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Re: Fwd: draft-ietf-radext-status-server-02 editorials (fwd)



> From A.Hoenes@TR-Sys.de Thu Dec 11 16:15:59 MEZ 2008
...
> (1)  Section 1, last para -- typo/grammar
> 
>       The remaining text contains ...  and discussed security ...
> ---                                                ^
>       The remaining text contains ...  and discusses security ...

  Fixed.
                                                    ^
> 
> (2)  Section 2.1, last para -- typo
> 
> s/qeuries/queries/
>    ^^      ^^

  Fixed.

> (3)  Section 2.3.2
> 
> (3a)  headline missing  (already noted)
> 
> (3b)  requirements language
> 
> Section 2.3.1 starts:
> 
>    Status-Server SHOULD be used instead ...
>                  !!!!!!
> 
> But 2.3.2, which apparently is intended to catch the alternative
> case left open by that 'SHOULD', starts with:
> 
> |  Status-Server may be used instead of ...
>                  ^^^
> For logical consistency, this counterpoint also should use uppercase:
> 
> |  Status-Server MAY be used instead of ...

  OK, thanks.

                 ^^^
> 
> (4)  Section 2.3.3
> 
> Following up from above, 2.3.3 should also be changed:
> 
>    Status-Server may be pro-actively sent ...
> ---
>    Status-Server MAY be pro-actively sent ...
>                  ^^^

  That section has been deleted, at the suggestion of the RADEXT chairs
&& Area Director.

> (5)  Section 3 -- clarifications
> 
> (5a)  1st para below indented part 'Request Authenticator'
> 
> The draft says:
> 
>    Similarly, the Response Authenticator field of an Access-Accept
>    packet sent in response to Status-Server queries MUST be generated
>    using the same method as used for for calculating the Response
> |  Authenticator of the Access-Accept, with the Status-Server Request
>    Authenticator taking the place of the Access-Request Request
>    Authenticator.
> 
> For clarity, I suggest to insert a phrase better qualifying the
> Access-Accept taken as a reference:
> 
>    Similarly, the Response Authenticator field of an Access-Accept
>    packet sent in response to Status-Server queries MUST be generated
>    using the same method as used for for calculating the Response
> |  Authenticator of the Access-Accept sent in response to an Access-
>    vvvvvvvv                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> |  Request, with the Status-Server Request Authenticator taking the
>    place of the Access-Request Request Authenticator.

  Good suggestion, thanks.

> (5b)  2nd para below indented part 'Request Authenticator'
> 
> Similarly, I suggest to improve the wording in the next paragraph:
> 
>    The Response Authenticator field of an Accounting-Response packet
>    sent in response to Status-Server queries MUST be generated using the
>    same method as used for for calculating the Response Authenticator of
> |  the Accounting-Response, with the Status-Server Request Authenticator
>    taking the place of the Accounting-Request Request Authenticator.
> ---
>    The Response Authenticator field of an Accounting-Response packet
>    sent in response to Status-Server queries MUST be generated using the
>    same method as used for for calculating the Response Authenticator of
> |  the Accounting-Response sent in response to and Accounting-Request,
>                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>    with the Status-Server Request Authenticator taking the place of the
>    Accounting-Request Request Authenticator.

  Agreed.

> 
> (6)  Section 3.1
> 
> (6a)  headline
> 
> To better indicate the simplification for implementations, which seems
> to be the spirit of this detail, I suggest to change the headline
> (this will be even more become clear by the subsequent modification
> I'll propose below):
> 
> |3.1.  Consistent definition for Status-Server
> ---
> |3.1.  Single Definition for Status-Server
>        ^^^^^^^^
> 
> (6b)  2nd paragraph -- clarification / textual improvement
> 
> I suggest to replace "one" by "a single":
> 
>           vvv
> |  Having one definition for Status-Server packets is simpler than
>    having different definitions for different destination ports.  [...]
> ---       vvvvvvvvv
> |  Having a single definition for Status-Server packets is simpler than
>    having different definitions for different destination ports.  [...]

  That is reasonable.

> 
> (7)  Section 4 -- consistent spelling of abbreviation
> 
> For uniformity and consistency, I suggest to    s/coa/CoA/
> (2 instances in Section 4).

  That text has been deleted at the suggestion of the RADEXT chairs &&
the Area Director.

