Subject: RE: proposed Charter: pls review

From: "Alan K. Bartky, Manager of Technology" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 93 10:31:20 PDT

Louise,

Here are my comments on the propsed charter:

(Begin Excerpts with comments)

DRAFTCharter--Data Link Switching (DLSw) Special 
Interest Group (SIG)

1.  PURPOSE OF GROUP.  The Data Link Switching (DLSw) 
Special Interest Group (SIG) Charter is formed to 
develop a draft standard for the routing of SNA, APPN, 
and NetBIOS traffic.

* Add the fact that it is for routing for IP based networks.

2.	GOAL OF WORK.  The goal of the SIG's work is to 
provide interoperation among routers of different 
vendors implementing DLSw.

* Change "routers" to "routers and end-systems"

5.	MEMBERSHIP.  

	a.	QUALIFICATIONS.  Membership on the SIG is 
limited to 1) vendors with an interest in implementing 
the standard on their product, 2) users with an interest 
in using the standard in their organizations, and 3) 
consultants and other service organizations with an 
interested in assisting their clients with regard to the 
standard.

* Add "2) vendors with a need to interoperate with DLSw" and change
numbers accordingly.  We (amd others) may never implement DLSw, but have a
need to make sure that it properly interoperates with existing SNA devices
(e.g. SNA converters using multiple SAPs).

	d.	ACTIVE PARTICIPATION.  All members are 
expected to actively contribute and critique technical 
approaches.

* I like this, we need more help in getting the work done, not just
people who want to get the specs without helping further the work.

	e.	PUBLIC DOMAIN.  All work contributed to this 
effort by the participants is considered to be in the 
public domain and usable by all.

* Again, very good!  Are there any patent issues involved?

6.	DRAFT STANDARD.

	a.	WORKING DRAFT.  The starting point for the 
work is RFC 1434 as published by IBM in July 1993.  IBM 
agrees that RFC 1434 is a public document and that any 
vendor may implement any portion of that RFC or the 
draft developed by this SIG and may use the name Data 
Link Switching without incurring any legal or financial 
liability or obligation to IBM.

* Any patent obligations here?

	c.	COMPLETENESS.  The draft must be complete and 
detailed enough to allow the interworking of all 
implementers' products for which the standard is 
faithfully implemented.

* Detailed and complete is a key!  

	d.	SCOPE.  The intent of the DLSw standard is to 
address external interface standardization and to leave 
the implementation of the standard to each implementer.

* Internal state machines must be documented and where appropriate
there should be documentation on what is required versus what should
be options left for implementation.  We want a document that we can
implement and not one that we have to guess at options.  

(End Exceprts with comments)

Good work Louise!

Alan K. Bartky
Sync Research