Subject: [AAA-WG]: Issue 123: Use of Application Identifiers in routing

From: Pat Calhoun <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 13:28:48 -0700

The issue states:

> In the first sentence, one may interpret the text that the use 
> of application identifiers in the routing is a necessary requirement. 
> We feel that the use of application identifiers while routing is 
> optional whereas the routing must be based on the destination realm 
> contained in the message. This would provide a flexible scenario 
> where proxies and relays always need to be able to route based on the 
> realm, and in addition, they may choose to route based on application 
> identifiers, as well. This would also allow for implementation 
> scenarios capable to hide the network topology or distribute the 
> server functions within a realm by use of a "gateway" diameter nodes 
> . 
> 
> Requested Change: 
> Rephrase section 2.5 last paragraph, first sentence to: 
> "While the diameter relay and proxy agents MUST know how to 
> route messages based on the destination realm indicated in the 
> message, they MAY be able to route the messages also based on the 
> application identifiers of a particular message." 

Now that I am about to tackle this one, I believe that I disagree with
the above. The issue claims that the use of application-id should be
optional to allow for "gateway", which I presume is a relay agent.

For this reason, we defined the Relay Application-Id, which a node advertises
if it wishes to receive messages for ANY Diameter application.

I would prefer to not adopt this proposed change.

Comments?

PatC

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From: "Le Franck (NRC/Dallas)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 16:28:55 -0500

Pat, thanks for the reply.  But, I feel that the "gateway" nodes are
more than likely proxy nodes that are located on the edge of a network
(realm).  All the messages for this realm will arrive at this gateway
node based on realm based routing.  They may have the knowledge of
specific AAA servers within its realm supporting specific applications
(MIP, NASREQ etc.) and perform the routing using the application
identifier information.  The point, which not clear from the existing
text, is that the use of application identifiers is not a MUST (or
required as in the text) but there are cases where it is useful and
therefore a "MAY".

Sreemanthula Srinivas

-----Original Message-----
From: ext Pat Calhoun [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: 27 August, 2001 3:29 PM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [AAA-WG]: Issue 123: Use of Application Identifiers in routing

For this reason, we defined the Relay Application-Id, which a node
advertises
if it wishes to receive messages for ANY Diameter application.

Comments?

PatC

---

From: Pat Calhoun <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 14:46:18 -0700

On Mon, Aug 27, 2001 at 04:23:09PM -0500, Sreemanthula Srinivas (NRC/Dallas) wrote:
> (realm).

Just want to make sure that you understand that the use of the term proxy
node implies specific functionality. If you are not aware of that, I would
urge you to read section 2.9.2 in the base spec (but if you are in fact
talking about a proxy, then ignore my comment).

> All the messages for this realm will arrive at this gateway
> identifier information.

Right, and the reason your network would work this way is because the "gateway"
advertises itself as a relay (advertises all applications), so it is guaranteed
to receive all requests destined for the local realm. The "gateway" then
forwards the message to the appropriate internal server, based on the
application.

This is exactly the way the base spec is written.

>  The point, which not clear from the existing

Your above sentence unfortunately confuses me. Are you stating that the
routing using appl-id is NOT a MUST in the current spec, or that it is
and you want it softened? If the former, then it needs to be fixed, if 
the latter, please provide why the above example, using the existing text,
doesn't work for you.

Thanks,

PatC