Subject: [AAA-WG]: [issue] 119 E bit, P bit, and proxy-info

From: Mark Eklund <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 16:25:41 -0400 (EDT)

Submitter name: Mark Eklund
Submitter email address: [email-masked]
Date first submitted: 13-Aug-2001
Reference: N/A
Document: base                       
Comment type: T
Priority: 2
Section: 6.1.7, 6.2, and 7.2
Rationale/Explanation of issue:

1. Can a Diameter packet contain both a 'P' bit and a 'E'
   bit in the packet header?

2. Will a Diameter packet with the 'P' bit set contain the
   proxy-info data from the request?

Requested change:

A diameter error packet with an 'E' bit set MUST have the
required AVPS listed in section 6.2, "Diameter Answer
Processing".

Modify section 6.2 to state that these requirements are valid
even if the 'E' bit is set.

Modify section 7.2 to list the answer-message as 
  <answer-message> ::= < Diameter Header: code, ERR [PXY] >
and state that the 'P' bit will be set the same as the 'P'
bit in the request.

I'm not certain if we need to modify section 6.1.7.  It will be 
technically correct with the requested changes, but probably
could be made more clear.

-mark

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From: Pat Calhoun <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 08:44:55 -0700

My comments on this issue.

>    bit in the packet header?

I believe so. If no local action can be taken, the error must be conveyed
back to the access client, right?

>    proxy-info data from the request?

you mean an answer message? Then of course.

> could be made more clear.

ok

PatC

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From: Mark Eklund <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 12:12:45 -0400 (EDT)

Pat,

> you mean an answer message? Then of course.

Incorrect wording.  The question should have been.  

Will a Diameter answer with the 'E' bit bit set contain the
proxy-info data from the request?

My main concern for raising this issue was that I wanted to make
certain that answer with the 'E' bit required the same rules as
normal answers when it came to adding proxy state data and
setting the 'P' bit.  

An example of a possible violation of this could be a redirect
message.  It could be considered to not be proxyable, but
instead it would have to be handled locally and then a new
answer generated for the previous hop depending upon how it was
handled.  Thus the 'P' bit wouldn't be set even though the
request contained one.

My suggestion makes this illegal.

-mark

---

From: Pat Calhoun <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:33:25 -0700

> proxy-info data from the request?

yes.

> normal answers when it came to adding proxy state data and

Ah, that's very important.

> handled.  Thus the 'P' bit wouldn't be set even though the

well, I suppose it really depends on who handles the redirect message.
It is conceivable that a dumb relay will not process these, and allow a
downstream agent to take care of it. 

Not sure that we want to restrict network configurations here.

PatC