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SenML Features and Versions
draft-ietf-core-senml-versions-03

The information below is for an old version of the document.
Document Type
This is an older version of an Internet-Draft that was ultimately published as RFC 9100.
Author Carsten Bormann
Last updated 2021-06-03 (Latest revision 2021-05-09)
Replaces draft-bormann-core-senml-versions
RFC stream Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
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Reviews
Additional resources Mailing list discussion
Stream WG state Submitted to IESG for Publication
Document shepherd Jaime Jimenez
Shepherd write-up Show Last changed 2021-04-05
IESG IESG state Became RFC 9100 (Proposed Standard)
Consensus boilerplate Yes
Telechat date (None)
Responsible AD Francesca Palombini
Send notices to jaime@iki.fi
IANA IANA review state IANA OK - Actions Needed
draft-ietf-core-senml-versions-03
CoRE                                                          C. Bormann
Internet-Draft                                   Universitaet Bremen TZI
Updates: 8428 (if approved)                                   9 May 2021
Intended status: Standards Track                                        
Expires: 10 November 2021

                      SenML Features and Versions
                   draft-ietf-core-senml-versions-03

Abstract

   This short document updates RFC 8428, Sensor Measurement Lists
   (SenML), by specifying the use of independently selectable "SenML
   Features" and mapping them to SenML version numbers.

Discussion Venues

   This note is to be removed before publishing as an RFC.

   Discussion of this document takes place on the CORE Working Group
   mailing list (core@ietf.org), which is archived at
   https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/core/
   (https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/core/).

   Source for this draft and an issue tracker can be found at
   https://github.com/core-wg/senml-versions (https://github.com/core-
   wg/senml-versions).

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.  The list of current Internet-
   Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on 10 November 2021.

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Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2021 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/
   license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document.
   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
   and restrictions with respect to this document.  Code Components
   extracted from this document must include Simplified BSD License text
   as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are
   provided without warranty as described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
     1.1.  Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   2.  Feature Codes and the Version number  . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     2.1.  Discussion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     2.2.  Updating RFC8428  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   3.  Features: Reserved0, Reserved1, Reserved2, Reserved3  . . . .   5
   4.  Feature: Secondary Units  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   6.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   7.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     7.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     7.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
   Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7

1.  Introduction

   The Sensor Measurement Lists (SenML) specification [RFC8428] provides
   a version number that is initially set to 10, without further
   specification on the way to make use of different version numbers.

   The traditional idea of using a version number to indicate the
   evolution of an interchange format generally assumes an incremental
   progression of the version number as the format accretes additional
   features over time.  However in the case of SenML it is expected that
   the likely evolution will be for independently selectable capability
   _features_ to be added to the basic specification that is indicated
   by version number 10.  To support this model, this document
   repurposes the single version number accompanying a pack of SenML
   records so that it is interpreted as a bitmap that indicates the set
   of features a recipient would need to have implemented to be able to
   process the pack.

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   This short document specifies the use of SenML Features and maps them
   to SenML version number space, updating [RFC8428].

1.1.  Terminology

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
   "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in
   BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
   capitals, as shown here.

   Where bit arithmetic is explained, this document uses the notation
   familiar from the programming language C [C], including the "0b"
   prefix for binary numbers defined in Section 5.13.2 of the C++
   language standard [Cplusplus], except that superscript notation
   (example for two to the power of 64: 2^64) denotes exponentiation; in
   the plain text version of this draft, superscript notation is
   rendered in paragraph text by C-incompatible surrogate notation as
   seen in this example, and in display math by a crude plaintext
   representation, as is the sum (Sigma) sign.

2.  Feature Codes and the Version number

   The present specification defines "SenML Features", each identified
   by a "feature name" (a text string) and a "feature code", an unsigned
   integer less than 53.

   The specific version of a SenML pack is composed of a set of
   features.  The SenML version number ("bver" field) is then a bitmap
   of these features, specifically the sum of, for each feature present,
   two taken to the power of the feature code of that feature.

              __ 52                       fc
   version = \         present(fc) ⋅ 2
             /__ fc = 0

   where present(fc) is 1 if the feature with the feature code "fc" is
   present, 0 otherwise.  (The expression 2^fc can be implemented as "1
   << fc" in C and related languages.)

2.1.  Discussion

   Representing features as a bitmap within a number is quite efficient
   as long as feature codes are sparingly allocated (see also
   Section 6).

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   Compatibility with the existing SenML version number, 10 decimal
   (0b1010), requires reserving four of the least significant bit
   positions for the base version as described in Section 3.  There is
   an upper limit to the range of the integer numbers that can be
   represented in all SenML representations: practical JSON limits this
   to 2^53-1 [RFC7493].  This means the feature codes 4 to 52 are
   available, one of which is taken by the feature defined in Section 4,
   leaving 48 for allocation.  (The current version 10 (with all other
   feature codes unset) can be visualized as
   "0b00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001010".)  For a
   lifetime of this scheme of several decades, approximately two feature
   codes per year or less should be allocated.  Note that less generally
   applicable features can always be communicated via fields labeled
   with names that end with the "_" character ("must-understand
   fields"), see Section 4.4 of [RFC8428].)

   Most representations visible to engineers working with SenML will use
   decimal numbers, e.g. 26 (0b11010, 0x1a) for a version that adds the
   "Secondary Units" feature (Section 4).  This is sightly unwieldy, but
   will be quickly memorized in practice.

2.2.  Updating Section 4.4 of [RFC8428]

   The last paragraph of Section 4.4 of [RFC8428] may be read to give
   the impression that SenML version numbers are totally ordered, i.e.,
   that an implementation that understands version n also always
   understands all versions k < n.  If this ever was true for SenML
   versions before 10, it certainly is no longer true with this
   specification.

