Jonathan,

OK - the bit I missed is that distinguishing whether the payload is Payload
IEs or Unformatted Payload can be done by looking at the IE List Present
bit. I agree with your original e-mail.

Robert

On 19 June 2015 at 22:46, Jonathan Hui <[email protected]> wrote:

> Robert,
>
> There are cases where the inclusion of HT1 could depend on encryption if
> we wanted to.  For example, consider Case 7:
>
> Header IE Present: No
> Payload IE Present: Yes
> Data Payload Present: Yes
>
> The MAC header only indicates whether or not IEs (header or payload) are
> present.  When encryption is enabled, HT1 is needed to indicate that there
> are no Header IEs present.  However, when encryption is not enabled, I can
> simply tell by looking at Bit 15 of the Payload IE header and HT1 is not
> needed.  Of course, including HT1 in both cases is the most general and
> would cover both cases.
>
> As mentioned in my previous mail, adding conditions based on security adds
> complexity and I can appreciate the desire to keep things simple.
>
> --
> Jonathan Hui
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 19, 2015 at 2:35 PM, Robert Cragie <
> [email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Hi Jonathan,
>>
>> I don't think it makes any difference re. encryption and I think the
>> table at the beginning of Section 2 15-15-0090-06-0mag-ie-table.docx is
>> correct. I also think you have one point wrong - see inline comment below.
>>
>> Below is an alternative representation of what is in the table mentioned
>> above, showing what you could expect in the 8 cases (monospaced font
>> required):
>>
>> Case |<--------- Header --------->||<------- Payload ------>|
>> -----|----------------------------||------------------------|
>> 1    | MHR(0) |                   ||                 ||     |
>> 2    | MHR(1) | HIE[1-n]          ||                 ||     |
>> 3    | MHR(1) |             HT1   || PIE[1-n] | [PT] ||     |
>> 4    | MHR(1) | HIE[1-n] |  HT1   || PIE[1-n] | [PT] ||     |
>> 5    | MHR(0) |                   ||                 || MPY |
>> 6    | MHR(1) | HIE[1-n] |  HT2   ||                 || MPY |
>> 7    | MHR(1) |             HT1   || PIE[1-n] |  PT  || MPY |
>> 8    | MHR(1) | HIE[1-n] |  HT1   || PIE[1-n] |  PT  || MPY |
>>
>> Robert
>>
>> On 19 June 2015 at 18:13, Jonathan Hui <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> I agree that IEEE 802.15.4e-2012 alone is ambiguous about what to do
>>> with the Header IE list termination.
>>>
>>> It is clear that in the presence of encryption, the List Termination IE
>>> for Header IEs is necessary whenever any Payload IEs or Unformatted Payload
>>> is present.  The List Termination IE is needed to determine the end of the
>>> authenticated header and start of the encrypted payload.
>>>
>>> It is also clear that in the absence of encryption, it is possible to
>>> decipher between Header IEs and Payload IEs.  For Header IEs, Figure 48n
>>> shows that Bit 15 is always set to 0.  For Payload IEs, Figure 48o shows
>>> that Bit 15 is always set to 1.  For that reason, including a List
>>> Termination IE at the end of the Header IE list is redundant in the absence
>>> of encryption.
>>>
>>
>> <RCC>But it is not possible to distinguish between Payload IEs and
>> Unformatted Payload. Therefore the List Termination IE is still needed</RCC>
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Of course, IEEE 802.15.4e-2012 says nothing about the relationship
>>> between Header IE List termination and encryption.  In that respect, IEEE
>>> 802.15.4e-2012 is ambiguous about whether or not to include the List
>>> Termination IE at the end of a Header ID list.
