Subject: Re: Rechartering

From: Chip Sharp <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 14:49:10 -0400

In general, I prefer specific milestones and work items in a charter.  The
below looks too much like a Question in ITU.  If the WG cannot define
specific work items and deliverables, it should go dormant (i.e., mail list
only) until time to go to Draft Standard when it will have to deal with
removing all the options that don't have multiple interoperable
implementations. :-)

The current work items (i.e., MIBs) should be completed before taking on
other work.

Specific comments in-line:

At 03:37 PM 6/15/00 -0500, Tom-PT Taylor wrote:
>At the Adelaide meeting, attendees favoured continuance of the Working Group
>in order to ensure an IETF voice in the evolution of the Megaco/H.248
>protocol.  Since we have accomplished all of our original charter except for
>the MIBs, it is time to think about a new charter.  I would propose that
>this charter contain the following elements:
>
>(1) an introduction including a general definition of a Media Gateway and a
>description of work accomplished so far

This should be a non-starter. ITU SG15 is already attempting to do this in
its TIGIN work.  Also, I don't think IETF should start defining equipment.

Also, an IETF Working Group charter should not have a work item of
describing work done so far.

>(2) a general description of the work to be carried out by the Working Group
>over the next year
>     -- identification of errors and clarifications required to the base
>protocol

This could be done under the current charter by going dormant (i.e., mail
list only) and collecting bugs, etc. to be taken into account when moving
to Draft Standard.  The WG can be reactivated when it decides the protocol
is ready to move to DS.

>     -- review and standardization of additional packages

This should be dealt with via a BOF and possible chartering of a new WG for
additional packages.  In any case, specific packages should be identified
with enough interest shown to justify the work.

>     -- completion of the Megaco/H.248 MIBs

This falls under the current charter which is still to be
completed.  Perhaps the WG should focus on completing these work items
before taking on more work.

>     -- (suggested in Oslo) completion of a document giving the complete
>picture of the MIBs required to manage a Media Gateway

It isn't clear what this means or if it is needed.  Is this intended as an
operational document?

>     -- cooperation with MMUSIC on the detailed extensions to SDP required to
>support IP transport of media

One group needs to take ownership of this.  I believe MMUSIC is doing this
now.  There is no need for megaco to exist in order to cooperate with
MMUSIC.  Everyone in megaco is free to join the relevant mail lists and
work on the relevant items without the existence of megaco.

>     -- review of proposed Megaco/H.248 profiles, upon request from other
>bodies

This is terribly open-ended.  Need to identify particular work items and
decide on a case-by-case basis.  I suspect if there is interest in a
profile, a BOF should be formed and a decision need to be made on
chartering a WG to define a profile. Keeping a WG open in case something
happens is not SOP.

>     -- consideration of possible extensions to the base protocol
>   all in cooperation with the ITU-T and other standards bodies and fora.

Same as previous comment.

>(3) a detailed listing of all work currently in hand.

The current charter should be updated to mark "done" what has been
finished.  This isn't a work item.

>Would the list care to comment on this proposal?  Do we agree to recharter,
>and does (2) have the right list of work items?

Right now I don't see a need to recharter and certainly not with the above
work items.

>Tom Taylor
>Phone and FAX: +1 613 736 0961
>E-mail: [email-masked]

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Chip Sharp                 CTO Consulting Engineering
Cisco Systems
Reality - Love it or Change it.
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