Subject: PMP> RE: FIN> Index into prtMarkerColorantTable

From: "McDonald, Ira" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 08:43:23 -0700

Hi Mark,

[I sent this reply to the Printer MIB mailing list [email-masked]', where
this topic belongs, rather than the Finisher MIB mailing list.]

Well, I don't think there really were technical considerations.  When the
Printer MIB v1 was developed (in the early 1990's), there was still a trend
toward simple indexing of SNMP tables (since reversed in IETF and others).

Also, the Printer MIB v1's 'IETF advisor' (Steve Waldbusser) unilaterally 
chose most of the MIB structuring methods.

Since the vast majority of network printers had (and have) only _one_
marker, I imagine folks didn't worry about Marker Colorant indexing.

Since it took us SEVEN YEARS to get the Printer MIB v2 through the IETF
process, I'm afraid there's no possibility of an update (like another
lookup table added to help here).

Cheers,
- Ira, co-editor of Printer MIB v2

Ira McDonald (Musician / Software Architect)
Blue Roof Music / High North Inc
PO Box 221  Grand Marais, MI  49839
phone: +1-906-494-2434
email: [email-masked] 

-----Original Message-----
From: Hopkins, Mark [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 8:39 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: FIN> Index into prtMarkerColorantTable

I am looking for someone who knows some history of the Printer MIB.  I am
wondering why prtMarkerIndex is not an index into the
prtMarkerColorantTable.  With the current MIB design, it appears it is
necessary to look at all values of prtMarkerColorantMarkerIndex in the table
to determine the colorants for one of the markers in the printer.  If
prtMarkerIndex was an index, then a simple walk with that index would access
the colorants of the correct marker.

Does anyone know if there is a technical reason that prtMarkerIndex was not
used as an index.  Also were there other considerations for this choice.

Thanks

Mark Hopkins