Subject: [ipfix-protocol] PROTO-35: make sure the definitions match between [IPFIX-ARCH] and [IPFIX-PROTO]

From: Benoit Claise <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 20:49:36 +0200

Dear all,

Regarding the issue PROTO-35 (make sure the definitions match between [IPFIX-ARCH] and [IPFIX-PROTO]), I made some minor edits to the IPFIX-PROTO draft terminology section to align to the IPFIX-ARCH draft terminology section.
There are however a couple of minor changes to be done to the IPFIX-ARCH terminology section

1. In the definition below, I would keep (for example the selected output interface)
Metering Process 
 
   The Metering Process generates Flow Records.  Input to the process 
   are packet headers observed at an Observation Point and packet 
   treatment at the Observation Point _(for example the selected output 
   interface). _
    
   The Metering Process consists of a set of functions that includes 
   packet header capturing, timestamping, sampling, classifying, and 
   maintaining Flow Records. 
    
   The maintenance of Flow Records may include creating new records, 
   updating existing ones, computing Flow statistics, deriving further 
   Flow properties, detecting Flow expiration, passing Flow Records to 
   the Exporting Process, and deleting Flow Records. 

2.
 [IPFIX-PROTO] specifies: 
Exporter 
    
   The device which hosts an Exporting Process is termed an Exporter. 

 [IPFIX-ARCH] specifies: 

   * Exporter

      A device which hosts one or more Exporting Processes is termed an
      Exporter.

The [IPFIX-PROTO] definition is the right one. As we can see from [IPFIX-ARCH] section 7, there is only exporting process per exporter.

3. [IPFIX-ARCH] specifies:

   * Control Information, Data Stream

      The information that needs to be exported from the IPFIX Device
      can be classified into the following categories:

      Control Information

         This includes the Flow definition, selection criteria for
         packets within the Flow sent by the Exporting Process, and any
         IPFIX protocol messages.  The Control Information carries all
         the information needed for the end-points to understand the
         IPFIX protocol, and specifically for the receiver (Collector)
         to understand and interpret the data sent by the sender
         (Exporter).

      Data Stream

         This includes Flow Records carrying the field values for the
         various observed Flows at each of the Observation Points.

      IPFIX Message

         An IPFIX Message is a message originating at the Exporting
         Process that carries the IPFIX records of this Exporting
         Process and whose destination is a Collecting Process.  An
         IPFIX Message is encapsulated within a transport layer header.

From the above, it seems that the IPFIX Message is part of the "Control Information, Data Stream" definition.
But it's not the case, so you should add an asterix in front of "IPFIX Message" and have the correct indentation

4. The "Control Information, Data Stream" terms are only defined in the IPFIX architecture draft terminology section.
The IPFIX architecture draft is the only IPFIX draft using those notions!
Do we see this as an issue? Should we try to avoid those terms?

Regards, Benoit.