Subject: RE: [Disman] The ITU-ALARM-MIB and SpecificProblems.

From: "Romascanu, Dan \(Dan\)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2006 18:37:50 +0200

We already have a free text field column - ituAlarmAdditionalText. Why
do we need a second one? 
 
Dan

  _____  

	From: Gamet, Thomas [mailto:[email-masked]] 
	Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 5:51 PM
	To: [email-masked]
	Subject: [Disman] The ITU-ALARM-MIB and SpecificProblems.

	We are considering the use of the ituAlarmTable as an extension
to the alarmMobelTable's rows that would give us the ability to report
alarm data from an EMS function to an NMS using ITU standardized alarm
information.  The problem is that specificProblems, from X.721/X.733, is
part of what makes an alarm unique but it is not provided in the
definitions given in RFC 3877.  

	The TMF 814 (the probable cause qualifier), and CIM from the
DMTF (the probable cause description), also provide mechanisms for
extending a probable cause with more detailed or specific problem
descriptions.  Unlike the ITU, these other standards use only a string
to provide the additional qualification/description on the probable
cause (the ITU uses a SET OF construct.)  May be the reason this item
was omitted is that an accurate representation is difficult to achieve
with SNMP?  Or, was there some other mechanism in the minds of the
original contributors for covering the purpose of specificProblems in
the ITU standards?  In either event, it needs to be available in the
alarm model in order for the alarmActiveState and alarmClearState
notification types to provide sufficient detail when sending
notifications of alarm state changes.

	If possible, I'd like to see the following added to the
ITU-ALARM-MIB's ItuAlarmEntry... 
	  ituAlarmSpecificProblemsString        SnmpAdminString 

	And 
	ituAlarmSpecificProblemsString OBJECT-TYPE 
	  SYNTAX        SnmpAdminString 
	  MAX-ACCESS    read-write 
	  STATUS        current 
	  DESCRIPTION 
	        "String version of the ITU SET OF specificProblems using
ASN.1 Value Notation." 
	  REFERENCES 
	        "ITU Recommendation X.733," 
	  ::= { ituAlarmEntry 6 } 

	This should keep the data type simple for SNMP to handle and
still preserve the meaning of ITU specificProblem information.  It
should also be data that can be shared with CIM and TMF compliant
systems.  Comments, suggestions and corrections are welcome.

	Regards, 

	Thomas Gamet 
	Interim Manager - Systems Engineering 
	Harris Corporation, Microwave Communications Division, NetBoss
Business Unit 
	Tel:  321-724-3260 (USA, Eastern Time, -05:00 GMT) 
	Fax: 321-724-3940 
	E-mail:  [email-masked] 

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