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    IPSEC target and transport mode



    Pierre,
    
    > Based on what has been decided in Minneapolis could you confirm
    > that the following 4 points still hold true for iSCSI.
    
    Actually, no, and thanks for asking, as you reminded me that
    I promised to take this topic to the list.  I've changed the
    Subject on this message slightly because this discussion applies
    to all of the IP Storage protocols, not just iSCSI.
    
    The sense of the room in Minneapolis (and it was a bit rough,
    with visible dissent) was to drop the requirement for IPsec
    transport mode.  Tunnel mode would become "MUST implement",
    transport mode would become "MAY implement", and this would
    override the "host must support both tunnel mode and transport
    mode" requirement of RFC 2401.  Any procedural questions or
    objections about whether/how/why the IPS WG is allowed/entitled
    to override IPsec RFC requirements should be sent directly to
    me off the list - we are allowed to do this solely for the use
    of IPsec technology with the IPS protocols and have been doing
    so for the past year.
    
    Much of the responsibility for this flip-flop is mine (if you thought
    this WG co-chair was infallible, you were bound to be disappointed
    sooner or later ;-) ) - the transport mode requirement that is to be
    dropped was inserted at the Huntington Beach meeting last month, and
    I admit to leaning on the WG to put this in on the basis that I
    believed it would be necessary to get approval of the Security Area
    in the IESG.  Since that time, a new Security Area Director has been
    appointed, Steve Bellovin.  Steve and I had lunch on Monday of IETF
    week, and his advice on this issue was to drop the transport requirement
    as a "MUST implement" for tunnel mode is sufficient for interoperability.
    
    While I believe the current situation does represent rough consensus
    of the WG, there was a visible minority in the meeting who dissented
    from this decision, and essentially no time to discuss it.  Hence,
    this is an opportunity for those who would like to see the transport
    mode requirement from Huntington Beach retained to explain why on the
    list and see if they can convince the WG.  The only available options
    are (1) to drop all requirements for transport mode (i.e., "MAY implement")
    and (2) to retain the transport mode requirement in the form that it
    was added in Huntington Beach (i.e., transport mode is required when
    RFC 2401 says it is).  I am certain that WG rough consensus cannot be
    obtained for requiring transport mode in all cases (i.e., without the
    "when RFC 2401 says it is" qualifier from Huntington Beach).
    
    While I encourage everyone to participate, I also intend to drive
    this issue to closure in the next week or so.
    
    Thanks,
    --David
    
    ---------------------------------------------------
    David L. Black, Senior Technologist
    EMC Corporation, 42 South St., Hopkinton, MA  01748
    +1 (508) 249-6449 *NEW*      FAX: +1 (508) 497-8500
    black_david@emc.com         Cell: +1 (978) 394-7754
    ---------------------------------------------------
    


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Last updated: Wed Mar 27 13:18:18 2002
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