Subject: [ipfix] [issue] templates vs. option templates

From: "MEYER,JEFFREY D (HP-Cupertino,ex1)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 22:46:58 -0500

Resending due to possible mailer issues:  -- Jeff
 
-----------------
 
Issue:  Collapse concept of templates vs. option templates to a single flag
in order to simplify protocol and be more consistent in terms of information
model usage.
 
See also:  http://ipfix.doit.wisc.edu/archive/2148.html
<http://ipfix.doit.wisc.edu/archive/2148.html> 
 
Proposal Overview:
 
proto-01 defines in section 8.2 a Template FlowSet.  Later in section 9.1 an
Options Template FlowSet is defined.  The semantic difference between the
two mechanisms is the concept of a template being for an "option" and the
concept of "scoping".
 
It is proposed that these two qualities be represented by a flag in the
protocol and appropriate annotation in the Information model respectively.
This enhanced consistency will make the discussion of the basic IPFIX
protocol simpler and the subsequent extension of its information model more
straight forward.
 
Specific Wording:
 
(sec. 8.2):
 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |O|     FlowSet ID = 0          |          Length               | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |R|     Template ID 1           |         Field Count           | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |        Field Type 1           |         Field Length 1        | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |        Field Type 2           |         Field Length 2        | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |             ...               |              ...              | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |        Field Type N           |         Field Length N        | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |R|     Template ID 2           |         Field Count           | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
 
     ...
 
     O
       The "O" flag indicates if this set of templates describes options
information.  Options information are special FlowSet records which describe
metadata about the flow meter.  Options records have special "scoping"
information items which must be specified as the first set of fields.
 
    ...
 
    R 
      Template ID's are 15 bits long.  The high order bit is reserved to
distinguish Option templates from basic flow information templates.  See
also section 8.3.

(sec 8.2)
 
    0                   1                   2                   3 
    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |O|  FlowSet ID = Template ID   |          Length               | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |   Record 1 - Field Value 1    |   Record 1 - Field Value 2    | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |   Record 1 - Field Value 3    |             ...               | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |   Record 2 - Field Value 1    |   Record 2 - Field Value 2    | 
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
   |   Record 2 - Field Value 3    |             ...               | 

     ...

     O
       The "O" flag indicates if this set of records contains options
information.  Options information are special FlowSet records which describe
metadata about the flow meter.  Options records have special "scoping"
information items which must be specified as the first set of fields in the
template message.  Logically there are two sets of template identifiers,
those for basic flow information and those for meta data (options).  See
also section 8.2.

(section 9)  Remove all.  Note that some details are transferred to the
Information Model described below.

Information Model (-02)
 
Add section 7 "Flow Option Attributes"
 
7.1 System
   Description:
   Field Id: 1