Subject: [mdnsext] miniature equine quadrupeds

From: Brian Dickson <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2012 17:51:57 -0500

I'd like to suggest use-case-like examples of what would be a "pony", and
what would facilitate remote accessibility of mDNS-enabled services without
having a "pony".

Here is what Andrew Sullivan was talking about, which would be classified
as a "pony":

      Joe's Random
Thing.local.mac-aa-bb-cc-dd-ee-ff.city.cable-co.example.net

(Note that the things to the left of .local. are generally what mDNS would
allow, and what are prohibited by global DNS rules.)

Here is how I think things could work "just fine", modulo other aspects of
mDNS:

User Activity: Connect To My Home Network (over unicast!!!)

 -> user needs to know FQDN of home gateway, either via
service-provider-facilitated name (ugly), or via user-managed "vanity"
domain updated via Dynamic DNS (pretty).

E.g., user enters name (or has a Preferences thingy where such names are
kept):

     mac-aa-bb-cc-dd-ee-ff.city.cable-co.example.net
or
     joes-home-net.example.com

Optional User Activity: authenticate to Home Network Router

Under-the-hood Activity: Client machine now talks to mDNS PROXY, via
unicast, located either on Home Router, or via (probably NAT'd by Home
Router) additional device on Home Network, and receives mDNS "feed" with
suitable outside-in address/port combos for access to services discovered.

So, there would never be direct merger of global DNS namespace with mDNS
"local" namespace. The global DNS would be a service-discovery-discovery
mechanism.  Global and local are effectively ships-in-the-night, and the
global DNS folks sleep well at night.

Thoughts?

Brian

---

From: Michael Richardson <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:41:52 -0500

>>>>> "Brian" == Brian Dickson <[email-masked]> writes:
    Brian> User Activity: Connect To My Home Network (over unicast!!!)

    Brian> -> user needs to know FQDN of home gateway, either via
    Brian> service-provider-facilitated name (ugly), or via user-managed
    Brian> "vanity" domain updated via Dynamic DNS (pretty).

...

    Brian> Under-the-hood Activity: Client machine now talks to mDNS
    Brian> PROXY, via unicast, located either on Home Router, or via
    Brian> (probably NAT'd by Home Router) additional device on Home

so, the interface I imagine is that one hooks up at some new (maybe your
first) homenet.  Using mDNS service discovery, the
tablet/laptop/smartphone finds out the GUA address of the mDNS proxy,
and finding one probably asks the user a question:
  
  [ Hi, You seem to be network FOOBAR. Do you wish to remember how ]
  [ to access services (printers, refridgerators, etc.) on this    ]
  [ network when you are away?   {yes}  {no} net name: _FOOBAR_    ]

is this what you have in mind?

-- 
Michael Richardson
-on the road-