Text 12167, 232 rader
Skriven 2021-04-18 09:43:20 av Martin Foster (2:250/1.333)
  Kommentar till text 12158 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
Ärende: FTS-xxxx.001  PING and TRACE flags
==========================================
Hello Michiel!

*** Saturday April 17 2021 21:54, you wrote to All:

 MvdV> Hello All,

 MvdV> 2nd attempt.


 MvdV> === begin ===


 MvdV> *********************************************************************
 MvdV> FTSC                            FIDONET TECHNICAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE
 MvdV> *********************************************************************

 MvdV> Publication:    FSP-xxxx
 MvdV> Revision:       1
 MvdV> Title:          The PING and TRACE flags
 MvdV> Author(s):      Michiel van der Vlist
 MvdV> Issue Date:     17 April 2021
 MvdV> =====================================================================


 MvdV> Status:

 MvdV> This document is a Fidonet Standards Proposal (FSP) - it specifies
 MvdV> the best current practices for the Fidonet community, and requests
                                                           ^
                                           No comma required
 MvdV> discussion and suggestions for improvements. It is released to the
 MvdV> public domain, and may be used, copied or modified for any purpose
                    ^
    No comma required
 MvdV> whatever.


 MvdV> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 MvdV> Contents:
 MvdV>            0. Definitions
 MvdV>            1. Introduction.
 MvdV>            2. The problem.
 MvdV>            3. The solution.
 MvdV>            4. Considerations
 MvdV>            A. References
 MvdV>            B. History
 MvdV>            C. Contact data
 MvdV> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
In the above, do we need full stops after "Introduction.", "The problem." and
"The solution.". I'm a bit unsure about that.

 MvdV> 0. Definitions
 MvdV> --------------

 MvdV>   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL
 MvdV>   NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL"
                                                           ^
                                           No comma required
 MvdV>   in this document are to be interpreted as described in [FTA-1006].


 MvdV> 1. Introduction
 MvdV> ---------------

 MvdV> The PING functionality as introduced by Ward Dossche just over two
                             ^
                Comma required
 MvdV> decades ago and advertised by the PING flag is a very useful tool
                                                  ^
                                     Comma required
 MvdV> in tracing and solving routing problems. This proposal is an update
 MvdV> of the original specs and introduces the TRACE flag.


 MvdV> 2. The problem
 MvdV> --------------

 MvdV> In the original specification as documented by Ward Dossche in the
 MvdV> April 2001 Z2 nodelist trailer and the specification last documented
 MvdV> in FTS-5001.006, the PING functionality contains two parts. PING and
                                                                 ^
                                                 Should be a comma
 MvdV> TRACE. According to that specification systems flying the PING flag
                                             ^
                                Comma required
 MvdV> should support both PING and TRACE functionality.

 MvdV> Recent surveys by the author however have shown that not all systems
                                           ^
                              Comma required
 MvdV> flying the PING flag also support the TRACE functionality. One could
 MvdV> argue that current practise is that TRACE functionality is optional.

 MvdV> Considering that the PING function alone is a very useful tool all
 MvdV> by itself for both routing systems and leaf systems and that TRACE
 MvdV> is only useful for routing systems, one may conclude that the above
 MvdV> current practise works well, but that it is not complient with the
                                  ^
                 Comma not required
 MvdV> original and current specs.


 MvdV> 3. The Solution
 MvdV> ---------------

 MvdV> Split up the PING and TRACE functionality.


 MvdV>   PING
 MvdV>   ----

 MvdV>     Specified as exactly "PING" with no arguments. Nodes flying this
 MvdV>     flag will adhere to the following functionality:

 MvdV>     If a message destined to user "PING" (case insensitive) arrives
 MvdV>     at its final destination and this final destination flies the
 MvdV>     PING flag, then the receiving node will bounce the message back
 MvdV>     to the original sender clearly quoting all the original via
                                 ^
                    Comma required
 MvdV>     lines.

 MvdV>     If a message destined to "PING" arrives at its final destination
 MvdV>     but this final destination does _not_ fly the PING flag then the
                                                                  ^
                                                     Comma required
 MvdV>     message may be deleted from the system without further action.


 MvdV>   TRACE
 MvdV>   -----

 MvdV>     Specified as exactly "TRACE" with no arguments. Nodes flying this
 MvdV>     flag will adhere to the following functionality:

 MvdV>     If a message destined to user "PING" (case insensitive) arrives
 MvdV>     at a node which flies the TRACE flag but is merely passing
 MvdV>     through to another destination then the in-transit node will
                                         ^
                            Comma required
 MvdV>     notify the sender of this occurrence, clearly quoting the via
 MvdV>     lines, and forward the original mail unaltered towards its final
                ^
Comma not required
 MvdV>     destination.


 MvdV>     For both PING and TRACE responses, the sender's name must never
 MvdV>     be "PING" and the responses should never be addressed to "PING".


 MvdV> 4. Considerations
 MvdV> -----------------

 MvdV> Making the TRACE function optional by seperating the flags, is an
                                                                 ^
                                                Comma not required
 MvdV> encouragement for developers and script writers to join the project.
 MvdV> They can choose to only implement the PING functionality and leave
 MvdV> TRACE functionality for later or ommit it completely without
                                    ^
                       Comma required
 MvdV> violating the specs. This will hopefully make more sysops join
 MvdV> the PING club.

 MvdV> Splitting up the PING and TRACE functionality by introducing the
 MvdV> TRACE flag is backward compatible. Systems flying the PING flag
 MvdV> that do not support TRACE need do nothing, They are complient
                                                  ^
                                       Should be "t"
 MvdV> with the new specs. Systems flying the PING flag that support
 MvdV> both PING and TRACE functionality may add the TRACE flag to their
 MvdV> listing. But if they do not, no harm is done, they are still
              ^ ^                                  ^ ^
Full stop not required and "B" should be "b"       | |
                                                   | |
     Comma should be a full stop and "t" should be "T"
 MvdV> complient with the new specs, it just does not advertise all
 MvdV> functionality.


 MvdV> A. References
 MvdV> -------------


 MvdV>   [FTS-5]    "The distribution nodelist", Ben Baker, Rick Moore.
 MvdV>              February 1989. Obsoleted by FTS-5000.

 MvdV>   FTS-5000]  "The distribution nodelist".
 MvdV>              FTSC Members, Administrator and Honoured Guests
 MvdV>              Januari 2014.

 MvdV>   [FTS-5001] "Nodelist flags and userflags".
 MvdV>              FTSC Members, Administrator and Honoured Guests
 MvdV>              Augustus 2017.

 MvdV>              A PING robot survey. Michiel van der Vlist
 MvdV>              Fidonews 38:07, 15 Februari 2021.

 MvdV>              Ping robot survey, a follow up. Michiel van der Vlist
 MvdV>              Fidonews 38:15, 12 April 2021.


 MvdV> B. History
 MvdV> ----------

 MvdV>   Rev,1, 2021-04-17: Initial release.


 MvdV> C. Contact Data
 MvdV> ---------------

 MvdV>   Michiel van der Vlist
 MvdV>   Fidonet:  2:280/5555
 MvdV>   E-mail:   pa0mmv at vrza dot org


 MvdV> === end ===


 MvdV> Cheers, Michiel

 MvdV> --- GoldED+/W32-MSVC 1.1.5-b20170303
 MvdV>  * Origin: http://www.vlist.org (2:280/5555)

That's all, have a nice day :))

Regards,
Martin

--- GoldED+/W32-MSVC 1.1.5-b20180707
 * Origin: Bitz-Box - Bradford - UK (2:250/1.333)