechanism that discriminates on the type of event. 
> > Notifications would be an option that not all managers 
> would have to 
> > implement.
> > 
> > The working group is attempting to determine whether notifications 
> > should remain as part of the base specification.  Here are 
> > the choices 
> > facing the group:
> > 
> > Option A.  Leave them in as currently specified, and require all 
> > protocol mappings to support them.
> > Option B.  Allow them to be asynchronous, but don't use RFC 
> 3195, and 
> > require all mappings to support them.
> > Option C.  Remove them entirely from the specification and 
> > let vendors 
> > implement RFC 3195 or other notification mechanisms as they 
> > see fit (for 
> > instance, existing syslog).
> > 
> > Do you have an opinion on which of these options you would like?
> > 
> > Related, the NETCONF base protocol currently makes use of the 
> > notion of 
> > channels.  Channels are a basic concept in the BEEP protocol, 
> > and they 
> > exist in SSH as well.  However, use of multiple channels in 
> > SSH is not 
> > supported in common SSH applications.  They are completely 
> absent in 
> > HTTP, and so the notion of a session would have to be 
> > introduced in the 
> > mapping.
> > 
> > Channels provide a number of benefits.  First, they divorce 
> > the idea of 
> > who is the session initiator and who is the device manager.  
> > This means 
> > that either the network element or the manager could initiate a TCP 
> > connection.  This is useful when NATs and firewalls exist between a 
> > device and the manager.  Channels are also necessary to 
> > implement a way 
> > to determine progress of a configuration operation.
> > 
> > The working group has three choices:
> > 
> > Option A.  Keep channels in the base document and require 
> > each mapping 
> > to support them.
> > Option B.  Make channels optional.
> > Option C.  Remove channels from the base protocol and allow 
> their use
> >             in the protocol bindings.
> > 
> > Which option do you prefer?
> > 
> > If you would like to read the entire set of documents, you 
> will find 
> > them by going to the NETCONF working group charter page:
> > http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/netconf-charter.html
> > 
> > Eliot
> > 
> > --
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> > archive: <http://ops.ietf.org/lists/netconf/>
> > 
> 
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