RE: Issue 13.7: copy-config

[Andy Bierman <abierman@cisco.com>]

At 04:43 PM 3/29/2004, Rob Enns wrote:
>As I recall the main reasons copy-config was invented are:
>
>1) copy <running> to <startup>
>
>  ie. if (#startup)
>        copy <running> to <startup>
>
>2) copy named configs around
>
>I agree that the other cases you enumerated are pretty useless.
>
>Since NETCONF won't have named configs, that leaves only 
>copy <running> to <startup>. If there's a better way to do
>that, or if it's acceptible to do it by editing the startup
>directly, let's dispense with copy-config.

Originally we were using <commit> for both candidate --> running
and running --> startup.  I think we changed this to save 2
parameter values (source, target).  Phil argued that the copy
from candidate --> running can fail, but the copy from
running --> startup cannot fail (actually that's not true,
it's just not likely).

I don't know of any boxes that have both #candidate and 
#writable-running capabilities, but I guess we have to
allow for that.  I would suggest putting the 'source'
parameter back (the target is hardwired to running
or startup, depending on the source), and using <commit>
instead of <copy-config>.  I think <commit> is more
clear and it's better if <commit> is in the base operation set.
Confirmed-commit can still be a #candidate extension.


>Rob

Andy


>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-netconf@ops.ietf.org 
>> [mailto:owner-netconf@ops.ietf.org] On Behalf Of Andy Bierman
>> Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2004 7:11 AM
>> To: netconf@ops.ietf.org
>> Subject: Issue 13.7: copy-config 
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> There are several problems with the copy-config command, as 
>> it is currently defined:
>> 
>> 13.7.2: too many options; no option discovery
>>          
>>   Most of the copy modes are optional:
>>     - <running> as target
>>     - <startup> as target
>>     - remote to remote copy
>> 
>>   There is no way to tell what the agent actually supports
>>   for source and destination parameters. 
>> 
>> 13.7.3: limited usefulness without user named databases and files
>> 
>>   Apparently, the only mandatory behavior an application can
>>   count on is:
>>     if (#candidate)
>>        (1) copy <running> to <candidate>
>>     if (#candidate && #url)
>>        (2) copy remote-file to <candidate>
>>        (3) copy <candidate> to remote-file
>>     if (#candidate && #startup)
>>        (4) copy <startup> to <candidate>
>>     if (#url)
>>        (5) copy <running> to remote-file
>>     if (#startup && #url)
>>        (6) copy <startup> to remote-file
>> 
>>   Mode (1) and (2) are redundant because they are available
>>   via edit-config.  It's not clear why anyone would want
>>   to use mode (3). Mode (4) isn't that interesting since
>>   not many products have #candidate and #startup capability.
>>   Mode (5) and (6) are widely used by operators.
>> 
>> 13.7.4: implicit format conversion not interoperable
>> 
>>   The format conversion "feature" of copy-config is not
>>   well defined and application developers don't have any
>>   way of knowing how XML <--> text translation will be
>>   done on the agent.  The mapping may be incomplete and
>>   there is no way to tell which text or XML bits do not have
>>   an appropriate mapping.
>> 
>> 13.7.5: <url> mode not documented
>> 
>>   The text does not mention that <url> may be used in place
>>   of one of the config targets.  This just shows up in the
>>   example.
>>   
>> 13.7: Proposal
>> 
>>   Since this operation has several problems, and is not
>>   very useful without user named configurations, it should
>>   be removed and deferred until that feature is added in the
>>   future.
>> 
>> 
>>   
>> 
>> 
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>> 


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