32-bit and 64-bit counters

[Kristine Adamson <adamson@us.ibm.com>]

Hello.
   We are reviewing the current draft of
the TCP-ESTATS-MIB, which is a new MIB that provides additional statistics
for TCP Listeners and connections.  The MIB currently proposes defining
both 32-bit and 64-bit counters for the same statistics, using the characters
HC (for "high capacity") in the object name to distinguish the
2 counters.
   We were wondering if it would be appropriate
to just define 64-bit counters instead of defining 32-bit counters also.
 We referenced the "Guidelines for Authors and Reviewers of MIB
Documents" document, which states the following under section 4.6.1.2:

RFC 2578 Section 7.1.10 places a requirement on "standard"
MIB
   modules that the Counter64 type may be used only if the information
   being modelled would wrap in less than one hour if the Counter32
type
   was used instead.  Now that SNMPv3 is an Internet Standard
and SNMPv1
   is Historic (see http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfcxx00.html for status
   and [RFC3410] for rationale) there is no reason to continue enforcing
   this restriction.  Henceforth "standard" MIB modules
MAY use the
   Counter64 type when it makes sense to do so, and MUST use Counter64
   if the information being modelled would wrap in less than one hour
if
   the Counter32 type was used instead.

Does the sentence "Henceforth _standard_ MIB
modules MAY use the Counter64 type when it makes sense to do so" mean
that MIB authors are not always required to define both 32-bit and 64-bit
counters for the same data?  Thanks!    


Kristine Adamson
IBM z/OS Communications Server: TCP/IP Development
Phone: (919) 254-7911   T/L 444-7911
Internet e-mail:adamson@us.ibm.com