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Correct middlebox behavior

"Fleischman, Eric" <eric.fleischman@boeing.com> Wed, 28 September 2005 22:50 UTC

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Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 15:50:02 -0700
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Thread-Topic: Correct middlebox behavior
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From: "Fleischman, Eric" <eric.fleischman@boeing.com>
To: Keith Moore <moore@cs.utk.edu>
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Subject: Correct middlebox behavior
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Friends,

I believe that Keith's first paragraph below is widely accepted by the
IETF. However, after re-reading RFC 3234, RFC 3303, and others I did not
find any text within any RFC to explain our consensus opinion concerning
correct middlebox behavior to be used to guide those outside of our
community. Specifically, can anyone point me to text within any RFC that
states the ideas contained within Keith's first paragraph below?

--Eric

-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Moore [mailto:moore@cs.utk.edu] 
Subject: Re: Question about the normative nature of IETF RFCs

>Most protocols weren't designed to operate with middleboxes. 
>In the absence of a provision in a protocol specification for 
>a middlebox, any middlebox that interferes with the 
>interoperation of a protocol is inherently violating the 
>protocol standards.

>In general, protocol specifications don't (and shouldn't)
> try to explicitly enumerate "don't do X" for every possible 
>"X" that is harmful.  And middleboxes are generally harmful.


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