>>>
>>> Ben Rolfe and I have spent countless conversations trying to interpret
>>> the IEEE 802.15.4e-2012.  I'm glad to see that the SC maintenance is
>>> looking to address this ambiguity.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Jonathan Hui
>>>
>>> On Fri, Jun 19, 2015 at 7:47 AM, Rene Struik <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>  On 6/19/2015 10:22 AM, Pat Kinney wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I have been reading these emails on IE Headers with great interest.  In
>>>> the IEEE 802.15 maintenance standing committee we often have long
>>>> discussions on how IEs should be used and as a result have started an
>>>> interest group on an IEEE 802.15.4 guide.  As part of that effort I have
>>>> created an IE Table guide, 15-15-0090-06
>>>> <https://mentor.ieee.org/802.15/dcn/15/15-15-0090-06-0mag-ie-table.docx>
>>>> ,
>>>> https://mentor.ieee.org/802.15/dcn/15/15-15-0090-06-0mag-ie-table.docx.
>>>>  If you wish to review it, this is a publicly available document.
>>>>
>>>>  But to the points raised:
>>>> - "there is no need to add a termination header IE” - this is
>>>> incorrect, the IE termination header IE is required to be transmitted
>>>> before the payload IEs.
>>>>
>>>> RS>> This statement seems incorrect. Please see 802.15.4e-2012, Clause
>>>> 5.2.4.22: that clause does not say anything about the explicit
>>>> termination in the scenario where there are no Header IEs. Technically,
>>>> there is also no need (if at most authentication is required, since Header
>>>> IEs and Payload IEs can be distinguished). {If confidentiality is provided,
>>>> then one would have to include this, as my analysis already showed}.
>>>> <<RS
>>>>
>>>> - “header IEs and Payload IEs have a different type within the first
>>>> 2-byte descriptor” - this is incorrect, currently there is no overlap but
>>>> we will need these extra IDs in the future.
>>>>
>>>> RS>> This statement seems incorrect as well. Please see 802.15.4e-2012,
>>>> Clause 5.2.4.2: Header IEs and Payload IEs differ on the Type
>>>> Subfield. The ID space is a different subfield altogether.
>>>> <<RS
>>>>
>>>> - "If Header IEs are not present and Payload IEs are present, after
>>>> having read the MAC Header the next byte to read will be Payload IEs and
>>>> together with identification of the IE type ( Payload IEs type 1 ) you
>>>> already have a way to know that what you have are Payload IEs, thus you do
>>>> not have to add a termination Header IE before”  This is incorrect
>>>>
>>>> RS>> I would like to understand this, since this statement seems
>>>> incorrect as well, based on the current 802.15.4e-2011 spec.
>>>> <<RS
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  I have included an example of an Enhanced Beacon in the IE Table
>>>> Guide.  Please let me know if you believe I have made a mistake and why you
>>>> believe it is a mistake.
>>>>
>>>>  Pat
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Pat Kinney
>>>> *Kinney Consulting LLC*
>>>> IEEE 802.15 WG vice chair, TG chair
>>>> ISA100.11a WG chair
>>>> O: +1.847.960.3715
>>>> [email protected]
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  On 19, Jun2015, at 6:47, José Ángel Miranda <[email protected]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  Hi,
>>>>
>>>>  Ok, after having read your answers I would like to clarify some
>>>> points:
>>>>
>>>>  - Following the current standard*, IEs payload are NOT encrypted.*
>>>> - Within an Enhanced Beacon, the MAC payload conforms IEs payload +
>>>> Beacon Payload.
>>>> - The inclusion of IEs within the frame is indicated via FCF( bit 9 ).
>>>>
>>>>  These assumptions are correct and based on the current standard (
>>>> 802.15.4e - 2012 ), in which the minimal is based.
>>>> Therefore, when receiving a frame, specifically a beacon, there is no
>>>> need to add a termination Header IE before the Payload IEs due to the
>>>> following reasons:
>>>> - When having received the beacon, you can check whether it has
>>>> Information Elements or not by just checking the FCF.
>>>> - Header IEs and Payload IEs have different type within the first 2
>>>> byte descriptor ( Header IEs have type 0 and Payload IEs have type 1 ).
>>>> - If Header IEs are not present and Payload IEs are present, after
>>>> having read the MAC Header the next byte to read will be Payload IEs and
>>>> together with identification of the IE type ( Payload IEs type 1 ) you
>>>> already have a way to know that what you have are Payload IEs, thus you do
>>>> not have to add a termination Header IE before.
