[Nml-wg] NML terminology: Port vs Interface
Jason Zurawski
zurawski at internet2.edu
Wed Sep 28 01:07:39 CDT 2011
Hi Jeroen/All;
Comments inline:
On 9/27/11 5:03 PM, thus spake Jeroen van der Ham:
> Hello,
>
> My final 2 cents on the debate:
>
> The issue was raised in two separate projects which are looking to
> adopt NML for infrastructure description. These projects aim to have
> users as active writers of topology descriptions, not just passive
> consumers of measured data. The confusion is that these users are
> more accustomed to the use of "port" in the context of a UDP or TCP
> port, not as a network attachment point.
As I have noted in prior exchanges in email and in person OGF - I don't
see this as a compelling reason for us to run out and change our
established terminology. What happens when another group approaches you
at an event in another 2 years to call the concept 'port', will we have
yet another discussion on this mailing list to change (again)?
I find this entire line of conversation rather unnecessary and
counterproductive to this working group. Its a *name*, and if several
projects that initially called the concept an 'interface' can get used
to 'port' re: Martin's earlier history laden email, I don't see why
these new groups cannot do the same. It is ok to tell people 'no'
occasionally, especially when there is a destructive nature to the
overall choice that will force work on many established partners.
> The concept of a UDP or TCP port would actually probably translate to
> a Label and not a Port/Interface if we would use it in a network
> description.
>
> Looking at GENI, and especially ProtoGENI as the leading candidate,
> they seem to go for Interface as well.
This is false. ProtoGENI (something that Martin, the UDel/IU students,
as we as Internet2 are heavily involved with) based their early work on
NM/NML schematic concepts, mostly from old examples that featured port.
It is true its not a one to one mapping, but they are using links and
ports just like we are. Other GENI efforts (orca/ben, planetlab) may
use interface, I dont know those as well, but these do not represent
*all* of GENI.
Thanks;
-jason
> That being said, the world will not end if we choose Port. Those
> projects will probably use Interface anyway, but just semantically
> match it to nml:Port if necessary.
>
> Jeroen.
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