CURRENT_MEETING_REPORT_

Reported by Darren Kinley/CRIM

Minutes of the NOC-Tool Catalogue Revisions Working Group (NOCtool2)


Agenda

The NOCtool2 Working Group met at the 22nd IETF in Santa Fe.  The
meeting served primarily to report on the revision of the RFC 1147/FYI
2, and again served as a forum for discussion of the ``living
documents'' problem.  The agenda was as follows,


   o Working Group Co-Chair shuffling
   o Current status
   o NOCtools' resolution of the ``living documents'' problem
   o Planned wrap up of revision process



Discussions

Co-Chair Shuffling    The replacement of Gary Malkin by Darren Kinley
                     during the month of October was announced.  Thanks
                     to Gary for his efforts.
Current status       Enger, Kinley, and Malkin each fumbled putting
                     things behind schedule.  After much whining,
                     pleading, and shaming their lives were spared.
                     Schedules have been revised.
Revised Schedules    Internet-Draft to be prepared for the month of
                     February, its availability (including TOC) widely
                     announced, late submissions to be included as
                     required, and finally document to be submitted to
                     the RFC editor.  The delay from announcement as ID
                     to submission to the RFC editor will depend on the
                     number of late entries received, the feedback from
                     the community, and will be left to the discretion
                     of the RFC editors.
``Living Documents''    Technical and philosophical aspects of this
                     problem were discussed extensively.  Everyone
                     agreed that ``high-tech'' solutions were still not
                     available nor would they be in the very near
                     future.  The group decided to schedule a BOF on
                     this topic at the upcoming IETF in San Diego.
                     Two sets of mechanisms and procedures to aid in the
                     maintenance and distribution of this document were
                     put forward, improved, and adopted by the group.

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                   1.    Anonymous FTP retrieval with automated email
                         submission.
                         The official/edited document will be made
                         available via anonymous FTP as well as an
                         automated electronic distribution tool
                         (listserv) as a whole or in pieces.  Entries
                         can be submitted via electronic mail and made
                         immediately available in an unofficial/unedited
                         portion of the distribution.  An editor will
                         occasionally verify these last entries and
                         include them in the official document.
                         Possible homes might include Merit or
                         Washington University.

                   2.    Usenet news.

                         A news hierarchy similar to this was discussed.

                         alt.noctools.announce (moderated) A small
                         number of entries will be posted daily so that
                         during a month the entire document will be
                         posted once.

                         alt.noctools.wanted (unmoderated) Questions of
                         the nature ``I'm looking for...''  will be
                         posted to this group.

                         alt.noctools.new (unmoderated) New tools can be
                         announced here.  A Gateway between this group
                         and the automated email submission address
                         should be put in place.

                         alt.noctools.bugs (unmoderated) Any patchs to
                         tools can be posted here.  Hopefully, they will
                         also be sent to the tool creator.

                         alt.noctools.d (unmoderated) General
                         discussion.

                         Resources needed to support some of these
                         functions could be located very near to the FTP
                         retrieval and automated submissions service.



Other Items


   o The majority of cases are handled in current the plan, but what
     about the small number of sites without even UUCP access?

   o BOF on ``living documents'' problem.

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Action Items

Robert Enger, Darren Kinley:  Contact remaining people with entries,
continue to solicit and accept new entries, prepare draft document.

Joyce Reynolds:  Consider funding for maintenance of ``living
documents'' problem vis-a-vis the Internet Society.

Darren Kinley, Joyce Reynolds:  Compile list where NOCtools catalog
availability announcement will get the widest possible distribution.

Robert Enger, Darren Kinley, Chris Myers, Mike Patton:  Properly define
Usenet newsgroups to be created and write charters for these groups as
required.

Chris Myers:  Make a home for anonymous FTP and automated electronic
submissions and distribution tool.



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