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Re: Last Call: draft-ietf-syslog-protocol (The syslog Protocol) to Proposed Standard

2007-02-01 16:05:43

"Mark" == Mark Andrews <Mark_Andrews(_at_)isc(_dot_)org> writes:

    >> - 'The syslog Protocol ' <draft-ietf-syslog-protocol-19.txt> as
    >> a Proposed Standard

    Mark>     draft-ietf-syslog-protocol-19.txt recommends using a
    Mark> reliable protocol.  Existing implementations of syslog do
    Mark> this and deadlock with nameservers which are logging via
    Mark> syslog.


Please explain the deadlock in more detail.  One of the primary
reasons for the syslog working group is reliable syslog, so I think we
need to focus on how to avoid the deadlock in other ways rather than
avoiding reliability.
 
        nameserver logs to syslog.  syslog trys to resolve a address
        which requires the nameserver to succeed.  syslog() uses a
        reliable transport to talk to syslogd.  This pipe fills up.
        syslog() then blocks waiting on syslogd which is waiting
        on the nameserver ....

        There are two way to break this.
        1. use a lossy transport
        2. don't attempt to resolve names/addresses in syslogd.

        You can reduce the problem by always logging using
        IP addresses.  However it doesn't remove the problem
        completely as you still need to look up addresses
        for forwarding purposes.

        Similarly if syslogd is using a reliable transport
        to talk to another syslogd.  That too can block which
        will eventualy lead to blockages to applications /
        memory exhaustion.
-- 
Mark Andrews, ISC
1 Seymour St., Dundas Valley, NSW 2117, Australia
PHONE: +61 2 9871 4742                 INTERNET: Mark_Andrews(_at_)isc(_dot_)org

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