>>>>
>>>>  In case of following other standard rather than the current one ( may
>>>> be the next rev. ), when having the Payload IEs encrypted (* this is
>>>> NOT as specified in the current standard* ), there would be one
>>>> condition where the termination Header IE is strictly required:
>>>> - You would have the IE list present bit set within the FCF and at time
>>>> to decrypt the frame you need to know, in order to operate properly the
>>>> incoming security procedure, what is 'c data' and 'a data', therefore you
>>>> need to add a termination Header IE in order to: avoid possible confusion
>>>> with the non-formatted encrypted payload and know where the MAC Header
>>>> ends.
>>>>
>>>>  Taking into account these points, the beacon showed within the
>>>> minimal draft should be modified ( omitting the termination Header IE ).
>>>>
>>>>  Cheers,
>>>> Jose.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 2015-06-18 0:58 GMT+02:00 Tero Kivinen <[email protected]>:
>>>>
>>>>> Rene Struik writes:
>>>>> > According to the 15.4e spec, the value of the IE List Present field
>>>>> > in the FCF signals whether or not IEs are included in the frame (see
>>>>> > Clause 5.2.11.5b).
>>>>>
>>>>> This is true.
>>>>>
>>>>> > Header and Payload IEs can be distinguished via the Type field (bit
>>>>> > 15: set to zero if Header IE; set to one otherwise)  and are
>>>>> > self-contained TLV data objects (see Clauses 5.2.4.2 and 5.2.4.3).
>>>>>
>>>>> This is not. Nothing in the 802.15.4e says that there cannot be long
>>>>> format for header IEs, or that you cannot have short format for
>>>>> payload IEs. On the other hand the section 5.2.2.6.17 says:
>>>>>
>>>>>         5.2.2.6.17 IEs field
>>>>>
>>>>>         The IEs field is variable in length and is present if the IEs
>>>>>         Present field is set to one. The format of IEs is specified in
>>>>>         5.2.4. It contains Header IEs, followed by Payload IEs. Each
>>>>>         type of IE list is terminated as required per 5.2.4.22.
>>>>>
>>>>> I.e. both IE lists are terminated as required per 5.2.4.22. The
>>>>> 5.2.4.22 says:
>>>>>
>>>>>         5.2.4.22 IE List Termination IE
>>>>>
>>>>>         The Header IE list is terminated with an IE List Termination
>>>>>         IE (ID = 0x7e or 0x7f) that has a content length of zero.
>>>>>         Explicit termination is required after a Header IE if there is
>>>>>         one or more Payload IEs (0x7e), or MAC payload (0x7f),
>>>>>         following the Header IE list. If an unformatted payload
>>>>>         follows the Payload IE list, then the payload IE list is
>>>>>         terminated with a list termination IE (ID = 0xf) that has a
>>>>>         content length of zero. Otherwise the terminator may be
>>>>>         omitted.
>>>>>
>>>>> I.e. no header termination IE is needed if there is nothing coming
>>>>> after it. The 0x7e is needed if there is Payload IEs after Header IEs,
>>>>> and 0x7f is needed if there is no Payload IEs, but there is payload
>>>>> after it.
>>>>>
>>>>> > Note that IEs should only be processed at receipt after successful
>>>>> incoming
>>>>> > frame security processing (i.e., IEs can be assumed to be available
>>>>> in the
>>>>> > clear for this discussion).
>>>>>
>>>>> Actually this is not specified in the 802.15.4e... Also several of
>>>>> those IEs are processed by MAC, and even if the frame is accepted from
>>>>> node A with data payload, that does not mean that all IEs in that
>>>>> frame is something that will be accepted.
>>>>>
>>>>> In the 802.15.4rev there is new security tables similar to the Frame
>>>>> security tables for IEs, to specify whether they are accepted or
>>>>> ignored by the MAC.
>>>>> --
>>>>> [email protected]
>>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> email: [email protected] | Skype: rstruik
>>>> cell: +1 (647) 867-5658 | US: +1 (415) 690-7363
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>
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