Subject: [IPFIX] Export of MIB variable in IPFIX: new IETF draft

From: Benoit Claise <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:52:40 +0200

Dear all,

Andrew, Paul, and I posted this new draft, "Exporting MIB variables 
using the IPFIX Protocol".
http://www.ietf.org/staging/draft-johnson-ipfix-mib-variable-export-00.txt

        Abstract

           This document specifies a way to export Management
           Information Base (MIB) objects within the IPFIX protocol,
           avoiding the need to define new IPFIX Information Elements
           for existing Management Information Base objects that are
           already fully specified.

           This method requires an extension to the current IPFIX
           protocol.  New Template Set and Options Template Sets are
           specified to allow the export of Simple Network Management
           Protocol (SNMP) MIB Objects.

The problem we want to solve is that we keep development two data models 
for a unique information model (*) , i.e. MIB and IPFIX information 
elements, which are overlapping. For example: there is an IPFIX 
information element representing the ifName MIB Object. Note that some 
more advantages are specified in the draft.
(*) RFC 3444, "On the Difference between Information Models and Data Models"

Please read it and send your feedback.

I would like to have a slot at the next meeting to present this work.

Regards, Benoit.

---

From: Juergen Schoenwaelder <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:23:46 +0200

On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 04:52:40PM +0200, Benoit Claise wrote:
> The problem we want to solve is that we keep development two data
> models for a unique information model (*) , i.e. MIB and IPFIX
> information elements, which are overlapping. For example: there is
> an IPFIX information element representing the ifName MIB Object.
> Note that some more advantages are specified in the draft.

I do not have time for a detailed review, but some things already
come to mind:

a) I find text like this in several places:

            An alphanumeric-format variable name which denotes a 
            variable name expressed as a sequence of decimal numbers or 
            names separated by periods, as specified by the OBJECT 
            IDENTIFIER in [RFC2578]. 

   As far as I can tell, RFC 2578 does not specify a format with names
   separated by periods (and terminology wise 2578 call these "names"
   descriptors).

b) It is good to see that you require authorization via VACM. However,
   this requires that in addition to the variableName the following
   is known (see RFC 3415):

              securityModel        -- Security Model in use
              securityName         -- principal who wants access
              securityLevel        -- Level of Security
              viewType             -- read, write, or notify view
              contextName          -- context containing variableName

c) In the SNMP world, a variable exists in a context. A context is
   identified by a contextEngineID and a contextName (see RFC 3411).
   I think you need to make sure this is captured somewhere.

>From a quick read, I have not yet understood how the index handling
works. But I might see if I take more time to read in detail.

/js

-- 
Juergen Schoenwaelder           Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH
Phone: +49 421 200 3587         Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
Fax:   +49 421 200 3103         <http://www.jacobs-university.de/>