Re: RFC3728 (1788) (RFC Errata System)

"Romascanu, Dan (Dan)" <[email protected]> Tue, 2 Jun 2009 11:48:24 +0200
Newsgroups gmane.ietf.adslmib
Message-ID <EDC652A26FB23C4EB6384A4584434A0401756FEA@307622ANEX5.global.avaya.com>
If the consensus of the Working Group is that the correction from dBm to
dB is equivalent to fixing a typo I have no problem with approving the
Errata. 
 
Dan
 


________________________________

	From: Bert Wijnen (IETF) [mailto:[email protected]] 
	Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 11:21 AM
	To: Romascanu, Dan (Dan); Menachem Dodge; Scott Baillie
	Cc: [email protected]
	Subject: Re: [Adslmib] RFC3728 (1788) (RFC Errata System)
	
	
	Dan and others.
	 
	Initially my reading was that a change of the SYNTAX was
proposed/suggested.
	That is clearly a NO-GO without deprecating the object and
creating a new one.
	 
	My current understanding is that the only change suggested is to
	change the UNITS clause from 0,25dBm into 0,25 dB.
	 
	If we look at the object in RGV3728, then we see:
	   vdslPhysCurrSnrMgn OBJECT-TYPE
	       SYNTAX       Integer32 (-127..127)
	       UNITS        "0.25dBm"
	       MAX-ACCESS   read-only
	       STATUS       current
	       DESCRIPTION
	           "Noise Margin as seen by this Vtu with respect to its
	           received signal in 0.25dB.  The effective range is
	           -31.75 to +31.75 dB."
	       REFERENCE    "T1E1.4/2000-009R3, Part 1, common spec"
	        ::= { vdslPhysEntry 5 }
	 
	And so, the spec does show a discrepancy between the UNITS
clause
	and the DESCRIPTION clause. So if the subject matter experts
agree
	that 0,25dB is the correct units for this object, then I am fine
to consider
	the UNITS clause to have a typo and so to correct this as an
errata.
	 
	Hope this helps,
	Bert

		----- Original Message ----- 
		From: Romascanu, Dan (Dan) <mailto:[email protected]>  
		To: Menachem Dodge <mailto:[email protected]>
; Scott Baillie <mailto:[email protected]>  ; Bert Wijnen (IETF)
<mailto:[email protected]>  
		Cc: [email protected] 
		Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 10:36 AM
		Subject: Re: [Adslmib] RFC3728 (1788) (RFC Errata
System)

		I am afraid that such a change is not possible in an
errata without
		deprecating the object and defining a new object. 
		
		According to RFC 2578, Section 10.2 
		
		(6)  A UNITS clause may be added.
		
		It is not clear if the UNITS clause can just be changed
as Menachem
		proposes. If both dB and dBm are valid units it looks
like a change in
		the semantics of the object. Even if this was just a
typo I doubt the
		change would be acceptable.
		
		Deprecating an object and defining a new one requires a
revision of the
		MIB module. Such change cannot be made in an errata. 
		
		I would like to hear Bert's opinion. 
		
		Dan
		
		
		
		
		> -----Original Message-----
		> From: [email protected] 
		> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Menachem Dodge
		> Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 9:59 AM
		> To: Scott Baillie; Bert Wijnen (IETF)
		> Cc: [email protected]
		> Subject: Re: [Adslmib] RFC3728 (1788) (RFC Errata
System)
		> 
		> Hi,
		> 
		> So I believe there is now consensus that:
		>  
		>   The UNITS clause should be changed to "0.25dB"
(instead of 
		> "0.25dBm").
		> 
		> No other changes are needed to any of the other
clauses.
		> 
		> 
		> 
		> Are there any objections to accepting this errata? 
		> 
		> Best Regards,
		> Menachem
		> 
		> 
		> 
		> -----Original Message-----
		> From: [email protected] 
		> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Scott
Baillie
		> Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2009 8:07 PM
		> To: Bert Wijnen (IETF)
		> Cc: [email protected]
		> Subject: Re: [Adslmib] RFC3728 (1788) (RFC Errata
System)
		> 
		> Hi All,
		> 
		> I think the UNITS clause should be changed to "0.25dB"
		> and this is not an incompatible change.
		> 
		> The MIB object in question holds a noise margin value
and is 
		> expressed in dB. The MIB object does not represent a
power 
		> level, it represents a ratio of power levels.
		> Because the MIB object represents a ratio there is no
need to 
		> mention power levels at all in the UNITS clause or in
the 
		> DESCRIPTION clause.
		> 
		> I have a few comments about some of the previous posts
:
		> 
		> >Without an explicit or implicit reference level,
decibel (dB) is 
		> >undefined as it represents a ratio.  In our case (as
with the ITU 
		> >document), the reference level is explicitly
specified in the UNITS 
		> >clause.  If it were not, it would be implied by the
context. 
		>  That is, 
		> >we are measuring changes in audio levels in telephone

