[ntpwg] exposed data

[Harlan Stenn]

ntpd can expose a fair bit  of information about its state.

The mode 6 packets can do a lot of this already.

In the reference implementation, ntpq (which uses mode 6 packets, as
opposed to ntpdc, which uses mode 7 packets) can expose a fair amount of
data.

Some of this data is arguably generic information that would be implemented
by anybody doing an NTP implementation, and some of this data is arguably
implementation-specific data.

To what extent should we identify where on the continuum between
"implementation-specific" and "MUST implement" the bits of data exposed by
the reference implementation fall?

To what extent should the mode 6 protocol "handle" these various bits of
data?

At what, if any, point do we want to standardize any of these items?

I know I am asking some questions that have been already addressed, at least
in some way.

It just seems to me that we haven't achieved any useful resolution on this
topic, at least based on the several open reports I have in my ntp bugzilla
queue.

I'm also not suggesting we resolve these points before the V4 spec is
finalized.  But I do believe we must address and resolve this issue.
-- 
Harlan Stenn <stenn at ntp.org>
http://ntpforum.isc.org  - be a member!