Subject: Re: Delta encoding in HTTP to Proposed Standard

From: Neale Banks <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 23:54:34 +1100 (EST)

Submission to the IETF and IESG regarding "Delta encoding in HTTP
<draft-mogul-http-delta-07.txt>" as a Proposed Standard.

In relation to this Internet-Draft I have a concern regarding its
acceptance as a Proposed Standard in its current form, due to a
significant omission.

This Internet-Draft includes section 1.1 titled "Related research
and proposals". However this section completely fails to acknowledge
the existence of the rproxy project[1].  Nor is rproxy refered to
anywhere else in the current draft.  It is my humble opinion that
this omission renders this Internet-Draft critically incomplete.
This section could also benefit from a reference to rsync[2].

I in no way submit that the technical proposals of Mogul et al are
inferior to rproxy, but rather that these two approach similar (if not
the same) challenges with contrasting solutions.  It is from this
point of view that I submit that the current draft is critically
incomplete insomuch as includes a section "Related research and
proposals" which makes no apparent qualification of incompleteness.

Whilst there may be grounds to allege that rproxy is still a
work-in-progress, it is a project which has a sound foundation - 
"The rproxy algorithm is based on the well-known and trustworthy
rsync software by Andrew Tridgell." [1],[2]

Having discussed this matter with the one of the rproxy developers[3],
I am sure that the contributors to rproxy would be agreeable to
providing some assistance with including an appropriate reference in
this Internet-Draft.

Yours Sincerely,
Neale Banks.
Fri,  9 Feb 2001

References:

[1] rproxy: http://www.linuxcare.com.au/rproxy

[2] rsync: http://rsync.samba.org/

[3] Conversation with Martin Pool at linux.conf.au, January 2001

---

From: Mark Nottingham <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 08:27:19 -0800

Is there an rsync protocol specification to refer to (in a normative
or non-normative manner)? I see a presentation about the protocol,
and a one-page description with some BNF defining 'delta', but
nothing else.

Cheers,

-- 
Mark Nottingham, Research Scientist
Akamai Technologies (San Mateo, CA)