CURRENT MEETING REPORT

Reported by Kevin Jordan, Control Data Systems, Inc.

Minutes of the Mail and Directory Management Working Group (madman)

Note from the Working Group Chair

I am pleased to report that, despite short notice on the documents and no agenda in advance, we had a very productive meeting in Los Angeles.

The results of this are clearly summarized in the attached minutes from Kevin. I went into the meeting with the belief that there were a number of issues which would be hard to handle. All of the open items had productive and clear discussion leading to sensible resolution with a high degree of consensus. I am confident that we will be able to get these documents rapidly put to bed.

1. The minutes of the previous meeting in Dallas were approved.

2. The agenda of the current meeting was approved.

3. Network Application MIB

The group discussed the relationship between the System Application MIB and the Network Application MIB. A network application could be defined as a subclass of the generic system application class, so the System Application MIB could reference the Network Application MIB in order to realize this hierarchical relationship.

It was decided that the Network Application MIB specification will be updated to include text which describes its relationship to the System Application MIB and also the Host Resources MIB. The MIB itself will not be updated to include any new variables or any direct reference to these other MIB's.

4. Directory MIB

This MIB is stable and will be progressed onto the standards track. However, support for URL's may be added (see point 6).

5. Mail MIB

Changes have been made to this MIB, primarily to reflect comments and recommendations made by EMA (the Electronic Messaging Association). The editor solicits comments against the new draft, especially regarding the new text about conversions and routing loops.

Improvements in monitoring of messaging failures are desirable. However, making the Mail MIB substantially more complex to support these improvements is not desirable. Steve and Ned will work together to define and specify some more failure counters in the MIB (but not very many more).

The Mail MIB specification will be upated to clarify how group hierarchies can be defined, and some examples will be provided to show how they are useful.

6. URL's

Support for specification of URL's will be added to each of the MIB's where it makes sense.

7. Traps

The current MIB specifications will not be updated to include any specific support for traps. Instead, if there is sufficient interest amongst the working group membership, support for traps will be explored and specified via separate, experimental documents.

8. Future status

MADMAN will not meet again face to face. All outstanding work will be completed via e-mail using the MADMAN distribution list.

Summary of action items:

- Ned will update the Network Application MIB specification to describe its relationship to the System Application and Host Resources MIB's.

- Ned will update the MIB's to include support for URL's where appropriate.

- Steve and Ned will work together to define and document some more counters in the Mail MIB for monitoring messaging failures.

- Ned will update the Mail MIB to clarify how group hierarchies are defined and used.