Re: FCIP: Comment 120 - connection endpoint

[Ralph Weber <ralphoweber@compuserve.com>]

Mallikarjun,

It looks like we are between a rock and a hard place here.

> ... In all the implementations I had seen, your connection endpoint 
> is where you sent the connection requests to - i.e. the connection 
> interface point.....

FCIP appears to be a case where everything you have ever seen is turned
on its head.

In FCIP, the FCIP Entity is the place to which TCP connect requests
are sent. When the TCP connect request arrives, the FCIP_DE does not
exist, meaning that FCIP cannot have the TCP connect requests being
directed to the FCIP_DE because it is flat out not there.

Only after a TCP connect request arrives and is validated (FSF exchange,
and possibly ASF exchange) does the FCIP_DE get created at tied to the
endpoint of the newly established TCP Connection.

Thus there is a very real difference between the TCP endpoint (which
is connected to the FCIP_DE) and the connection interface point
(which is inside the FCIP Entity).

Short of a serious FCIP rewrite (probably with major confusion added),
I do not see any way around this critical distinction.

Sorry.

.Ralph


> > Consider the revised sentence again:
> >
> >   "The FCIP Entity is the connection interface point for the IP Network
> >   and is the sole owner of at least one TCP port/IP Address combination
> >   used to form TCP Connections. The TCP port may be the FCIP well
> >   known  port at a given IP Address."
>
> This is good (but see below).
>
> >
> > Viewed in context, "connection interface point" is synonymous with
> > "the place to which TCP connect requests are directed". It is not
> > and is not intended to be synonymous with the endpoint of a TCP
> > Connection once that TCP connection is formed.
>
> It's unclear to me how the two are different.  In all the implementations I
> had seen, your connection endpoint is where you sent the connection
> requests to - i.e. the connection interface point.....
> --
> Mallikarjun
>
> Mallikarjun Chadalapaka
> Networked Storage Architecture
> Network Storage Solutions
> Hewlett-Packard MS 5668
> Roseville CA 95747
> cbm@rose.hp.com