Subject: [Capwap] SLAPP as analogous to the Extensible Authentication Protocol -> was FW: Start-ups SLAPP IETF with proposal

From: "Paul Lambert" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 10:25:30 -0700

I find it amusing to see the device 'brain-swapping' protocol SLAPP
described as an interoperability protocol (below).  There is absolutely
no way that any unaligned vendor could every get a product to work with
other SLAPP devices. Downloading proprietary firmware will allow
innovation, but never interoperation.

Paul 

-----Original Message-----
From: NW on Wireless in the Enterprise [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 6:10 PM
To: Paul Lambert
Subject: Start-ups SLAPP IETF with proposal

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: JOANIE WEXLER ON WIRELESS IN THE ENTERPRISE
04/11/05
Today's focus:  Start-ups SLAPP IETF with proposal

Dear [email-masked],

In this issue:

* Another AP-to-controller proposal emerges
* Links related to Wireless in the Enterprise
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus:  Start-ups SLAPP IETF with proposal

By Joanie Wexler

If last week's discussion of SLRRP wasn't hard enough to digest
(sorry!), I thought I'd hit you this week with SLAPP (sorry again!), an
even newer initiative. As luck would have it, the two proposed protocols
are distantly related.

SLAPP, the Simple Light Access Point Protocol, is the latest IETF-Draft
submission to the Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points
(CAPWAP) Working Group. SLAPP's goal: to allow a standard method of
discovery and authentication between wireless access points and
controllers. It also provides for a standard form of secure tunneling
for file transfer between the two network elements. The authors teamed
from wireless LAN switch competitors Aruba Wireless Networks and Trapeze
Networks.

CAPWAP's reported goal is to have a final draft standard by year-end or
in early 2006.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about SLAPP is its provisions to
support extensions for technologies other than 802.11, such as 802.16
(WiMAX) base stations managed by WiMAX controllers and radio-frequency
identification (RFID) readers managed by central RFID controllers, which
is where the aforementioned SLRRP ("slurp"), or Simple Lightweight RFID
Reader Protocol, comes in. 
The proposed SLRRP protocol would work exclusively on the network side
of RFID reader networks, a.k.a. tag-area networks, or "TANs."

For some time, there has been discussion - and yes, even controversy -
over the development of a common protocol allowing the WLAN switch
vendors' proprietary controllers and software to interoperate with
access points other than their own. It began circa 2003 with the
proposed Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP), which has since
gained competition. There are currently three proposals at the CAPWAP
group, according to SLAPP co-author Partha Narasimhan of Aruba.

"Thin" access points and their corresponding switches with management
and security smarts are sold as partners, using proprietary protocols to
discover and authenticate one another. 
Getting a standard protocol for this function would allow users to
purchase APs from one vendor of choice and management controllers from
another. For the thin-AP/switch vendors whose APs aren't the product of
choice but whose switches and software are, they could lose the AP sale
but still stay in the game with their other products.

Narasimhan describes SLAPP as analogous to the Extensible Authentication
Protocol in the 802.1X architecture, leaving room for innovation. "In
the discovery phase, the AP would tell the switch which extensions it
can support, then the switch would change over to a specific control
protocol" such as WiMAX or a proprietary capability in a particular
802.11 vendor's software suite, he explains.

In this analogy, SLAPP would be analogous to EAP, while LWAPP and the
Chantry/Siemens CAPWAP Tunneling Protocol (CTP), SLAPP's competitors,
would be analogous to Transport Layer Security, Protected EAP, and other
specific algorithms designed to run under EAP in an 802.1x framework, he
says.

RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS

Network-centric RFID draws near
Network World Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter, 04/04/05
http://www.nwfusion.com/nlwir1470

WLAN switches embrace multivendor APs
Network World Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter, 03/21/05
http://www.nwfusion.com/nlwir1356

LWAPP to decouple WLAN radios, switches
Network World Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter, 07/28/03
http://www.nwfusion.com/nlwir1471

Check Point adds wireless to VPN box
Network World, 04/11/05
http://www.nwfusion.com/nlwir1472
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Joanie Wexler

Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology writer/editor in
California's Silicon Valley who has spent most of her career analyzing
trends and news in the computer networking industry. She welcomes your
comments on the articles published in this newsletter, as well as your
ideas for future article topics. Reach her at
<mailto:[email-masked]>.
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Intermec i-safe and Mobile Computing
Webinar 

Working in potentially explosive environments in industries like
petrochemical and pharmaceutical requires special tools to ensure
safety. Non-incendive (NI) and intrinsically safe
(I-Safe) mobile computers provide the same functionality as standard
devices, but are designed to be safe to use in hazardous environments.
Attend this webinar hosted by Intermec and SAT.  
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=101626
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Wireless research center
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---

From: "James Kempf" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 18:36:09 -0700

Paul,

Good point. EAP does not allow code download to the Authenticator, AFIKT.
Perhaps Partha can explain what he means?

            jak

PS: I suppose I could go off on a rant like Dan did about discussing things
on the list, particularly technical points, rather than in the press, but
I'll decline.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Lambert" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>; <[email-masked]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 10:25 AM
Subject: [Capwap] SLAPP as analogous to the Extensible Authentication
Protocol -> was FW: Start-ups SLAPP IETF with proposal

Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: NW on Wireless in the Enterprise [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 6:10 PM
To: Paul Lambert
Subject: Start-ups SLAPP IETF with proposal

In this issue:

By Joanie Wexler

RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS

Wireless research center

---

From: Dan Harkins <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 19:09:14 -0700

James,

  Please, I enjoy a good rant every once in a while. 

  But I take issue with your characterization of my previous posts to this
list. I specifically said to Mani,

	"I understand that unofficial side-band discussions cannot, and
	 really should not, be controlled. It's just that 'approval' seemed
	 to be derived from some just such a side-band discussion since the
	 alleged discussion did not happen on the list."

Notice the "really should not"? Go read it again. I do not have a problem
with people discussing anything in the press, or even people making press
releases (like the one about your employer purchasing, and presumably
deploying, product that implements one of the proposals before us). I don't
have a problem with out-of-band email or phone calls between WG members
discussing WG issues. Just don't try to claim consensus in the WG around
any of it. 

  So please, rant on. But don't twist my words around.

  Dan.

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 18:36:09 PDT you wrote

---

From: "James Kempf" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 19:25:37 -0700

Dan,

My point was, technical discussion should take place on the list. Partha
made a technical comment to the press that, I believe, was unsubstantiated.
To me, that's in the same category as the issues you complained about.

Regarding press releases, this wasn't a press release about an Aruba
product, it was a statement about the technical content of IETF standards.
Please, by all means, make as many such press releases as you want. But when
it comes to discussing  the technical content of IETF standards, let's keep
the discussion within the IETF (comments about whether a company supports a
standard or plans to implement it in its products, etc., seem also fair game
to me for press releases).

'Nuff said.

            jak

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Harkins" <[email-masked]>
To: "James Kempf" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Paul Lambert" <[email-masked]>; <[email-masked]>;
<[email-masked]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 7:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Capwap] SLAPP as analogous to the Extensible Authentication
Protocol -> was FW: Start-ups SLAPP IETF with proposal