RFC 3304 (rfc3304) - Page 2 of 9
Middlebox Communications (midcom) Protocol Requirements
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
RFC 3304 Midcom Requirements August 2002 2. Requirements Each requirement is presented as a statement, followed by brief explanatory material as appropriate. Terminology is defined in [MCFW]. There may be overlap between requirements. 2.1. Protocol machinery 2.1.1. The Midcom protocol must enable a Midcom agent requiring the services of a middlebox to establish an authorized association between itself and the middlebox. This states that the protocol must allow the middlebox to identify an agent requesting services and make a determination as to whether or not the agent will be permitted to do so. 2.1.2. The Midcom protocol must allow a Midcom agent to communicate with more than one middlebox simultaneously. In any but the most simple network, an agent is likely to want to influence the behavior of more than one middlebox. The protocol design must not preclude the ability to do this. 2.1.3. The Midcom protocol must allow a middlebox to communicate with more than one Midcom agent simultaneously. There may be multiple instances of a single application or multiple applications desiring service from a single middlebox, and different agents may represent them. The protocol design must not preclude the ability to do so. 2.1.4. Where a multiplicity of Midcom Agents are interacting with a given middlebox, the Midcom protocol must provide mechanisms ensuring that the overall behavior is deterministic. This states that the protocol must include mechanisms for avoiding race conditions or other situations in which the requests of one agent may influence the results of the requests of other agents in an unpredictable manner. Swale, et al. Informational
