SNMP Configuration Working Group                              Bob Moore
 INTERNET-DRAFT                                                      IBM
 Category: Standards Track                                  Kwok Ho Chan
                                                          Nortel Networks
                                                           November, 2000
 
 
                 Textual Conventions for SNMP Configuration
 
                     <draft-moore-snmpconf-tcs-00.txt>
                   Wednesday, November 15, 2000, 8:27 AM
 
 Status of this Memo
 
   This document is an Internet-Draft and is in full conformance with all
   provisions of Section 10 of RFC2026.
 
   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering Task
   Force (IETF), its areas, and its working groups.  Note that other
   groups may also distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts.
 
   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."
 
   The list of current Internet-Drafts can be accessed at
   http://www.ietf.org/ietf/1id-abstracts.txt
 
   The list of Internet-Draft Shadow Directories can be accessed at
   http://www.ietf.org/shadow.html
 
 Copyright Notice
 
   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2000).  All Rights Reserved.
 
 Abstract
 
   This document defines two textual conventions similar to the
   RowPointer textual convention defined in RFC2579.  These two textual
   conventions indicate how the conceptual row to which an object points
   is to be handled when the object is cloned to create an instance-
   specific configuration.  This cloning may involve the scripting-based
   techniques defined under the SMNP Configuration umbrella, but it need
   not: cloning can also be realized with ordinary SNMP Get and Set
   operations.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Moore and Chan        Expires: Nov 2000 + 6 months             [Page 1]


 Internet Draft   SNMP Configuration Textual Conventions   November 2000
 
 
   Table of Contents
 
   1. Introduction......................................................2
   2. Definitions.......................................................3
   3. Intellectual Property.............................................5
   4. Acknowledgements..................................................6
   5. Security Considerations...........................................6
   6. References........................................................6
   7. Authors' Addresses................................................7
   8. Full Copyright Statement..........................................8
 
 
 
 1. Introduction
 
   This document defines two textual conventions similar to the
   RowPointer textual convention defined in RFC2579.  These two textual
   conventions indicate how the conceptual row to which an object points
   is to be handled when the object is cloned to create an instance-
   specific configuration.  This cloning may involve the scripting-based
   techniques defined under the SMNP Configuration umbrella, but it need
   not: cloning can also be realized with ordinary SNMP Get and Set
   operations.
 
   The process of creating instance-specific configuration from an
   implementation-specific template is presented in [some snmpconf
   document].  (EDITOR'S NOTE: Since these textual conventions can also
   be used with "ordinary" SNMP Get and Set operations, I think we can
   treat this reference as non-normative for the purposes of advancing
   these two textual conventions to Proposed Standard.)  Briefly, a
   template involves rows in several tables, tied together with OID-
   valued objects that function as pointers to other tables.  Rather than
   being defined with the RowPointer textual convention, however, each of
   these pointer objects is defined using one of the two textual
   conventions defined in this document.  These two textual conventions
   embody additional semantics, to tell the process doing the cloning how
   it should treat the conceptual row that an object is pointing to.  For
   more details, see reference [the same snmpconf document as before].
 
   A different type of cloning can also benefit from these textual
   conventions.  Using only SNMP Get and Set operations, it is possible
   to retrieve one instance-specific conceptual row, and then use the
   values that were retrieved to create another instance-specific row
   "just like it."  The textual conventions tell the process doing the
   cloning whether a pointer in a newly created conceptual row should
   point to another newly created conceptual row, or to the same
   conceptual row pointed to by the object from which the pointer was
   cloned.
 
   There is a natural mapping between the two textual conventions defined
   here and the association cardinalities in an information model.  If an
   association has a 1:1 cardinality (each A is associated with a
 
 
 Moore and Chan        Expires: Nov 2000 + 6 months             [Page 2]


 Internet Draft   SNMP Configuration Textual Conventions   November 2000
 
 
   separate B), then the pointer from a conceptual row representing an A
   to a conceptual row representing a B would have the syntax
   DynamicRowPointer.  This means that when a new A is created, it must
   be associated with a new B, rather than with a B that is already
   associated with another A.
 
   On the other hand, if the association has a n:1 cardinality (several
   A's may be associated with the same B), then the pointer from a
   conceptual row representing an A to a conceptual row representing a B
   would have the syntax StaticRowPointer.  This means that when a new A
   is created, it may be associated with a B that is already associated
   with other A's.
 
   The MIB module defined in this document is cast as a general-purpose
   module for all the textual conventions that might be defined to
   support large-scale configuration via SNMP.  Currently the module
   contains only the two RowPointer-like textual conventions used in the
   process of creating instance-level configurations via cloning.
 
