Re: [DNA] Last call: Detection of Network Attachment (DNA) in IPv4(fwd)

[Bernard Aboba <aboba@internaut.com>]

Thank you very much for your review.

On Wed, 25 May 2005, JinHyeock Choi wrote:

> Dear Bernard
>
> I'd like to mention a few differences between DNA for IPv4 (DNAv4)
> and DNA for IPv6 (DNAv6).
>
> 1. Abbreviation
> For IPv4, DNA stands for "Detection of Network Attachment", whereas
> for IPv6, DNA stands for "Detecting Network Attachment".

We can change the title.

>
> 2. DNA Goal
> I understand DNAv4 aims to detects movement (or lack of movement)
> between subnets, and obtains (or continue to use) a valid IPv4 configuration.
>
> DNAv6 aims to detect movement (or lack of movement) between links
> to ascertain the validity of existing IP configuration but does not include
> the actual IP configuration procedure.

I think DNAv4 also ascertains the validity of an existing IP
configuration.  If it is valid, then the host continues to use it.  But if
it is not valid then the host needs to obtain a new configuration using
mechanisms outside of DNAv4 (e.g. DHCP).  Is this different than DNAv6?


> 3. Point of Attachment
> In DNA mailing list, we define a term "Attachment Point", which represents
> the link-layer connection.
>
> For example, assume the case of two 802.11 b APs and a router on the same
> ethernet link. Each AP is an Attachment Point and if a host moves from
> one AP to another, it has moved to a different Attachment Point.
>
> It's my impression that the "Attachment Point" from DNA WG and
> "Point of Attachment" from the draft doesn't mean the same thing.

In the case above, I think that the AP would also be called a "Point of
Attachment", so they seem very similar.   I can change the document to say
"Attachment Point" instead.

> Also I am glad & relieved to see that the draft no longer includes the term
> 'link identifier'. Though the draft still uses the term 'link' a few times,
> the meaning is clear from the context.

I did get questions about the meaning of terms such as "link", "Link Up",
"Link Down" etc.  Perhaps I should post all the terminology that is used
so that we can make sure we are consistent between DNAv4 and DNAv6.