RE: The RADIUS attribute space: an assessment

["Glen Zorn \(gwz\)" <gwz@cisco.com>]

Nelson, David <> supposedly scribbled:

> Glen Zorn writes...
> 
>> A far better idea might be for the IESG to finally take some action,
>> deprecating RADIUS and actually supporting Diameter to solve one of
>> the problems for which it was designed.
> 
> Why would that be a better idea?  Except, perhaps, on some
> self-congratulatory level?  

Thanks for the insult.

> I've observed that the IESG doesn't have
> much influence over what the rest of the world chooses to implement. 
> A recent, off list, discussion about some substantial enhancements to
> the RADIUS protocol as opposed to deployment of Diameter, has brought
> this home.  The impediment to Diameter deployment in this instance is
> that lack of complete, robust, open source implementations of
> Diameter, coupled with readily available open source RADIUS
> implementations and wide deployment of RADIUS.  The IETF can provide
> a standardized specification of a better protocol, but it can make
> vendors and operators deploy it.      

It's not at all clear to me that Diameter (as specified) is actually a "better" protocol but at least it doesn't have the problem Bernard mentions; in any case, we're not talking about killing RADIUS, here, but whether to take heroic measures to keep it alive.
    
> 
> What would likely happen, if the IESG were to "deprecate" RADIUS, is
> that implementers will simply continue to extend RADIUS using the
> Vendor Specific Attribute.  I don't see any advantage in taking that
> route.   

That would be near-suicidal for interoperability, of course.  Oh wait, that might mean that RADIUS would go away...no wonder there is no visible advantage.

> 
> The IESG could "support" Diameter by funding (or otherwise
> stimulating) the creation of complete, robust, well-documented open
> source implementations of Diameter.  However, I don't think the IESG
> is in that business.   

Hope this helps,

~gwz

Why is it that most of the world's problems can't be solved by simply
  listening to John Coltrane? -- Henry Gabriel

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