High Capacity Textual Conventions for MIB Modules Using Performance History Based on 15 Minute Intervals
RFC 3705

Network Working Group                                             B. Ray
Request for Comments: 3705                        PESA Switching Systems
Category: Standards Track                                        R. Abbi
                                                                 Alcatel
                                                           February 2004

        High Capacity Textual Conventions for MIB Modules Using
            Performance History Based on 15 Minute Intervals

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2004).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document presents a set of High Capacity Textual Conventions for
   use in MIB modules which require performance history based upon 15
   minute intervals.  The Textual Conventions defined in this document
   extend the conventions presented in RFC 3593 to 64 bit resolution
   using the conventions presented in RFC 2856.

Table of Contents

   1.  The Internet-Standard Management Framework . . . . . . . . . .  2
   2.  Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2
   3.  Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   4.  Intellectual Property Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
   5.  References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
       5.1.  Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
       5.2.  Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
   6.  Security Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   7.  Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   8.  Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   9.  Full Copyright Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Ray & Abbi                  Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 3705             High Capacity Perfhist TC MIB         February 2004

1. The Internet-Standard Management Framework

   For a detailed overview of the documents that describe the current
   Internet-Standard Management Framework, please refer to section 7 of
   RFC 3410 [RFC3410].

   Managed objects are accessed via a virtual information store, termed
   the Management Information Base or MIB.  MIB objects are generally
   accessed through the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).
   Objects in the MIB are defined using the mechanisms defined in the
   Structure of Management Information (SMI).  This memo specifies a MIB
   module that is compliant to the SMIv2, which is described in STD 58,
   RFC 2578 [RFC2578], STD 58, RFC 2579 [RFC2579] and STD 58, RFC 2580
   [RFC2580].

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
   document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119].

2.  Overview

   In cases where a manager must obtain performance history data about
   the behavior of equipment it manages, several strategies can be
   followed in the design of a MIB module that represents the managed
   equipment, including:

   -  The agent counts events on a continuous basis and, whenever
      desired, the manager obtains the value of the event counter and
      adjusts its understanding of the history of events at the agent.

   -  The agent allocates events to 'buckets' where each bucket
      represents an interval of time.

   Telecommunications equipment often makes use of the latter strategy.
   For such equipment the standard practice is that history data is
   maintained by the agent in terms of 15-minute intervals [T1.231].

   MIB modules for collecting performance history based on 15-minute
   intervals have been defined for the DS1/E1 [RFC2495], DS3/E3
   [RFC2496], SONET/SDH [RFC3592], ADSL [RFC2662], HDLS2 and SHDSL
   [RFC3276] interface types.  These MIB modules use a common set of
   textual conventions defined in [RFC3593].

   A need has arisen to define 64-bit versions of the textual
   conventions in [RFC3593].  Ideally, these high-capacity textual
   conventions would be based on a Gauge64 or Unsigned64 data type, but
   unfortunately no such types exist in SMIv2.  The next best choice
   would be to base them on the CounterBasedGauge64 textual convention

Ray & Abbi                  Standards Track                     [Page 2]