In researching a message to the Internet-History mailing list, I came across
an interesting piece of old history. Note the definition of "forwarding
selector"!
Noel
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Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 23:09:05 -0400
From: [email protected] (Noel Chiappa)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Terminology problems
This mailing list is having severe terminology conflicts over the
term "address". One person uses it in a message, assuming *their* personal
definition, and someone else reads the message using a *different* personal
definition, and hey presto, instant miscommunication (on the world's most
powerful communication network, sigh :-).
I suggest we either a) agree on one meaning to solve this, or b)
stop using the term altogether. Lets not argue interminably over
terminology: if, at the end of 48 hours, we don't achieve a), I will adopt
b), and basically ignore all message with the term "address" in them.
Here are a list of suggested terms and definitions:
"address" - The structured name of an attachment point to the network. The
structure is used by the routing to make its (difficult :-) job a
little easier. I believe it is an inescapable truth, (and have so
argued at length :-) that things which have related addresses must
be topologically related, or else the routing will break down, but
let's leave that for a bit. The address might or might not appear
in all packets (see "f-selector").
"interface name", "i-name" - Alternative name for the above, if we don't agree
to call it an "address".
"forwarding selector", "f-selector" - The field in the packets which the
routers look at to decide where to send the packet next. In X.25,
the f-selector si the VC-ID, in IPv4, the 'destination IP address'.
"host identifier", "h-id" - A name (*not* an ASCII string), probably
globally unique, for a host; the current IPv4 'address' has this as
one of its current functions. (Much the same as an EID, for those
who understand that term.)
Will the normally quiet "listeners" out there *please* speak up, if
this set of terms is to your liking? If I have missed any possible meaning
which is currently attached to the term 'address' by anyone, or anyone sees a
use for some other term, send it in.
I also suggest everyone read RFC-1498, but Saltzer, *without delay*,
if you have not already done so. It provide a very clear, and *essential*,
framework for all discussions of object naming in networks.
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