[Dime] clarification of message length

["David Lehmann" <[e-mail]>]

The RFC states the following for AVPs in section 4.

"The length of the padding is not reflected in the AVP Length field."

 

In section 4.2, it states:

"Thus the AVP length field of an AVP of type Grouped is always a
multiple of 4."
 
These statements are clear for the AVP lengths.  However, the length of
the message is not so clear.  Section 3 states:
"The Message Length field is three octets and indicates the length of
the Diameter message including the header fields."
 

My question is:  Is the message length always a multiple of 4, as is the
case for grouped AVPs?  If so, should section 3 provide a clear
statement to that fact?

e.g. "The Message Length field is three octets and indicates the length
of the Diameter message including the header fields and the padded AVPs.
Thus the message length field is always a multiple of 4."

 

-David