Subject: [netmod] getting rid of ietf-ieee-types.yang

From: Juergen Schoenwaelder <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:28:55 +0100

Hi,

during the WG meeting yesterday, there was concensus to not define an
IEEE port-list typedef or further VLAN related typedefs at this point
in time and to leave this to future work. Part of the reasoning was
that we need to have IEEE experts involved in this work since IEEE 802
briding standards have evolved and one concrete comment made by Dan
Romascanu was that things like the VLAN number space are changing.

Looking at the ietf-ieee-types.yang module, I see that it defines
vlanid (consistent with the VlanId textual convention) which is going
to be affected by an enlarged VLAN number space as well. Furthermore,
ietf-ieee-types.yang defines bridgeid, which had some controversies in
the past concerning the textual representation and again it would
require direct IEEE involvement to get this right. By applying
yesterday's logic, I propose that we do _not_ define these types at
this point in time.

This leaves us with a single definition in the ietf-ieee-types.yang
module: mac-address. While the 48-bit mac address format seems to be
less controversial, I checked MIB modules and the SMIv2 MacAddress is
only used in layer two related MIB modules. Since having a YANG module
for just one definition seems odd, my proposal is to drop the whole
ietf-ieee-types.yang module for now.

Note that I am not saying these typedefs are not needed. I believe
they are actually very crucial to have. However, we should establish
contact to the IEEE via whatever liason and ideally have them involved
in creating appropriate definitions with expert review from YANG
experts. This will be a better solution for getting good definitions
of core IEEE related typedef and this approach allows us to
concentrate on those typedefs where the IETF has the relevant
expertise and move forward with the YANG data types according to our
charter schedule.

Chairs, please consider discussing this proposal during the next
NETMOD meeting.

/js

-- 
Juergen Schoenwaelder           Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH
Phone: +49 421 200 3587         Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
Fax:   +49 421 200 3103         <http://www.jacobs-university.de/>