Network Working Group                                         C. Bormann
Internet-Draft                                   Universitaet Bremen TZI
Updates: 8428 (if approved)                            February 10, 2020
Intended status: Standards Track
Expires: August 13, 2020


                      SenML: Features and Versions
                  draft-bormann-core-senml-versions-00

Abstract

   The Sensor Measurement Lists (SenML) specification provides a version
   number that is set to the number 10 in RFC 8428, without further
   specification on the way to make use of different version numbers.
   This short document specifies the use of "SenML Features" and maps
   them to SenML version numbers, updating RFC 8428.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

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   This Internet-Draft will expire on August 13, 2020.

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   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Feature Codes and the Version number  . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  Features: Reserved0, Reserved1, Reserved2, Reserved3  . . . .   3
   4.  Feature: Secondary Units  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   6.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   8.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5

1.  Introduction

   The Sensor Measurement Lists (SenML) specification [RFC8428] provides
   a version number that is set to 10, without further specification on
   the way to make use of different version numbers.

   The traditional idea of using a version number for evolving an
   interchange format presupposes a linear progression of that format.
   A more likely form of evolution of SenML is the addition of
   "features" that can be added to the base version (version 10) in a
   fashion that is mostly independent of each other.  A recipient of a
   SenML pack can check the features it implements against those
   required by the pack, processing the pack only if all required
   features are provided in the implementation.

   This short document specifies the use of SenML Features and maps them
   to SenML version number space, updating [RFC8428].

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
   "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in
   BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
   capitals, as shown here.

   Where bit arithmetic is explained, this document uses the notation
   familiar from the programming language C, except that "**" denotes
   exponentiation.

2.  Feature Codes and the Version number

   The present specification defines "SenML Features", identified by a
   "feature name" (a text string) and a "feature code", an unsigned
   integer less than 53.



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   The specific version of a SenML pack is composed of a set of
   features.  The SenML version number ("bver" field) is then the sum
   of, for each feature present, two taken to the power of the feature
   code of that feature.

               \~~   52                   fc
   version  =   >          present(fc) x 2
               /__ fc=0

   where present(fc) is 1 if the feature with the feature code "fc" is
   present, 0 otherwise.

3.  Features: Reserved0, Reserved1, Reserved2, Reserved3

   For SenML Version 10 as described in [RFC8428], the feature codes 0
   to 3 are already in use.  Reserved1 (1) and Reserved3 (3) are always
   present and the features Reserved0 (0) and Reserved2 (2) are always
   absent, yielding a version number of 10 if no other feature is in
   use.  These four reserved feature codes are not to be used with any
   more specific semantics except in a specification that updates the
   present specification.

4.  Feature: Secondary Units

   The feature "Secondary Units" (code number 4) indicates that
   secondary unit names [I-D.ietf-core-senml-more-units] MAY be be used
   in the "u" field, in addition to the primary unit names already
   allowed by [RFC8428].

   Note that the most basic use of this feature simply sets the SenML
   version number to 26 (10 + 2**4).

5.  Security Considerations

   The security considerations of [RFC8428] apply.  This specification
   provides structure to the interpretation of the SenML version number,
   which poses no additional security considerations except for some
   potential for surprise that version numbers do not simply increase
   linearly.

6.  IANA Considerations

   IANA is requested to create a new subregistry "SenML features" within
   the SenML registry [IANA.senml], with the registration policy
   "specification required" [RFC8126] and the columns:

   o  Feature code (an unsigned integer less than 53)




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   o  Feature name (text)

   o  Specification

   The initial content of this registry is as follows:

            +--------------+-----------------+---------------+
            | Feature code | Feature name    | Specification |
            +--------------+-----------------+---------------+
            | 0            | Reserved0       | RFCthis       |
            | 1            | Reserved1       | RFCthis       |
            | 2            | Reserved2       | RFCthis       |
            | 3            | Reserved3       | RFCthis       |
            | 4            | Secondary Units | RFCthis       |
            +--------------+-----------------+---------------+

        Table 1: Features defined for SenML at the time of writing

Acknowledgements

   Ari Keranen proposed to use the version number as a bitset.

8.  Normative References

   [I-D.ietf-core-senml-more-units]
              Bormann, C., "Additional Units for SenML", draft-ietf-
              core-senml-more-units-03 (work in progress), November
              2019.

   [IANA.senml]
              IANA, "Sensor Measurement Lists (SenML)",
              <http://www.iana.org/assignments/senml>.

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.

   [RFC8126]  Cotton, M., Leiba, B., and T. Narten, "Guidelines for
              Writing an IANA Considerations Section in RFCs", BCP 26,
              RFC 8126, DOI 10.17487/RFC8126, June 2017,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8126>.

   [RFC8174]  Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
              2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
              May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.





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   [RFC8428]  Jennings, C., Shelby, Z., Arkko, J., Keranen, A., and C.
              Bormann, "Sensor Measurement Lists (SenML)", RFC 8428,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC8428, August 2018,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8428>.

Author's Address

   Carsten Bormann
   Universitaet Bremen TZI
   Postfach 330440
   Bremen  D-28359
   Germany

   Phone: +49-421-218-63921
   Email: cabo@tzi.org




































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