> 
> (8)  Section 4.2
> 
> (8a)  need to update the metadata (front matter)
> 
> The third para says:
> 
>    We note that [RFC2865] Section 3 defines a number of RADIUS Codes,
>    but does not make statements about which Codes are valid for port
> |  1812.  In contrast, [RFC2866] Section 3 specifies that only RADIUS
> |  Accounting packets are to be sent to port 1813.  This specification
>    is compatible with [RFC2865], as it uses a known Code for packets to
>    port 1812.  This specification is not compatible with [RFC2866], as
>    it adds a new code (Status-Server) that is valid for port 1812.
> |  However, as the category of [RFC2866] is Informational, this conflict
> |  is acceptable.
> 
> This statement clearly indicates that this specification
> *** Updates RFC 2866 ***.

  I'll have to ask the RADEXT chairs for help on this one.  Can we do this?

> This relationship really should be noted in the front matter of the
> draft.
> 
> (8b)  7th para -- word omission
> 
> Please correct:
>                                          v
> |  The server MAY prioritize the handling Status-Server queries over the
>    handling of other requests, subject to the rate limiting described
>    above.
> ---                                      vvvv
> |  The server MAY prioritize the handling of Status-Server queries over
>    the handling of other requests, subject to the rate limiting
>    described above.

  Fixed as per earlier comments.

> 
> (9)  Section 4.3
> 
> (9a)  1st para -- improvement #1
...
> (9b)  1st para -- improvement #2 (missing word)
...
> (9c)  4th para -- inconsistency with 1st para
...
> (9d)  last para -- punctuation

  All of this text has been deleted as per comments from the chairs &&
the AD.

> (10)  Section 4.4, 2nd para -- improvement
> 
> I suggest to slightly change the wording:
> 
>         [...].  If the server is still unresponsive, however, the result
>    may be user login failures.  The Status-Server solution is an ideal
> |  one to solve this problem.
> ---^^^
>         [...].  If the server is still unresponsive, however, the result
>    may be user login failures.  The Status-Server solution is an ideal
> |  way to solve this problem.
>    ^^^

  Fixed, thanks.

> 
> (11)  Section 4.6
> 
> (11a)  4th para below first figure -- improvement/grammar
> 
> I suggest to change:
> 
>            [...].  If the implementation fails to respond, then the NAS
>    cannot distinguish between the Proxy Server being down, or the next
> |  server along along the proxy chain is unreachable.
> --                                    ^^
>            [...].  If the implementation fails to respond, then the NAS
>    cannot distinguish between the Proxy Server being down, or the next
> |  server along along the proxy chain being unreachable.
>                                       ^^^^^

  Agreed.

> (11b)  5th para below first figure -- missing word
> 
> I suggest to insert "in" as follows:
> 
>    In the worst case, failures in routing for Realm A may affect users
> |  Realm B.  [...]
> ---^
>    In the worst case, failures in routing for Realm A may affect users
> |  in Realm B.  [...]
>    ^^^^

  Changed to "of" Realm B, as per earlier comments.

> (11c)  denomination of entities
> 
>>From the second figure ...
> 
>                 /-> Proxy Server P -----> Home Server P
>                /                    \ /
>             NAS                      X
>                \                    / \
>                 \-> Proxy Server S -----> Home Server S
> 
> ... it becomes apparent that the denominations of the entities are
> not chosen carefully; in this case, 'P' and 'S' are both overloaded.
> 
> To disambiguate the whole stuff, here's my proposal:
> 
> Use 'P1' and 'P2' (in place of 'P' and 'S') for the two Proxy Servers
> in both scenarios (figures and text); use 'H1' and 'H2'  for the Home
> Servers in the second scenario.

  The terms "Primary" and "Secondary" are commonly used in RADIUS.  I'll
see if there's some compromise that uses historical terminology, but
also clarifies the diagram.

> (12)  Section 4.7 -- terminology
> 
> The draft uses the colloquial, but incorrect short term "MIB" whenever
> in wants to indicate a "MIB Module".  Please see the BCP 111, RFC 4181
> for the detailed rationale of the precise terminology.
> 
> Therefore,  please change     MIB[s]   -->   MIB module[s]
> throughout the text.

  Fixed.

