This Working Group will produce a document describing MIB objects for
use in managing Ethernet-like hubs. A hub is defined as a multiport
repeater that conforms to Section 9, ``Repeater Unit for 10 Mb/s
Baseband Networks'' in the IEEE 802.3/ISO 8802-3 CSMA/CD standard (2nd
edition, Sept. 1990). These Hub MIB objects may be used to manage
non-standard repeater-like devices, but defining objects to describe
vendor-specific properties of non-standard repeater-like devices are
outside the scope of this Working Group. The MIB object definitions
produced will be for use by SNMP and will be consistent with other SNMP
objects, conventions, and definitions.
In order to minimize the instrumentation burden on managed agents, the
MIB definitions produced by the Working Group will, wherever feasible,
be semantically consistent with the managed objects defined in the IEEE
draft standard P802.3K, ``Layer Management for Hub Devices.'' The
Working Group will base its work on the draft that is the output of the
July 1991 IEEE 802 plenary meeting. The Working Group will take
special cognizance of Appendix B of that specification that sketches a
possible realization of the relevant managed objects in the SNMP
idiom.
Consistent with the IETF policy regarding the treatment of MIB
definitions produced by other standards bodies, the Working Group may
choose to consider only a subset of those objects in the IEEE
specification and is under no obligation to consider (even for
``Optional'' status) all objects defined in the IEEE specification.
Moreover, when justified by special operational needs of the community,
the Working Group may choose to define additional MIB objects that are
not present in the IEEE specification.
Although the definitions produced by the Working Group should be
architecturally consistent with MIB-II and related MIBs wherever
possible, the Charter of the Working Group does not extend to
perturbing the conceptual models implicit in MIB-II or related MIBs in
order to accommodate 802.3 Hubs. In particular, to the extent that the
notion of a ``port'' in an 802.3 Hub is not consistent with the notion
of a network ``interface'' as articulated in MIB-II, it shall be
modelled independently by objects defined in the Working Group.
Because the structure of 802.3 Hub implementations varies widely, the
Working Group shall take special care that its definitions reflect a
generic and consistent architectural model of Hub management rather
than the structure of particular Hub implementations.
The IEEE Hub Management draft allows an implementor to separate the ports in a hub into groups, if desired (i.e., a vendor might choose to represent field-replaceable unites as groups of ports so that the port numbering would match a modular hardware implementation.) Because the Working Group Charter
does not extend to consideration of fault-tolerant, highly-available systems
in general, its treatment of these groups of ports in an 802.3 Hub (if any)
shall be specific to Hub management and without impact upon other portions of
the MIB.
The Working Group is further chartered at its discretion to define an
SNMP MIB for management of IEEE 802.3 Medium Access Units (MAUs). An
802.3 Medium Attachment Unit (MAU) attaches a repeater port or
Ethernet-like interface to the local network medium. The scope of this
work may include several types of MAU units: 10BASE5 (thick coax),
10BASE2 (thin coax), 10BASE-T (twisted pair), FOIRL and 10BASE-F (fiber
optic). Managed objects defined as part of the MAU MIB task may, for
example, represent such information as MAU type, link status, and
jabbering indications.
Goals and Milestones:
Done Distribute first draft of documents and discuss via E-mail.
Done Working Group meeting as part of IETF to review documents.
Done Distribute updated documents for more E-mail discussion.
Done Review all documents at IETF meeting. Hopefully recommend
advancement with specified editing changes.
Done Documents available with specified changes incorporated.
Done Submit the Repeater MIB to the IESG for consideration as a Proposed
Standard.
Nov 92 Post the Media Access Unit MIB Definition as an Internet-Draft.
Apr 93 Submit the Media Access Unit MIB to the IESG for consideration as a
