Subject: [manet] Parametrized DLEP extensions

From: Rick Taylor <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2017 13:42:32 +0000

Hi Lou,

Post vacation and IETF, I've been mulling over parameterized DLEP
extension negotiations, and tried a quick draft, but unfortunately I've
come unstuck. The more I wordsmith, the less useful the extension
appears to be.

For those who weren't aware, Lou and I discussed the idea of a DLEP
extension that provided an enhanced Extensions Supported Data Item that
added some extra payload per extension, providing a standard way of
parameterizing/initializing extensions at session start.

For example the next dlep-lid draft allows a modem to announce the
length of a LID (or it remains as a default).  I was using this as a
use-case for parameterised extensions, but it worked out simpler to
have a second Data Item defined in the LID extension, used only in
Session initialization, rather than the more complicated method of
requiring a 'Parameterized Extensions' extension, and then supplying a
'Link identifiers + params' extension.

From a purist point of view, I like the idea of parameterized
extensions, but the reality seems to be that the simple work around of
an extension adding it's own setup Data Item for use in session
initialization wins the day.

Any thoughts anyone?

Rick