[Nmc-wg] Scope op NML

[Freek Dijkstra]

Hi all,

I'm cross-posting to NMC. Please reply to NML.

The NML is currently defining a few subtopics for network description:
domain/topology; adaptation/layer; and identifiers. What is not covered
yet is the description of cross connects.

My question to the group: to what extend do we want to define cross
connect details in NML as well? If we're going to do that, we will bump
into problems on labels (VLAN, timeslot, wavelength, ...), multi-cast,
broadcast, backup/protected cross-connects, etc.

I these details are required. Now we can either dive into this topic as
well or leave it up to other standards. In particular, I was wondering
if it would be useful to look at NETMOD [1], and have the following scopes:

* NETMOD: focus on configuration in a device.
* NML: focus on topology between devices and domains.
* NM/NMC: focus on monitoring information.

So link status, packet loss, bit error rate, etc. are in scope of NM;
cross connects are in scope of NETMOD; link description is in scope of NML.

The advantage of relying on other work is that we avoid duplicate work,
and NML is more likely to be picked up elsewhere. The disadvantage is
that it requires more work to cooperate. I suspect problems for topics
which overlap. For example, identifiers in NETMOD and NML are different;
 path description (needed for NSI) relies on both link and cross connect
descriptions; I have some doubt that adaptations and/or capabilities are
clearly described in NETMOD, so we should either push that group or add
that in NML after all.

So what's your opinion?

I like to speed up the NML, and wondered if we can gain speed by a bit
more focus.

Regards,
Freek Dijkstra
(with my co-chair hat off)

[1] FYI: NETCONF is a replacement protocol for SNMP. While NETCONF
describes the protocol, NETMOD describes the data model. NETMOD is still
in development in the IETF.