RE: iSCSI Data Integrity - Digests

["Y P Cheng" <ycheng@advansys.com>]

> Forcing frame alignment does little to assist iSCSI if mid-tier equipment
> removes such framing despite option negotiation.

I am not aware of any mid-tier box being TCP-aware and repackaging TCP
segments.  If so, it must also involve in different TCP options including
SACK and 32-bit window, not to mention changing the TCP header and
recalculating checksum.

> The urgent pointer has a defined behavior within RFC documentation
> such that to define it as a record boundary is not in keeping
> with standards.  To implement and use an urgent pointer as a record
> boundary pointer clearly modifies the TCP standard.

Very interesting argument.  Urgent pointer is meant to be a inband signal
that can be used for any particular purpose a user has in mind.  Saying
urgent pointer as a marker for a record or a message being a modification of
TCP standard, IMHO, is definitely a stretch.  However, I yield the debate to
the TCP gurus.