Re: Where to root MIB modules

["C. M. Heard" <heard@pobox.com>]

On Sun, 4 Jan 2004, Wijnen, Bert (Bert) wrote:
> The MPLS WG has done a similar thing for a set of MPLS related MIB
> modules, where they have:
> 
>           mplsStdMIB OBJECT IDENTIFIER
> 
>           -- This object identifier needs to be assigned by IANA.
>           -- Since mpls has been assigned an ifType of 166 we recommend
>           -- that this OID be 166 as well, e.g.
>           --   ::= { transmission 166 }
> 
>           ::= { transmission XXX }  -- to be assigned by IANA
> 
> and then they root their various MIB modules under mplsStdMIB.
> 
> PWE3 seems to want to go down the same path.
> 
> The question that is on the table is:
> 
>   Should we (MIB Doctors)
>    - discourage this practice (admitting that rmon and mplsStdMIB were
>      mistakes) and instead recommend to assign directly under mib-2
>      or transmission?
>    - encourage this practice because it is a good way to group 
>      related modules together?
>    - just leave it to the various WGs and accept the way they choose
>      to root their MIB modules?

My inclination, if I were advising a WG considering this course of
action, would be to advise them NOT to do it, and indeed I did make
an unsolicited suggestion to that effect to the PWE3 MIB module
editors and chairs.  The reason I did so is because as far as I can
see one IANA-assigned MIB module root is just as good as another for
all practical purposes, and so there is no real reason to create a
separate registry for the PWE3 MIB modules.  All it does is to
create extra work for the IANA (since they have to maintain another
registry), for the document editors (they have to write an IANA
Considerations with some meat in it), and for the document reviewers
(since they have to check that the non-vacuous IANA Considerations
section is properly written).

I would suggest that we encourage people to register their MIB
modules under mib-2 or transmission and discourage the proliferation
of WG-specific subtrees.  We have to leave RMON and MPLS since they
are there, but we don't have to repeat those mistakes.

Mike