Subject: Re: Pre-release of ether if draft

From: "Dan Romascano LAN-Tel" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 10:44:11 +0200

John,

I have a few minor editorial comments:

1. In 4.2.6. you start with a RECOMMENDation for using an ifType of 
ethernetCsmacd(6) in all cases and end with a MUST NOT for using the 
fastEthernet types. This is, at least, inconsistent.

My personal opinion is that a SHOULD NOT is the right thing to say about 
using other types than ethernetCsmacd(6). I agree that a 10/100 interface 
should always keep its ifType at this value, but I do not see in using a 
fastEthernet type for a 100 only interface connected - let's say - to a 
100 M repeater, a terribly wrong thing.

2. in 4.2.7, when describing ifOutOctets, we should say ... number of 
octets transmitted in <valid> MAC frames ...

3. compliance statements - maybe we should say 'entities using SMIv2' 
instead of 'SNMPv2 entities'. Let us be future ready.

4. There is a typo in chapter 11, when writing 'implementation'.

Overall, a very good work, in my opinion. Thanks.
 
Dan

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Dan Romascanu,
Systems Architecture Team Manager,
Enterprise LAN Systems,
Madge Networks (Israel) Ltd.,
Voice: 972-3-645-8414, e-mail: [email-masked]
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From: John Flick <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 13:30:59 -0800 (PST)

> 100 M repeater, a terribly wrong thing.

I guess I was thinking that it was more important to encourage
consistency among agents, so that a management app could know what to
expect for ifType.  I have attached the results of the implementation
survey I conducted earlier.  For me, the clearest message to be
gleaned from these results is that there is currently NO consistency
among agent implementations, so it seemed like it should be our goal
to establish some consistency.  Remember that we are trying to
encourage the use of ifMauType and ifMauTypeList as the objects to use
to learn what flavor of ethernet is currently running, and what is
supported, for a particular interface.

 > octets transmitted in <valid> MAC frames ...

done

 > instead of 'SNMPv2 entities'. Let us be future ready.

Actually, the 'SNMPv2 entities' thing is a holdover from RFC 1650.  I
think it is unnecessary (agents don't necessarily need to be running
V2 or V3 in order to implement a MIB module written using the V2 SMI).
How does the following sound:

    "The compliance statement for managed network entities
    which have ethernet-like network interfaces."

 > 4. There is a typo in chapter 11, when writing 'implementation'.

fixed

John
============================================

Note:
   ethernetCsmacd = 6
   fastEther      = 62
   fastEtherFX    = 69

             100TX   100FX   100T4   10/100@100  10/100@10 ifSpeed x 2
             ifType  ifType  ifType    ifType      ifType     for FD
Vendor A       62      69      N/A       62          62         N
Vendor B(1)     6       6       6         6           6         Y
Vendor B(2)    62      N/A     N/A       62          62         Y
Vendor C        6       6       6         6           6         Y
Vendor D        6       6       6         6           6         N
Vendor E        6       6       6         6           6         Y
Vendor F       62      69      N/A        6           6         N