Subject: [NTDP] Purpose of NTDP

From: "Craig Brown \(crbrown\)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2006 10:11:41 +0800

It was raised at the last IETF meeting that this alias has been lacking
a statement of purpose. The objective of this alias is to discuss and
propose a solution for how we manage a network testing devices. It can
be considered that these devices are similar to any device in the
network and from some perspectives that's true. The intent therefore is
to further identify the unique areas of these devices and define how
that part is managed. 

A proposed charter is to create a new specification for the automatic
control of devices that generate and analyze traffic and/or emulate
network protocols for the testing of a network or a specific network
device. To perform either network or a network device specific testing,
a tester will use a product to generate traffic, emulate routing
protocols and emulate network end points, such as a network host or HTTP
client.

The discussion points are:

	1. What are the requirements?
	2. How are they unique for this situation?
	3. What areas would use this specifications?
	4. Are there any similar specifications available today?	
	5. Are there any supporters of this specification?
	6. What are implementation options based on existing/proposed
standards? Some existing proposals are:
		a. Use NETCONF as the transport model and create the
data modeling based on previous experiences
(http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/netconf-charter.html)
		b. Use Native XML structures over HTTPS such as XCAP
(http://www.jdrosen.net/simple_acap.html)

I am interested in your feedback and if it resolves the comments of
stating the purpose.

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From: "Loki Jorgenson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2006 09:29:51 -0700

Craig - I would request that we expand the scope sufficiently to include
the complete cycle required to support auto-diagnostic processes.  In my
view, the ability to gather information about the network, analyze it
and then direct it is essential and missing from any other charter.

Something like
   o control testing devices
   o gather data
   o analyze data
   o generate outcome
   o remediate/provision by issuing state or configuration requests

All of the above except that last appears within scope so far.  Some
sort of explicit relationship to Netconf-or-similar might be sufficient.
However, the linkage between "outcome" and "requests" should at least be
supported if not defiend - possibly that looks like some sort of API to
a network device management system.

I would like to address any implicit assumption that the output of such
an automatically managed system of testing devices would be consumed by
a human.

Loki Jorgenson
Chief Scientist
Apparent Networks

e   [email-masked]
t   604 433 2333 ext 105
f   604 433 2311
m   604 250-4642
w   www.ApparentNetworks.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Brown (crbrown) [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2006 7:12 PM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [NTDP] Purpose of NTDP

A proposed charter ....