Capwap Mailing List: Reserved bits and fields

[Bob O'Hara (boohara) (boohara]

I believe that we are overspecifying the use of the reserved bits and
fields in the draft.  For example, we place a requirement on the
transmitter that these bits and fields MUST be zero ("All
implementations complying with version zero of this protocol MUST set
these bits to zero.").  However, we do not specify any behavior by the
receiver.  I believe this is backwards.

Because the version field is available to all receivers of a CAPWAP
packet and that version field will unambiguously identify all the
reserved bits and fields, I believe we should change the requirement to
be that the receiver MUST ignore any value received in a reserved bit or
field.  This way, should a noncompliant transmitter send something in
these fields, the receiver will not be confused by it.

 -Bob

Bob O'Hara
Cisco Systems - WNBU

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