   Any SenML pack that sets feature bits beyond the first four will lead
   to a version number that actually is greater than 10, so the
   requirement in Section 4.4 of [RFC8428] will prevent false
   interoperability with version 10 implementations.

   Implementations that do implement feature bits beyond the first four,
   i.e., versions greater than 10, will instead need to perform a
   bitwise comparison of the feature bitmap as described in this
   specification and ensure that all features indicated are understood
   before using the pack.  E.g., an implementation that implements basic
   SenML (version number 10) plus only a future feature code 5, will
   accept version number 42, but would not be able to work with a pack
   indicating version number 26 (base specification plus feature code
   4).  (If the implementation _requires_ feature code 5 without being
   backwards compatible, it will accept 42, but not 10.)

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3.  Features: Reserved0, Reserved1, Reserved2, Reserved3

   For SenML Version 10 as described in [RFC8428], the feature codes 0
   to 3 are already in use.  Reserved1 (1) and Reserved3 (3) are always
   present and the features Reserved0 (0) and Reserved2 (2) are always
   absent, yielding a version number of 10 if no other feature is in
   use.  These four reserved feature codes are not to be used with any
   more specific semantics except in a specification that updates the
   present specification.

4.  Feature: Secondary Units

   The feature "Secondary Units" (code number 4) indicates that
   secondary unit names [RFC8798] MAY be be used in the "u" field of
   SenML Records, in addition to the primary unit names already allowed
   by [RFC8428].

   Note that the most basic use of this feature simply sets the SenML
   version number to 26 (10 + 2^4).

5.  Security Considerations

   The security considerations of [RFC8428] apply.  This specification
   provides structure to the interpretation of the SenML version number,
   which poses no additional security considerations except for some
   potential for surprise that version numbers do not simply increase
   linearly.

6.  IANA Considerations

   IANA is requested to create a new subregistry "SenML features" within
   the SenML registry [IANA.senml], with the registration policy
   "specification required" [RFC8126] and the columns:

   *  Feature code (an unsigned integer less than 53)

   *  Feature name (text)

   *  Specification

   To facilitate the use of feature names in programs, the designated
   expert is requested to ensure that feature names are usable as
   identifiers in most programming languages, after lower-casing the
   feature name in the registry entry and replacing whitespace with
   underscores or hyphens, and that they also are distinct in this form.

   The initial content of this registry is as follows:

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          +==============+=================+====================+
          | Feature code | Feature name    | Specification      |
          +==============+=================+====================+
          | 0            | Reserved0       | RFCthis            |
          +--------------+-----------------+--------------------+
          | 1            | Reserved1       | RFCthis            |
          +--------------+-----------------+--------------------+
          | 2            | Reserved2       | RFCthis            |
          +--------------+-----------------+--------------------+
          | 3            | Reserved3       | RFCthis            |
          +--------------+-----------------+--------------------+
          | 4            | Secondary Units | RFCthis, [RFC8798] |
          +--------------+-----------------+--------------------+

             Table 1: Features defined for SenML at the time of
                                  writing

   As the number of features that can be registered has a hard limit (48
   codes left at the time of writing), the designated expert is
   specifically instructed to maintain a frugal regime of code point
   allocation, keeping code points available for SenML Features that are
   likely to be useful for non-trivial subsets of the SenML ecosystem.
   Quantitatively, the expert could for instance steer the allocation to
   not allocate more than 10 % of the remaining set per year.

   Where the specification of the feature code is provided in a document
   that is separate from the specification of the feature itself (as
   with feature code 4 above), both specifications should be listed.

7.  References

7.1.  Normative References

   [C]        International Organization for Standardization,
              "Information technology — Programming languages — C", ISO/
              IEC 9899:2018, Fourth Edition, June 2018,
              <https://www.iso.org/standard/74528.html>.

   [Cplusplus]
              International Organization for Standardization,
              "Programming languages — C++", ISO/IEC 14882:2020, Sixth
              Edition, December 2020,
              <https://www.iso.org/standard/79358.html>.

   [IANA.senml]
              IANA, "Sensor Measurement Lists (SenML)",
              <http://www.iana.org/assignments/senml>.

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   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.

   [RFC8126]  Cotton, M., Leiba, B., and T. Narten, "Guidelines for
              Writing an IANA Considerations Section in RFCs", BCP 26,
              RFC 8126, DOI 10.17487/RFC8126, June 2017,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8126>.

   [RFC8174]  Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
              2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
              May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.

   [RFC8428]  Jennings, C., Shelby, Z., Arkko, J., Keranen, A., and C.
              Bormann, "Sensor Measurement Lists (SenML)", RFC 8428,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC8428, August 2018,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8428>.

   [RFC8798]  Bormann, C., "Additional Units for Sensor Measurement
              Lists (SenML)", RFC 8798, DOI 10.17487/RFC8798, June 2020,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8798>.

7.2.  Informative References

   [RFC7493]  Bray, T., Ed., "The I-JSON Message Format", RFC 7493,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC7493, March 2015,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7493>.

Acknowledgements

   Ari Keränen proposed to use the version number as a bitmap and
   provided further input on this specification.  Jaime Jiménez helped
   clarify the document by providing a review.  Elwyn Davies provided a
   detailed GENART review, with directly implementable text suggestions
   that now form part of this specification.

Author's Address

   Carsten Bormann
   Universitaet Bremen TZI
   Postfach 330440
   D-28359 Bremen
   Germany

   Phone: +49-421-218-63921
   Email: cabo@tzi.org

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