		> circuits.  This 
		> >has a VERY long and established history (the bel is
named after 
		> >Alexander Graham Bell, a decibel being one tenth of a
bel).
		> 
		> I understand that it is convenient to use dBm when
expressing 
		> power levels in telephone circuits but the MIB object
in 
		> question is a noise margin, not a power level.
		> 
		> >However, if one felt forced, compelled, to be more
specific, then, 
		> >changing "dB" in the DESCRIPTION clause to "dBm"
would be the more 
		> >accurate change.
		> 
		> That change would be completely incorrect.
		> 
		> >Burt the reported proposal for the fix was going to
change 
		> Integer32 to 
		> >Gaug32, or so I understood. That would be really bad
I think.
		> 
		> No need to change the SYNTAX clause.
		> 
		> Regards,
		> 
		> Scott.
		> 
		> On Thu, 2009-05-28 at 00:01 +0200, Bert Wijnen (IETF)
wrote:
		> > I can possibly live with updatinmg the description
clause.
		> > Burt the reported proposal for the fix was going to
change 
		> Integer32 
		> > to Gaug32, or so I understood. That would be really
bad I think.
		> >  
		> > If the SYNTAXes and the value-ranges) all stay the
same, 
		> then I guess 
		> > that formally it would still be a semantic change,
but it 
		> is a matter 
		> > of wording change that I could probably accept if
the WG really has 
		> > consensus on this.
		> >  
		> > Bert
		> >         ----- Original Message ----- 
		> >         From: Randy Presuhn 
		> >         To: [email protected] 
		> >         Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 8:36 PM
		> >         Subject: Re: [Adslmib] RFC3728 (1788) (RFC
Errata System)
		> >         
		> >         
		> >         Hi -
		> >         
		> >         > From: "Ray, Robert E. (MSFC-NNM05AB50C)"
		> >         <[email protected]>
		> >         > To: "Menachem Dodge"
<[email protected]>;
		> >         "Romascanu, Dan (Dan)" <[email protected]>;
		> >         <[email protected]>
		> >         > Cc: <[email protected]>
		> >         > Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 10:50 AM
		> >         > Subject: Re: [Adslmib] RFC3728 (1788) (RFC
Errata System)
		> >         ...
		> >         > Because of this, I disagree completely
with the 
		> Bert and Dan
		> >         on this because
		> >         > I don't think the semantics are changed at
all.  
		> I think the
		> >         context, and hence
		> >         > the reference level, is completely stated.
We are, after
		> >         all, dealing with
		> >         > telephone wires.
		> >         
		> >         Agreed.
		> >         
		> >         > However, if one felt forced, compelled, to
be 
		> more specific,
		> >         then, changing
		> >         > "dB" in the DESCRIPTION clause to "dBm"
would be the more
		> >         accurate change.
		> >         ...
		> >         
		> >         Agreed.  It's a case of the notation used in
the DESCRIPTION
		> >         clause
		> >         being well-understood within the specialist
community, but
		> >         being
		> >         potentially ambiguous outside of that
community.  If the
		> >         change
		> >         is deemed necessary, it's nothing more than
a clarification.
		> >         
		> >         Randy
		> >         
		> >
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		> >         
		> >         
		> >         
		> >         
		>
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