Re: Fw: I-D ACTION:draft-yadawad-disman-ahcf-00.txt

Hi -

(as technical contributor)

> From: "Romascanu, Dan (Dan)" <[email protected]>
> To: "Randy Presuhn" <[email protected]>; "Disman (E-mail)" <[email protected]>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 11:18 AM
> Subject: RE: [Disman] Fw: I-D ACTION:draft-yadawad-disman-ahcf-00.txt
>

> I will repeat a comment that I made during the meeting in Seoul. I think that all,
> or almost all that is being defined in this MIB module can already be performed
> - some features even in multiple ways - by agents that implement existing MIB
> modules like RMON, Events MIB, and Alarm MIB.

This seems to be the case.  I think the question raised is one of usability,
that is, how difficult is it to configure these existing MIBs to these things.
This is another facet of the old scripting vs. expression vs. special-purpose
MIB debate, but also ties in with the questions Juergen raised in his
overview of  http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-nunzi-check-mib-00.txt
at the session in Seoul.

> I think that it would help the discussion if the authors could shortly describe
> what is the added value that this MIB module would bring, and what

Agreed.

> operations/management functions this MIB module provides that are
> not covered by existing MIB modules.
...

To the extent that the script MIB supports languages that are Turing
complete, one could reasonably argue that all other MIBs are superfluous.
Of course, a problem with such a line of argument would be the
amount of pain required to use such a system.  That is why the expression
MIB and the script MIB were both put out as Proposed Standards.

The motivation for the expression MIB was that it was supposed to be
simpler to implement and use.  Whether it adequately met those
criteria is being questioned.  From my perspective it looks like
draft-yadawad-disman-ahcf-00.txt presents another factoring of
the problem.  I am far from convinced that it is *the* solution, but
(as WG chair) I think it's appropriate to include it in the discussion
of whether the expression MIB requires some re-thinking.

Randy