Re: Send-N draft: draft-bellis-enum-send-n-02 published

On 3 Jul 2008, at 21:28, Jay Daley wrote:
> Ellie
>> What makes send-n interesting is that it's neither a link nor a
>> resource, but introspective meta-data. I can see the logic of a
>> standard NAPTR that links to this data by generating an appropriate
>> URI but using a NAPTR to embody the data itself feels somewhat akin  
>> to
>> using an HTTP GET resource to update a database. This is the reason I
>> feel send-n would be better handled via a different RR type
>> specifically geared to tree introspection and validation.
>>
>> I can't comment on whether or not such a generic solution has uses
>> beyond ENUM or how acceptable it will be to the wider DNS community.
>
> I can see the attraction but this is more a thought experiment than a
> practical solution.

Agreed. But it's a thought experiment that could have practical value  
as it hints at there being more to the send-n problem than just  
hinting at the number of valid digits in an ENUM lookup.

> This is because
>
> * it has no use case;

Well I can see benefits to it:

a. it solves the number length problem in ENUM
b. it allows the shape of portions of the DNS tree to be specified and  
validated
c. it could be used to enforce naming policies

and I'm certain that someone more knowledgeable in general DNS usage  
could build use cases which exploit these.

> * the security implications are too great of one label being able to  
> make
> statements about lower labels that might be under different admin  
> control.

I've missed something in my interpretation of the send-n draft as I  
don't see how using a non-NAPTR resource to achieve the same effect  
makes any difference. In both cases the RR is making statements about  
the shape of the tree beneath the current level.

> If you think it is a good idea then please suggest it to dnsext, but I
> suspect it will not get much traction. Hence my view that send-n is  
> best as it is, a limited solution for ENUM.

Well I definitely lack the time or resources to take on such a  
sisyphian task, which I guess is the reason for send-n in the first  
place?


Ellie

Eleanor McHugh
Games With Brains
http://slides.games-with-brains.net