 
 2. Definitions
 
   SNMP-CONFIGURATION-TCS-MIB DEFINITIONS ::= BEGIN
 
 
      IMPORTS
        MODULE-IDENTITY, mib-2 FROM SNMPv2-SMI
        TEXTUAL-CONVENTION     FROM SNMPv2-TC;
 
 
      snmpConfigurationTCsMIB MODULE-IDENTITY
        LAST-UPDATED "200011140000Z" -- November 14, 2000
        ORGANIZATION
            "SNMP Configuration WG"
        CONTACT-INFO
            "Bob Moore
             IBM Corporation, BRQA/502
             PO Box 12195
             Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
             Phone: +1 919 254 4436
             EMail: remoore@us.ibm.com
 
             Kwok Ho Chan
             Nortel Networks
             600 Technology Park Drive
             Billerica, MA 01821, USA
             E-mail: khchan@nortelnetworks.com
 
             Send comments to smnpconf@ops.ietf.org."
 
      DESCRIPTION
        "This MIB module defines textual conventions useful
 
 
 Moore and Chan        Expires: Nov 2000 + 6 months             [Page 3]


 Internet Draft   SNMP Configuration Textual Conventions   November 2000
 
 
         for policy-based configuration using SNMP."
 
      REVISION     "200011140000Z" -- November 14, 2000
      DESCRIPTION
          "Initial version, published as RFCnnnn."
      ::= { mib-2 67890 } -- to be assigned by IANA
 
 
   DynamicRowPointer ::= TEXTUAL-CONVENTION
       STATUS       current
       DESCRIPTION
               "Like a RowPointer, this textual convention
               represents a pointer to a conceptual row.
               The value is the name of the instance of the
               first accessible columnar object in the
               conceptual row.
 
               The additional semantics of this textual
               convention, relative to RowPointer, are
               related to the creation of instance-specific
               objects by cloning.  The objects being cloned
               may either be special ones that express
               configuration information at the
               implementation-specific level, or simply
               instance-specific ones that already exist at
               the time the cloning is done.  When an object
               with the syntax DynamicRowPointer is cloned,
               a new conceptual row is created based on the
               conceptual row pointed to by the
               DynamicRowPointer in the cloned-from object,
               and the DynamicRowPointer in the newly cloned
               object is set to point to this new conceptual
               row.  The cloning operations may be
               accomplished either with the script-based
               technique defined by SNMP Configuration, or by
               ordinary SNMP Get and Set operations.
 
               When cloning is not involved, this textual
               convention behaves identically to the RowPointer
               textual convention.  Specifically, once an object
               with this syntax has been created, either by
               cloning or by other means, its value may be
               updated in the same way that the value of any
               other object with read-write or read-create
               access may be updated."
       SYNTAX       OBJECT IDENTIFIER
 
 
 
   StaticRowPointer ::= TEXTUAL-CONVENTION
       STATUS       current
       DESCRIPTION
 
 
 Moore and Chan        Expires: Nov 2000 + 6 months             [Page 4]


 Internet Draft   SNMP Configuration Textual Conventions   November 2000
 
 
               "Like a RowPointer, this textual convention
               represents a pointer to a conceptual row.
               The value is the name of the instance of the
               first accessible columnar object in the
               conceptual row.
 
               The additional semantics of this textual
               convention, relative to RowPointer, are
               related to the creation of instance-specific
               objects by cloning.  The objects being cloned
               may either be special ones that express
               configuration information at the
               implementation-specific level, or simply
               instance-specific ones that already exist at
               the time the cloning is done.  When an object
               with the syntax StaticRowPointer is cloned, the
               StaticRowPointer in the newly cloned object is
               set to point to the same conceptual row that the
               StaticRowPointer in the cloned-from object
               pointed to. The cloning operations may be
               accomplished either with the script-based
               technique defined by SNMP Configuration, or by
               ordinary SNMP Get and Set operations.
 
               When cloning is not involved, this textual
               convention behaves identically to the RowPointer
               textual convention.  Specifically, once an object
               with this syntax has been created, either by
               cloning or by other means, its value may be
               updated in the same way that the value of any
               other object with read-write or read-create
               access may be updated."
       SYNTAX       OBJECT IDENTIFIER
 
   END
 
 
 
 3. Intellectual Property
 
   The IETF takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any
   intellectual property or other rights that might be claimed to pertain
   to the implementation or use of the technology described in this
   document or the extent to which any license under such rights might or
   might not be available; neither does it represent that it has made any
   effort to identify any such rights.  Information on the IETF's
   procedures with respect to rights in standards-track and standards-
   related documentation can be found in BCP-11.
 
   Copies of claims of rights made available for publication and any
   assurances of licenses to be made available, or the result of an
   attempt made to obtain a general license or permission for the use of
 
 
 Moore and Chan        Expires: Nov 2000 + 6 months             [Page 5]


 Internet Draft   SNMP Configuration Textual Conventions   November 2000
 
 
   such proprietary rights by implementers or users of this specification
   can be obtained from the IETF Secretariat.
 
