eap Mailing List: Re: Another two minor and finicky IANA considerations questions for RFC3748

[Jari Arkko (jari.arkko]

Hi Florant,

Thanks again for looking into the details!

> While reviewing again RFC 3748b, I just came across two little (and 
> fairly uninteresting I admit) questions/remarks (that may however help 
> RFC 3748 understanding in the future:
>
> 1) It is apparently not specified how expanded (method) types for 
> vendor-ID 0 (IETF) can be allocated (e.g. Designated Expert, with 
> Specification Required or standards action, FCFS, ...).
> In section 6.2 we indeed only read:
> "Method Type values 256-4294967295 may be allocated after Type values 
> 1-191 have been allocated."
> I know we've probably got time before this happens but I just feel 
> reluctant to leave an incomplete spec behind us ;-)

I think it would make sense to add ", through the advice of a
Designated Expert, with Specification Required" to the end of the sentence
that you quoted. Henrik tells me that he still can send a change
to the RFC editor.

> 2) The (non)-use of 0 as packet code or method type
>
> The newbie I am is pretty sure that there are good reasons why EAP did 
> not start its code and type space at 0 (and I'd be more than thankful to 
> anybody who could tell me why) but I find the current wording about not 
> using this value a (very little) bit confusing.

I'm not sure what the history was. We probably shouldn't allocate
that number to anyone, someone's code might break if it uses 0
to represent "no method" or "no EAP" or something like that.

> In section 6.1 of RFC 3748b we read:
> "Packet Codes have a range from 1 to 255" and on the IANA website 
> (http://www.iana.org/assignments/eap-numbers) we find:
>
> "(last updated 12 April 2004)
> Packet Codes:
> Value Description Reference
> 1 Request [RFC-ietf-eap-rfc2284bis-09.txt]
> 2 Response [RFC-ietf-eap-rfc2284bis-09.txt]
> 3 Success [RFC-ietf-eap-rfc2284bis-09.txt]
> 4 Failure [RFC-ietf-eap-rfc2284bis-09.txt]
> 5-255 Unallocated"
>
> In section 6.2 of RFC 3748b we read:
> "The original EAP method Type space has a range from 1 to 255" and on 
> the IANA website (http://www.iana.org/assignments/eap-numbers) we find:
>
> "(last updated 12 April 2004)
> ...
> Value Description Reference
> 0 RESERVED
> 1 Identity [RFC-ietf-eap-rfc2284bis-09.txt]
> ..."
>
> Indeed, the value 0 is used in the NAK response.
>
> My suggestion would be to find a way to simply reflect this usage in RFC 
> 3748 and for IANA.
> My preference would be adding a small reminder on the value 0 usage in 
> RFC 3748 section 6.2 and updating the IANA website to also refer to RFC 
> 3748 for this value. I am ready to propose some text if people feel like 
> making this minor and unimportant change.

I think we could add "0 RESERVED" to the IANA page of packet
codes (after we have published the RFC).

> P.S: BTW, it seems like we (EAP and/or IANA) have not captured the point 
> I raised earlier on Method Type 7&8 
> (http://mail.frascone.com/pipermail/public/eap/2004-May/002486.html).
> Again, I am ready to propose some text if people feel like making this 
> minor and unimportant change (and I concurred to Jari's proposal 
> "allocated but unused").

There has been some new confusion about the exact status of 7 & 8.
We don't want to say anything about them at this point in time,
at least not in RFC 3748. I think we can update the IANA web page
later if we get more confident that they indeed are not used.

--Jari