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Re: Please review draft-housley-rfc2050bis-00.txt

2013-03-20 17:43:22
On Mar 20, 2013, at 3:25 PM, David Farmer <farmer(_at_)umn(_dot_)edu> wrote:

"xxx is obligated to ..." wasn't intended as a suggestions for text, but like 
I paraphrased the text from the draft above, and I intended it to paraphrase 
the the text that needs to be added.  The text above quoted from the draft 
"...such recommendations must be taken into consideration..." and I agree 
with that.  I'll note the care in how it is worded, but it seems to flow only 
from IETF to IR System.

The IETF defines the protocols, including the parameter fields.  While
the application of the protocols is up to the community, the IETF does
also on occasional state known technical recommendations or constraints
in usage of its technical standards. The original RFC2050 specified such
technical constraints, the RIR/operator community has generally respected 
them over time, and hence they've been included in the revised text.

Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive to the "must" in "...such 
recommendations must be taken into consideration...". But, it seems to me 
that this says IR System must defer judgements on technical issues to the 
IETFs technical recommendations, even if they are old, crufty, and been left 
in dust by the march of technology.

We have existence proof that the Internet Number Registry system is quite
capable of determining when circumstances have changed and while generally
considering important advice, e.g. hierarchical assignment, the registries
have indeed evolved policy as necessary and specified by the community. 

Note also that that the actual text does not at all say "defer judgements 
on technical issues to the IETF's technical recommendations", but instead
that those recommendations must be considered in policy discussions:

 "In addition, in the cases where the IETF sets technical recommendations
  for protocols, practices, or services which are directly related to
  IP address space or AS numbers, such recommendations must be taken
  into consideration in Internet Numbers Registry System policy
  discussions regardless of venue."

I understand that you're seeking assurances that the IETF will dynamically
update any documents that affects the Internet Number Registry System, but
reality is that it takes specific efforts to make that happened (and they
don't always converge with productive output.)  This effort to update RFC2050
is at least a step towards getting better alignment than we have today.

FYI,
/John

Disclaimers: My views alone.   No header fields were harmed in the making
of this email.