   The IETF invites any interested party to bring to its attention any
   copyrights, patents or patent applications, or other proprietary
   rights which may cover technology that may be required to practice
   this standard.  Please address the information to the IETF Executive
   Director.
 
 
 4. Acknowledgements
 
   This document grew out of the work of the SNMP Configuration working
   group.
 
 
 5. Security Considerations
 
   This module does not define any management objects. Instead, it
   defines a set of textual conventions that may be used by other MIB
   modules to define management objects.
 
   Meaningful security considerations can only be written in the modules
   that define management objects.
 
 
 6. References
 
 [1]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement
      Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
 
 [2]  Harrington, D., Presuhn, R. and B. Wijnen, "An Architecture for
      Describing SNMP Management Frameworks", RFC 2571, April 1999.
 
 [3]  Rose, M. and K. McCloghrie, "Structure and Identification of
      Management Information for TCP/IP-based Internets", STD 16, RFC
      1155, May 1990.
 
 [4]  Rose, M. and K. McCloghrie, "Concise MIB Definitions", STD 16,
      RFC 1212, March 1991.
 
 [5]  Rose, M., "A Convention for Defining Traps for use with the
      SNMP", RFC 1215, March 1991.
 
 [6]  McCloghrie, K., Perkins, D., Schoenwaelder, J., Case, J., Rose,
      M. and S. Waldbusser, "Structure of Management Information
      Version 2 (SMIv2)", STD 58, RFC 2578, April 1999.
 
 [7]  McCloghrie, K., Perkins, D., Schoenwaelder, J., Case, J., Rose,
      M. and S. Waldbusser, "Textual Conventions for SMIv2", STD 58,
      RFC 2579, April 1999.
 
 
 
 Moore and Chan        Expires: Nov 2000 + 6 months             [Page 6]


 Internet Draft   SNMP Configuration Textual Conventions   November 2000
 
 
 [8]  McCloghrie, K., Perkins, D., Schoenwaelder, J., Case, J., Rose,
      M. and S. Waldbusser, "Conformance Statements for SMIv2", STD
      58, RFC 2580, April 1999.
 
 [9]  Case, J., Fedor, M., Schoffstall, M. and J. Davin, "A Simple
      Network Management Protocol (SNMP)", STD 15, RFC 1157, May 1990.
 
 [10] Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M. and S. Waldbusser,
      "Introduction to Community-based SNMPv2", RFC 1901, January
      1996.
 
 [11] Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M. and S. Waldbusser,
      "Transport Mappings for Version 2 of the Simple Network
      Management Protocol (SNMPv2)", RFC 1906, January 1996.
 
 [12] Case, J., Harrington, D., Presuhn, R. and B. Wijnen, "Message
      Processing and Dispatching for the Simple Network Management
      Protocol (SNMP)", RFC 2572, April 1999.
 
 [13] Blumenthal, U. and B. Wijnen, "User-based Security Model (USM)
      for version 3 of the Simple Network Management Protocol
      (SNMPv3)", RFC 2574, April 1999.
 
 [14] Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M. and S. Waldbusser,
      "Protocol Operations for Version 2 of the Simple Network
      Management Protocol (SNMPv2)", RFC 1905, January 1996.
 
 [15] Levi, D., Meyer, P. and B. Stewart, "SNMP Applications", RFC
      2573, April 1999.
 
 [16] Wijnen, B., Presuhn, R. and K. McCloghrie, "View-based Access
      Control Model (VACM) for the Simple Network Management
      Protocol (SNMP)", RFC 2575, April 1999.
 
 [17] Case, J., Mundy, R., Partain, D. and B. Stewart, "Introduction
      to Version 3 of the Internet-standard Network Management
      Framework", RFC 2570, April 1999.
 
 
 7. Authors' Addresses
 
   Bob Moore
      IBM Corporation, BRQA/502
      4205 S. Miami Blvd.
      Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
      Phone:   +1 919-254-4436
      Fax:     +1 919-254-6243
      E-mail:  remoore@us.ibm.com
 
   Kwok Ho Chan
      Nortel Networks
      600 Technology Park Drive
 
 
 Moore and Chan        Expires: Nov 2000 + 6 months             [Page 7]


 Internet Draft   SNMP Configuration Textual Conventions   November 2000
 
 
      Billerica, MA 01821, USA
      E-mail: khchan@nortelnetworks.com
 
 
 8. Full Copyright Statement
 
   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2000).  All Rights Reserved.
 
   This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to
   others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it
   or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published and
   distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any kind,
   provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are
   included on all such copies and derivative works.  However, this
   document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing
   the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or other
   Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose of developing
   Internet standards in which case the procedures for copyrights defined
   in the Internet Standards process must be followed, or as required to
   translate it into languages other than English.
 
   The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be
   revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns.
 
   This document and the information contained herein is provided on an
   "AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET ENGINEERING
   TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT
   NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN
   WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
   MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Moore and Chan        Expires: Nov 2000 + 6 months             [Page 8]