[rohc] RE: Questions on Context Replication

["Cho Chia Yuan" <[e-mail]>]

Hi Ghyslain,
 
Thanks for your reply. I understand that the reverse feedback channel must be present for context replication, or else contexts at the compressor cannot be verified to become potential base contexts.
 
However, can you elaborate more on the other issue - why is it that STATIC-NACK SHOULD be sent when the decompressor fails to validate the context after IR-CR packet decompression? (My question is, why SHOULD instead of MUST?)
 
As mentioned in my earlier mail, if sending back STATIC-NACKs are optional instead of compulsory, then IR-CR packets uniquely face a danger not encountered by IR packets. The following is my argument for it, rephrased:
 
Let's say for a particular new flow, the compressor chooses from a pool of suitable base contexts for context replication, but all their equivalents at the decompressor have been overwritten/discarded, without the compressor's knowledge. Naturally, at the decompressor, verification after IR-CR decompression fails. Since sending back STATIC-NACK is optional, it is not sent. The compressor, kept in the dark, continues in optimistic mode, and periodically transits downwards to IR state, depending on it to refresh the context at the decompressor. However, in IR state, since seemingly 'valid' base contexts are present, the compressor proceeds to send IR-CR packets instead... ... At the decompressor, the entire flow has been gibberish, and no data gets sent.
 
My point is that when verification from IR-CR fails, a STATIC-NACK MUST (instead of SHOULD) be sent to notify the compressor that the base context it used is invalid, otherwise the compressor will continue using it unknowingly. A side point is that use of IR-CR packets to refresh contexts in optimistic mode cannot be guaranteed to be a success(unlike IR packets), because the equivalent of the compressor's base context may no longer be kept by the decompressor. However, IR-CR packets may still be used for context refreshing in optimistic mode, as long as STATIC-NACKs are compulsory instead of optional, which is what my first point is about.
 
Hope my question is clearer now. Please correct me if I'm wrong :)
 
Chia Yuan Cho
National University of Singapore
/Institute for Infocomm Research

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Ghyslain Pelletier [mailto:[e-mail]] 
	Sent: Mon 12/1/2003 7:24 PM 
	To: Cho Chia Yuan 
	Cc: [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail] 
	Subject: Re: Questions on Context Replication
	
	

	Hi,
	
	Thanks for your comments. Hopefully the following will properly address
	them.
	
	> -The above suggests that the feedback channel is compulsory?
	
	The presence of an established feedback channel is compulsory for a
	compressor to have the capability to initiate context replication for a
	new flow (CID), otherwise no base context (BCID) can be selected as the
	base for replication.
	
	> -Since reverse (positive and negative) feedbacks are all optional,
	> does it mean that the feedback channel is optional?
	
	The usage of feedback from decompressor to compressor for a particular
	replicated context (CID) is optional. In such case, the compressor is
	"forced" to operate in a unidirectional manner and the newly replicated
	context (CID) cannot be used as the base context (BCID) when performing
	the periodic "refreshes" for that flow (CID).
	
	To answer your questions in more details:
	
	> 1) Is the reverse feedback channel a compulsory pre-requisite for
	> context replication or is it optional?
	
	The phrasing of the requirement for selecting a base context for
	replication could be improved. The text in section 3.3.3.1 will be
	updated to reflect that only a context for which all static information
	has been acknowledged can be selected as a base context for replication.
	
	Thus the requirement does mean that the presence of a feedback channel
	between decompressor and compressor is compulsory - otherwise a
	compressor cannot initiate context replication as no context could meet
	the requirement for a base context.
	
	> 2) When the decompressor validation of the context following
	> decompression of an IR-CR packet fails, is the STATIC-NACK sent back
	> to the compressor optional or compulsory?
	
	Sending feedback (such as STATIC-NACK) is always optional (however it
	SHOULD be used) for context replication. If the decompressor chooses not
	to provide feedback for the newly replicated context (thus forcing a
	unidirectional type of operation), then the compressor will have to
	periodically transit back to a lower state (IR or IR-CR state) to
	"refresh" the context.
	
	When refreshing the context, the compressor can only use an IR-CR packet
	if the requirement for the use and selection of a base context is met.
	In particular, if the original base context previously used does not
	meet anymore the above requirement, the compressor will have to select
	another context as a base context. Similarly, as the newly replicated
	context has not been acknowledged, it cannot either be used as a base
	for that IR-CR packet.
	
	I hope this answers your concerns - otherwise don't hesitate to let me
	know, also if you have further questions or comments.
	
	Best regards,
	
	/Ghyslain
	
	Cho Chia Yuan wrote:
	>
	> Hi Ghyslain,
	>
	> I have a few questions regarding
	> <draft-ietf-rohc-context-replication-01.txt>:
	>
	> 1) Is the reverse feedback channel a compulsory pre-requisite for
	> context replication or is it optional?
	>
	> 2) When the decompressor validation of the context following
	> decompression of an IR-CR packet fails, is the STATIC-NACK sent back
	> to the compressor optional or compulsory?
	>
	> The nature of my questions arises from the following:
	> (3.3.3.)
	>    Context replication is designed to operate over links where a
	>    feedback channel is available. This is necessary to ensure that
	>    the information used to create a new context is synchronized
	>    between the compressor and the decompressor. ...
	>
	> -The above suggests that the feedback channel is compulsory?
	>
	> (3.4.3.)
	>    Specifically, when the decompressor fails to validate the context
	>    following the decompression of one or more initial IR-CR packets,
	>    it MUST invalidate the context and remain in its initial state. In
	>    addition, the decompressor SHOULD send a STATIC-NACK.
	>
	> -Since reverse (positive and negative) feedbacks are all optional,
	> does it mean that the feedback channel is optional?
	>
	>
	> My opinion is that the reverse feedback channel must be present for
	> context replication, so that STATIC-NACKS are sent back to the
	> compressor when context validation fails upon decompression of an IR-
	> CR packet. IR-CR context validation failures must be communicated
	> back to the compressor. This is because 'valid' base contexts at the
	> compressor may be already invalidated at the decompressor.
	>
	> The case for this - suppose the reverse feedback channel is not
	> present (or STATIC-NACKs are not sent back upon context validation
	> failure at the decompressor), and furthermore the decompressor has
	> discarded/overwritten all the 'valid' base contexts still kept by the
	> compressor. Then, the compressor has no way of knowing the truth.
	> After upwards transition from the CR state in optimistic mode, the
	> compressor periodically transits downwards to IR state, in which it
	> finds seemingly 'valid' base contexts, transits to CR state, and
	> after a period of time optimistically proceeds to the 'Higher Order
	> State', ... , and all the time nothing has been received successfully
	> at all.
	>
	> Thus, I think STATIC-NACKs for IR-CR packets should not be optional,
	> because an avenue for fallback to IR packets, in the event of
	> failure, must be provided.
	>
	> Furthermore, if the policy enforced is such that the most recent
	> valid base context is chosen for replication always, then maybe it
	> can be assumed that if context validation for an IR-CR packet fails
	> at the decompressor, there is no need for the compressor to attempt
	> context replication from another base context? Thus, can the
	> decompressor simply send back a STATIC-NACK to signal fallback to
	> conventional context initialization? This may mean that the sending
	> of STATIC-NACK would be MUST instead of SHOULD in the above section.
	>
	> Chia Yuan Cho
	> National University of Singapore
	> / Institute for Infocomm Research
	
	--
	Ghyslain Pelletier, Dipl. Ing.
	Wireless IP Optimizations
	AWARE - Advanced Wireless Algorithm Research
	Ericsson Research, Corporate Unit
	
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