[xrblock] Usage of RFC 6390 in XRBLOCK documents

["Romascanu, Dan (Dan)" <[e-mail]>]

Most if not all participants in the work of XRBLOCK are probably familiar with BCP 170 / RFC 6390 - ' Guidelines for Considering New Performance Metric Development'. This RFC describes a framework and a process for developing Performance Metrics of protocols and applications transported over IETF-specified protocols and makes a number of recommendations about the definition of new metrics. 

Specifically section 5.4.2 of the RFC defines the normative part of a Performance Metric definition, which MUST include the following: 

(i) Metric Name
(ii) Metric Description 
(iii) Method of Measurement or Calculation
(iv) Units of Measurement
(v) Measurement Point(s) with Potential Measurement Domain
(vi) Measurement Timing

In XRBLOCK documents we are re-using definitions of metrics already defined somewhere else and normatively refer these documents. We do not intent to change this, but we would like to use the list above as a checklist that all mandatory information does exist in the definitions of the metrics that we refer. Authors can chose whether to use the exact format or terminology used by 6390 or not, provided that all necessary information is present. 

In documents that define new metrics (if there will be such document) it will be required to include all normative parts of the performance metric definition as specified in section 5.4.2 of RFC 6390. 

Please let us know if you see any problem with starting to apply this policy immediately. 

Thanks and Regards,

Dan