Subject: PMP> Three errors in HR MIB current draft

From: Ira McDonald <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 16:32:56 -0400

Copies: IETF Host Resources MIB WG <[email-masked]>
        IETF Printer MIB WG <[email-masked]>
        Bobby Krupczak <[email-masked]>
        Pete Grillo <[email-masked]>
        Steve Waldbusser <[email-masked]>
        Lloyd Young <[email-masked]>
        Chris Wellens <[email-masked]>
        Harry Lewis <[email-masked]>
        Tom Hastings <[email-masked]>
        Ira McDonald <[email-masked]>

Hi,                                             Tuesday (10 August 1999)

Three corrections (with rationales below):

1)  Please add an 'Internationalization Considerations' section,
    as required by RFC 2277 (see below);
2)  Please change the default charset of 'InternationalDisplayString'
    from 'NVT-ASCII' back to 'UTF-8' (transform of ISO 10646/Unicode);
3)  Please change the datatype of 'hrNetworkIfIndex' in 'hrNetworkTable'
    from 'InterfaceIndexOrZero' back to 'INTEGER'.

Rationale 1
-----------

The missing 'Internationalization Considerations' section is REQUIRED
for all Internet 'standards track' documents, in order to be:

a)  Compliant with the "IETF Policy on Character Sets and Languages",
    RFC 2277 / BCP 18, January 1998
    - section 6 'Documenting internationalization decisions';
b)  Compliant with the "Guide for Internet Standards Writers",
    RFC 2360 / BCP 22, June 1998
    - section 2.17 'Internationalization'.

Rationale 2
-----------

In Bobby Krupczak's previous draft, the default character set of the
datatype 'InternationalDisplayString' was clarified to be 'UTF-8'.  That
change has been replaced by a default of 'NVT-ASCII' in the current
draft.  The clarified 'InternationalDisplayString' default of 'UTF-8'
is required, in order to be:

a)  Compliant with the "IETF Policy on Character Sets and Languages",
    RFC 2277 / BCP 18, January 1998
    - which requires that all protocols that convey human-readable text
      default to 'UTF-8' (transform of ISO-10646);
b)  Consistent with the Draft Standard SNMPv3 specifications and MIBs,
    RFC 2571-2575, April 1999
    - which use 'SnmpAdminString' (fixed charset of 'UTF-8') exclusively
      and do NOT use 'DisplayString' anywhere;
c)  Consistent with the Proposed Standard "Internationalization of FTP",
    RFC 2640, July 1999
    - which requires that all conformant FTP implementations use default
      charset of 'UTF-8' for text parameters.

Specifically, the HR MIB object 'hrSystemInitialLoadParameters' of type
'InternationalDisplayString' CANNOT interwork with RFC 2640 compliant
FTP implementations, unless the default charset is 'UTF-8'.

Rationale 3
-----------

The change of 'hrNetworkIfIndex' to datatype 'InterfaceIndexOrZero'
(imported from the "Interfaces Groups MIB using SMIv2", RFC 2233)
creates a dependency on a 'Proposed Standard' (RFC 2233) which would
automatically block the HR MIB from advancing to 'Draft Standard'.

Please correct these errors before forwarding this draft to the IESG.

Thanks,
- Ira McDonald
  High North Inc
  906-494-2697/2434