Subject: WG Action - 1 week to discuss [LL28] Applicability of Document

From: Erik Guttman <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 15:24:53 +0200 (CEST)

Please discuss this item and post your comments to the ZEROCONF WG list
<[email-masked]>.  The discussion should conclude by Apr 18, 2003.

Please also see http://www.spybeam.org/ll28.html

Description of Issue  Applicability of Document    
Submitter Name Robert Elz    
Submitter Email Address  [email-masked]
Date first submitted  2003-02-13    
Reference       
Comment Type ['T'echnical | 'E'ditorial]  E    
Priority ['S' Must fix | '1' Should fix | '2' May fix ]  1    
Section 1.2    
Rationale/Explanation of issue: 

It isn't clear just which types of networks which parts of the spec
apply to, and/or whether some parts of the spec apply to all link levels

Lengthy description of problem: 

Section 1.2 starts off saying

"The specifications in this document apply to any IEEE 802
media"

and then later says ...

"Link-layer network technologies that do not support ARP may be
able to use other techniques ..."

This leads to confusion as to whether or not anything in this document
is applicable to the use of LL addresses on anything other than IEEE 802
media. 

Requested Change: 

Change the first paragraph of section 1.2 to read

Link-local addresses as defined in this document, and the methods by
which they are used, and not to be used, once acquired, apply in general
to any network technology. 

The specification of how link local addresses are initially acquired,
and then later defended, and in particular, the timers to be used, vary
from network technology to network technology, and will in general be
described in other documents as required in the future. 

Because IEEE 802 media, including Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), are very
commonly used, particularly in environments where link-local addresses
are likely to be most desired, this document includes the specification
of how link-local addresses are to be acquired and defended using such
media. 

Whenever this document uses the term "Ethernet", that should be read to
include any other network technology that uses ARP [RFC826] for IP
address resolution, operates at a data rate of at least one megabit per
second, and has a round trip latency of no more than one second.

Then continue with what is currently the second paragraph (etc).