[IPFIX] [Technical Errata Reported] RFC7012 (3852)

[RFC Errata System <[e-mail]>]

The following errata report has been submitted for RFC7012,
"Information Model for IP Flow Information Export (IPFIX)".

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You may review the report below and at:
http://www.rfc-editor.org/errata_search.php?rfc=7012&eid=3852

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Type: Technical
Reported by: Stewart Bryant <[e-mail]>

Section: 3.1.15-17

Original Text
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3.1.15. dateTimeSeconds

   The type "dateTimeSeconds" represents a time value expressed with
   second-level precision.

3.1.16. dateTimeMilliseconds

   The type "dateTimeMilliseconds" represents a time value expressed
   with millisecond-level precision.

3.1.17. dateTimeMicroseconds

   The type "dateTimeMicroseconds" represents a time value expressed
   with microsecond-level precision.

3.1.18. dateTimeNanoseconds

   The type "dateTimeNanoseconds" represents a time value expressed with
   nanosecond-level precision.


Corrected Text
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3.1.15. dateTimeSeconds

   The type "dateTimeSeconds" represents a time value in units of
   seconds based on coordinated universal time (UTC).  The choice of an
   epoch, for example, 00:00 UTC, January 1, 1970, is left to
   corresponding encoding specifications for this type, for example, the
   IPFIX protocol specification.  Leap seconds are excluded.  Note that
   transformation of values might be required between different
   encodings if different epoch values are used.

3.1.16. dateTimeMilliseconds

   The type "dateTimeMilliseconds" represents a time value in units of
   milliseconds based on coordinated universal time (UTC).  The choice
   of an epoch, for example, 00:00 UTC, January 1, 1970, is left to
   corresponding encoding specifications for this type, for example, the
   IPFIX protocol specification.  Leap seconds are excluded.  Note that
   transformation of values might be required between different
   encodings if different epoch values are used.

3.1.17. dateTimeMicroseconds

   The type "dateTimeMicroseconds" represents a time value in units of
   microseconds based on coordinated universal time (UTC).  The choice
   of an epoch, for example, 00:00 UTC, January 1, 1970, is left to
   corresponding encoding specifications for this type, for example, the
   IPFIX protocol specification.  Leap seconds are excluded.  Note that
   transformation of values might be required between different
   encodings if different epoch values are used.

3.1.18. dateTimeNanoseconds

   The type "dateTimeNanoseconds" represents a time value in units of
   nanoseconds based on coordinated universal time (UTC).  The choice of
   an epoch, for example, 00:00 UTC, January 1, 1970, is left to
   corresponding encoding specifications for this type, for example, the
   IPFIX protocol specification.  Leap seconds are excluded.  Note that
   transformation of values might be required between different
   encodings if different epoch values are used.


Notes
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Although section 1.1 says : - "Definitions of timestamp data types have been clarified." The edited text has removed the epoch definition, and this does not seem to have been incorporated elsewhere in the RFC. 

Without a specified epoch, there is no unique definition of the timestamps. 

My proposal above is to revert to the RFC5102 definitions. RFC7102 is intended to be backwards compatible with RFC5102 and thus the definitions need to be technically identical. Alternatively, if the text is now included elsewhere in RFC7012 or in another RFC, it would be helpful to the reader to provide a reference to the epoch definition in an editorial update to dateTimeX definitions in RFC7102.

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RFC7012 (draft-ietf-ipfix-information-model-rfc5102bis-10)
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Title               : Information Model for IP Flow Information Export (IPFIX)
Publication Date    : September 2013
Author(s)           : B. Claise, Ed., B. Trammell, Ed.
Category            : PROPOSED STANDARD
Source              : IP Flow Information Export
Area                : Operations and Management
Stream              : IETF
Verifying Party     : IESG