Subject: Re: <draft-ietf-disman-remops-mib-03.txt> comments

From: Randy Presuhn <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 13:32:33 -0800 (PST)

Hi - 

> Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 12:17:09 -0500
> To: Bob Stewart <[email-masked]>
> From: Harmen van der Linde <[email-masked]>
> Subject: Re: <draft-ietf-disman-remops-mib-03.txt> comments
> Cc: [email-masked], "Kaj Tesink" <[email-masked]>,
>         "Ron Plummer" <[email-masked]>
> References: <[email-masked]>
>  <[email-masked]>
...
> Adding summary statistics on the agent side will probably only add to this
> complexity.
> 
> Bottom line: keep things simple so we can finalize this spec and get it
> implemented.
...

I also agree with both the desirability of handling the summary at the
agent as well as the potential for getting the statistics "right" to
cause this to drag on far to long.  But I know that this summarization
and statistical processing is valuable stuff.

As working group chair, may I suggest that we separate the handling
of the more elaborate statistics from the basic ping MIB, handling
the advanced summarization  capabilities in a separate document.
I make this suggestion in the interest of getting some closure on
the remops document.

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Randy Presuhn           [email-masked]     http://www.bmc.com
 Voice: +1 408 616-3100  BMC Software, Inc.           965 Stewart Drive
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From: Bob Stewart <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 17:39:44 -0500

>I make this suggestion in the interest of getting some closure on

What constitutes "advanced?"

I'm comparing this Ping MIB with the Cisco Ping MIB, which has been in
operational use for at least 3-4 years.  They're pretty different, designed
around a very different concept of how you'd use such a MIB.

The Cisco MIB numbers entries so there's no assumption about who can run
how many tests, puts few limits on the protocol and addressing you can
request, puts no significant limit on the number of message exchanges,
offers no option to stop a test in progress, says that entries should be
removed once results are taken, summarizes results with counts, min, max,
and average round trip, and offers a trap when done as an optimization.

The DisMan MIB has strict assumptions about who can run what tests, how
long they can be, and provides little summarization and lots of raw data.
It accomodates view-based security and allows stopping a test.  It carries
additional complexity for concerns about multiple managers.

Please understand that I'm not pushing Cisco's MIB or Cisco's way of doing
this because I happen to work for Cisco.  Anyone who believes that doesn't
know me.  But my comparison of the two MIBs, tempered by how long Cisco's
has been operational, gives me little motivation to change to the new one
and a lot to stick with the old one.

My sense of the problem at hand tells me that a MIB more like Cisco's,
improved for access control, stopping tests, and perhaps the option of
recording every message exchange, would be the best combination of
functions and simplicity.

And I'd allow domain names as well as naked addresses.

	Bob

---

From: Harmen van der Linde <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 18:55:39 -0500

Randy,

>the advanced summarization  capabilities in a separate document.

Sounds like a good idea. However, I'm not sure we've also have to 
standardize summary statistics. Maybe the Script MIB can be used
for this purpose.

> I make this suggestion in the interest of getting some closure on

That was my intend too.

Harmen

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Harmen van der Linde
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