short notes from ietf FAX WG meeting

Here are a short summary fo the FAX wg meeting in San Francisco.
Comments, additions etc. are welcome!

As there were no requested changes to the proposed agenda, we proceeded
along with it.

Tamura-san reported that draft-ietf-fax-service-v2-05.txt (the revision
for Draft Standard of RFC 2305) was approved by IESG and is not in the RFC
editor's queue. Before publication the document needs also TIFF-FX
(currently draft-ietf-fax-tiff-fx-12.txt) to be ready, as there are
references to the latter.

Again Tamura-san reported that the two documents regarding gateways,
draft-ietf-fax-gateway-protocol-08.txt (for Propose Standard) and
draft-ietf-fax-gateway-options-05.txt (for Informational)
need some refinement, as requested by the ADs, after the last call was
finished. The editor is working on it, and will submit an updated versione
just after the meeting.

Claudio Allocchio reported that draft-allocchio-gstn-04.txt  (for Proposed
Standard) has been under IESG revision. there was only a change in the
abstract as a result of the discussion, as the IESG concluded it is
inappropriate to have normative text (a capital MUST) in an abstract. The
change will be made directly by the RFC editor during publication. Formal
approval is expected by the next IESG meeting in two weeks time.

An updated version of  draft-ietf-fax-tiff-fx-12.txt (for Draft Standard)
was published, taking into account the comments which came in during the
discussion. As Rob Buckely could not be present, Claudio presented his
slides. In particular (see slides) 3 features were removed from the
specification, as the were lacking support by implementations, while a
further refinement of the interopoerability report and attached matrix is
undeway. It is expected that the editors will present the final
interoperability report within a short time after the meeting. Also new
IPR statements are being collected, and published on the IETF web site.
An additional check about raised points in the draft document (see slides)
implied the addition of RFC3249 as NON normative reference. Also ITU IPR
statements will be added as a reference. Most of the other points were
examined but the editors reccommended no changes to the text. Claudio
asked the WG, and it agreed with the editors reccommendations. The
question will be taken again on the ML, before the new version is
published. In this version also an editorial fix in section 7.2.1 will be
made. Ned added that also RFC3250 and RFC3302 (currently proposed
standards) will need an editorial update before they are progressed
together with tiff-fx specification to Draft Standard: in fact they refer
to image/tiff only insted of distinguishing between image/tiff and
image/tiff-fx.

As a note to the AD, Claudio suggested to the ADs some re-ordering of the
interoperability reports nd IPR statements pages on the WEB site, at least
indexing th docuements by WG. Ned Freed agreed that there is a need for
it and will take the point forward.

A new version of draft-ietf-fax-faxservice-enum-01.txt was ready for the
meeting. As Toyoda-san could not attend, the slides were presented by
xxxxxxxxx. The new version conform to the ENUM registration syntax which
was then approved at the ENUM WG meeting the day after. Claudio asked for
consensus on the current specification, and the WG supported it.

Dave Crocker reported the significative changes which were made to SMTP
Service Extension for Content Negotiation
(draft-ietf-fax-esmtp-conneg-06.txt) to take into account the many
comments an objections which came about it. In particular (see slides) the
intention is to create a machanism which can work also in case
intermediate MTAs act among them, when ther is not direct end-to-end
interactions between i-fax devices. The new extension CONPERM is
introduced: the i-fax machine allows the fist MTA in the chain to perform
conversion on its behalf, after negotiation (using CONNEG) was done. New
MIME headers are introduced per message for this purpouse. There was a
discussion abot the fact that all features specific to internet fax should
not be rpesent in the specification, and the editor and the WG agreed that
the specification will be totally indipendent of its internet fax us.
As most of the discussions came from the wide IETF community, and the
scope of the specification is not by itself restricted to i-fax, it was
agreed that the first WG last call will be made on our ML, then the
discussion will be opened also on the SMTP ML and to the wider IETF lists.

Again Dave presented the new approach to the timely delivery problem. The
ld specification was dismissed, as its implementaion would have impacted
in a to wide way on the existing infrastructure to expect for a resonable
level of support. Thus (see slides) we now try to obtain performance
fromthe existing infrastructure, and obtain a timely receipt from the user
agent involved in the final transaction, using MDN extensions. In order
for infrastructure to support Timely delivery performance there are
various possible solutions. Possibly, either e separate TCP port where
messages have an implied timely delivery request, either upgrading the
core specifications to make mandatory some current options (Deliverby)
and/or adding SRV record flags where MTA support "APT" (accontable
Predictable Timely) mail service. The WG briefly asked for clarification
on the different options, and the new draft document to be prepared will
try to clarify the different scenarios of possible implementation.

At last, FFPIM (draft-ietf-fax-ffpim-01.txt) was not modified since the
last meeting, as it both depends on CONNEG and Timely delivery, and the
editor standed it by whioe waiting for these new documents.

At the end of the meeting, the co-chairs proposed that, unless there are
major specific technical issues to be solved, this was the last physical
meeting of the FAX WG. The ML will be used to discuss remaining issues,
and for last call of pending documents. The co-chairs thanked all the
participants to the WG meeting, present and past, for their efforts and
support during these years.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claudio Allocchio             G   A   R   R          [email protected]
                        Project Technical Officer
tel: +39 040 3758523      Italian Academic and       G=Claudio; S=Allocchio;
fax: +39 040 3758565        Research Network         P=garr; A=garr; C=it;

           PGP Key: http://www.cert.garr.it/PGP/keys.php3#ca