RE: new Service-Type

["David B. Nelson" <d.b.nelson@comcast.net>]

Alan DeKok writes ...

>   IANA performs the allocations itself.  You can request 
> that IANA allocate numbers for those Service-Type values.  
> But you cannot control which numbers IANA allocates.

IANA allocations for RADIUS are controlled by RFC 3575, which reads, in
part, as follows:

   Certain attributes (for example, NAS-Port-Type) in RADIUS define a
   list of values to correspond with various meanings.  There can be 4
   billion (2^32) values for each attribute.  Additional values can be
   allocated by the Designated Expert.  The exception to this policy is
   the Service-Type attribute (6), whose values define new modes of
   operation for RADIUS.  Values 1-16 of the Service-Type attribute have
   been allocated.  Allocation of new Service-Type values are by IETF
   Consensus.  The intention is that any allocation will be accompanied
   by a published RFC.

Allocation of new Service-Type values requires IETF Consensus.

>   If there is only one application that uses these two 
> Service-Types, my suggestion would be to allocate a vendor-
> specific enumeration.  See RFC 2882, Section 2.2.1 for how this
> is done.
> 
>   The benefit with the method suggested in RFC 2882 is that
> you do not need IANA approval for the allocation.

I personally consider vendor-specific enumerations, as described in RFC 2882
to be a very bad practice.  Please recall that RFC 2882 describes RADIUS
practices encountered in implementations, but does not necessisarily
recommend these practices.  Various versions of the RADIUS Design Guidelines
draft have included text recommending against using VSEs, in favor of
standard IANA allocations.

RFC 2882 says, in part:

   This technique has not seen any acceptance by the
   working group or other vendors, however, the vendor did accomplish
   the goal of not conflicting with working group additions or other
   vendor values.

In my opinion, which is based in part on discussions with the author of RFC
2882, that document lists certain practices which ought not to be
encouraged, in the interests of interoperability, but rather which vendors
have resorted to in order to bypass the normal IETF processes.

In any event, new values of Service-Type, VSE or otherwise, do require IANA
allocation and do require IETF consensus.

Regards,

Dave Nelson




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