MIB Reassignment: Reassignment of experimental MIBs to standard MIBs
A short note moving several interface MIBs from experimental to standard object ID numbers.
Reynolds, J.K., "Reassignment of experimental MIBs to standard MIBs", RFC 1239, DOI 10.17487/RFC1239, June 1991, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc1239>.
@misc{rfc1239,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 1239,
howpublished = {RFC 1239},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC1239},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc1239},
author = {J.K. Reynolds},
title = {{Reassignment of experimental MIBs to standard MIBs}},
pagetotal = 2,
year = 1991,
month = jun,
} RFC text
Contents
Network Working Group J. Reynolds
Request for Comments: 1239 ISI
Updates: RFCs 1229, 1230, 1231, 1232, 1233 June 1991
Reassignment of Experimental MIBs to Standard MIBs
Status of this Memo
This RFC specifies an IAB standards track protocol for the Internet
community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements.
Please refer to the current edition of the "IAB Official Protocol
Standards" for the standardization state and status of this protocol.
Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Statement
In the past, MIBs have been assigned arcs in the experimental MIB
namespace early in their development and then were not assigned arcs
in the standard MIB namespace until they reached Full Standard
status. This practice required vendors to revise their
implementations when a MIB went from Draft to Full Standard status,
even though there was probably no substantive technical change in the
definitions. This practice could also engender operational problems
in the field at an undesirably late stage of the standardization
process. It was also observed that this practice could discourage
implementation until the Full Standard stage and that this, too,
would be undesirable. So, a preferable practice is to assign arcs in
the standard MIB namespace at the earliest phase of standardization
and to preserve these assignments as the standard progresses.
This memo specifically updates:
RFC 1229 - "Extensions to the Generic-Interface MIB"
RFC 1230 - "IEEE 802.4 Token Bus MIB"
RFC 1231 - "IEEE 802.5 Token Ring MIB"
RFC 1232 - "Definitions of Managed Objects for the DS1 Interface
Type"
RFC 1233 - "Definitions of Managed Objects for the DS3 Interface
Type"
with new codes. In the future, consult each MIB publication for new
code assignments.
SMI Network Management Old Experimental Codes
Prefix: 1.3.6.1.3 (experimental)
Decimal Name Description
------- ---- -----------
2 T1-Carrier T1 Carrier Objects
4 IEEE802.5 Token Ring-like Objects
6 Interface Generic Interface Extension Objects
7 IEEE802.4 Token Bus-like Objects
15 DS3 DS3 Interface Type
SMI Network Management New Standard Codes
Prefix: 1.3.6.1.2.1 (standard-mib)
Decimal Name Description
------- ---- -----------
12 Generic IF Generic Interface Extension Objects
Prefix: 1.3.6.1.2.1.10 (transmission)
Decimal Name Description
------- ---- -----------
8 IEEE802.4 Token Bus-like Objects
9 IEEE802.5 Token Ring-like Objects
18 DS1 T1 Carrier Objects
30 DS3 DS3 Interface Type
Security Considerations
Security issues are not discussed in this memo.
Author's Address
Joyce K. Reynolds
USC/Information Sciences Institute
4676 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6695
Phone: (213) 822-1511
EMail: jkrey@isi.edu
AI ELI5
On this page
§1The Old Practice and Its Problems
MIBs used to be given arcs in the experimental MIB namespace early on and were not given arcs in the standard namespace until they reached Full Standard status. That required vendors to revise implementations when a MIB went from Draft to Full Standard, even though there was probably no substantive technical change.
The memo adds that the practice could cause operational problems at an undesirably late stage and could discourage implementation until the Full Standard stage. The preferable practice is to assign standard arcs at the earliest phase and keep them as the standard progresses.
Changing a label late forces everyone to redo their work. It is better to use the final label from the start.
§2Which MIBs Are Updated
The memo updates five documents with new codes: RFC 1229 (Extensions to the Generic-Interface MIB), RFC 1230 (IEEE 802.4 Token Bus MIB), RFC 1231 (IEEE 802.5 Token Ring MIB), RFC 1232 (DS1 Interface Type) and RFC 1233 (DS3 Interface Type). In the future, readers should consult each MIB publication for new code assignments.
Five documents get new numbers, and from now on you check each document for its own number.
§3Old and New Codes
The old experimental codes sit under prefix 1.3.6.1.3: 2 for T1-Carrier, 4 for IEEE802.5, 6 for the generic Interface extension, 7 for IEEE802.4 and 15 for DS3.
The new standard codes sit under 1.3.6.1.2.1, where 12 is Generic IF, and under the transmission prefix 1.3.6.1.2.1.10, where 8 is IEEE802.4, 9 is IEEE802.5, 18 is DS1 (T1 Carrier objects) and 30 is DS3. The memo says security issues are not discussed.
It is a lookup table: each old temporary number is matched with its new permanent one.
| MIB | Old code (1.3.6.1.3) | New code |
|---|---|---|
| Generic interface extension | 6 | 12 under 1.3.6.1.2.1 |
| IEEE 802.4 Token Bus | 7 | 8 under 1.3.6.1.2.1.10 |
| IEEE 802.5 Token Ring | 4 | 9 under 1.3.6.1.2.1.10 |
| DS1 / T1 Carrier | 2 | 18 under 1.3.6.1.2.1.10 |
| DS3 | 15 | 30 under 1.3.6.1.2.1.10 |