Subject: [BEHAVE] Another comment on the framework doc definitions

From: Dave Thaler <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 18:06:05 +0000

Section 1.2 states:
> State:  "State" refers to dynamic information that is stored in a
>    network element.  For example, if two systems are connected by a
>    TCP connection, each stores information about the connection,
>    which is called "connection state".  In this context, the term
>    refers to dynamic correlations between IP addresses on either side
>    of a translator, or {IP address, transport protocol, transport
>    port number} tuples on either side of the translator.  Of stateful
[...]
> Stateful Translation:  A translation algorithm may be said to
>    "require state in a network element" or be "stateful" if the
>    transmission or reception of a packet creates or modifies a data
>    structure in the relevant network element.

After comparing the framework doc and the stateful doc, I believe it
is incorrect to define state as something that is dynamically
created.  The stateful doc allows statically configured mappings, and
I think most people would think of those as state.

Instead, I believe "state" and "stateful" need to be defined in terms
Of whether there is "connection state", independent of whether it is
created by manual configuration or by transmission/receiption of 
a packet.

Stateless then just means there is no per-connection state.

-Dave