> (13)  Section 4.7.1
> 
> (13a)  need to update the metadata (front matter)
> 
> The 1st para clearly indicates that this draft
> ***  Updates RFC 4669 and RFC 4671  ***
> 
> To make it easier for developers and users to find this update,
> please amend the draft front matter accordingly.

  I'm not sure it *updates* those documents.  Comments from the Area
Director would help here.


> (13b)  last para
> 
> The draft text is confusingly complicated, yet inprecise.
> The draft text could be misunderstood as recommending to
> define alternate MIB modules where it better should recommend
>  using extensions for standard MIB tables.
> 
> I suggest to modify this paragraph as follows:
> 
>    If a server supports Status-Server and the [RFC4669] or [RFC4671]
> |  MIBs, then it SHOULD also support vendor-specific MIBs containing
> |  similar information as the standard MIBs, but which are instead
>    dedicated solely to tracking Status-Server requests and responses.
> |  Any definition of the server MIBs for Status-Server is outside of the
>    scope of this document.
> ---
> |  If a server supports Status-Server and the [RFC4669] or [RFC4671] MIB
> |  modules, then it SHOULD also support vendor-specific MIB extensions
>    ^^^^^^^                                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>    dedicated solely to tracking Status-Server requests and responses.
> |  Any definition of the server MIB module extensions for Status-Server
>                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>    is outside of the scope of this document.

  OK.

> (Please note the deletion of the full 3rd line!)

  Noted.

> (14)   Section 4.7.2
> 
> (14a)
> Similar as noted in (13a) above, the first para of 4.7.2 clearly
> indicates that this specification  *** updates RFCs 4668 and 4670 ***.

  Maybe clarifies?  I'm unsure here.

> (14b)
> Similarly as in (13b) above, the last para of 4.7.2 should be modified
> as follows:
> 
>    If an implementation supports Status-Server and the [RFC4668] or
> |  [RFC4670] MIBs, then it SHOULD also support vendor-specific MIBs
> |  containing similar information as those MIBs, but which are instead
>    dedicated solely to tracking Status-Server requests and responses.
> |  Any definition of the client MIBs for Status-Server is outside of the
>    scope of this document.
> ---
>    If an implementation supports Status-Server and the [RFC4668] or
> |  [RFC4670] MIB modules, then it SHOULD also support vendor-specific
>              ^^^^^^^^^^^
> |  MIB extensions dedicated solely to tracking Status-Server requests
>    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> |  and responses.  Any definition of the client MIB module extensions
>                                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>    for Status-Server is outside of the scope of this document.

  OK.

> (15)  Section 5.1
> 
> (15a)  2nd para, last sentence -- typo/grammar
> 
> Please   s/server/servers/  in ...
> 
>                      [...].  These queries are most useful in
> |  deployments where an administrator has internal RADIUS servers that

  Fixed, thanks.

> (15b)  3rd para -- improvement
> 
> To improve the readability, I suggest varying the multiple uses of
> "use", e.g.:
>       vvvv            vvvv                vvvvv
>    If used, the names used for these test users SHOULD be difficult to
>    guess by an attacker.  [...]
> ---                   vvvvvvvv
>    If used, the names utilized for these test users SHOULD be difficult
>    to guess by an attacker.  [...]

  Ok.


> (16)  Section 5.2  -- outdated text
> 
> The first paragraph seems to be outdated now by the RADIUS-over-TCP
> draft!

  Yes.  I'll see if I can coordinate the text.  The "RADIUS over TCP"
will be published after this one.  I don't know that we want to have the
two drafts depend on each other...

> (17)  Section 5.3, 1st para
> 
> The draft says:
>                                                   [...].  It may be
>    tempting to increase the utility of Status-Server by having the
> |  responses carry additional information, implementors are warned that
>    such uses have not been analyzed for potential security issues or
>    network problems.
> 
> To better reflect the relationship between the two (half-)sentences
> connected with a comma, I propose to either use a semicolon instead
> of the comma, or insert  " but" after the comma:
> 
>                                                   [...].  It may be
>    tempting to increase the utility of Status-Server by having the
> |  responses carry additional information, but implementors are warned
>    that such uses have not been analyzed for potential security issues
>    or network problems.

  I would suggest using "but".

  Thanks for the feedback.

  Alan DeKok.

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