OPEN ISSUE: Standards Track

[Pekka Savola]

On Thu, 22 May 2003, Charles E. Perkins wrote:
[...]
> It has to
> do with how use of existing protocol specifications (you would think
> this is a good thing) leads into some of the worst problems I can
> remember.  Bottom line: at this point in time, I am convinced
> that trying to use IPsec was my own worst mistake in the initial
> designs of Mobile IPv6, and recent decisions have made the use
> of RFC 2461 to be very, very questionable indeed.  Using someone
> else's specification, with even the most microscopic refinements,
> gives them carte blanche to destroy your protocol design in the future.

Perhaps the problem here was trying to apply an apparent solution to an
apparent problem without considering the applicability of the protocol for
such a purpose.. or fleshing out the details.

Of course, I'm not sure how well the applicability of IPsec has/had been 
documented...

Early review from IPsec folks might have been useful; I'm not sure how 
much of that did indeed happen before the IESG noticed the issue.

IMO the problem was very real, and the action being the only responsible
thing to do.  Looking back, maybe MIPv6 could have been published as
Experimental (or the like) as is, but definitely not PS.



-- 
Pekka Savola                 "You each name yourselves king, yet the
Netcore Oy                    kingdom bleeds."
Systems. Networks. Security. -- George R.R. Martin: A Clash of Kings