Hi, I am currently debugging some ISAKMP problems and thus using RFCs like 2085, 2412, etc. about cryptographic algorithms and data formats. Such RFCs are sometimes a little bit ambiguous or difficult to read since details are spread around the paper. When implementing such algorithms or data parsers, you don't know whether the implementation is correct without a test case, e.g. feeding in some examples and check whether the result is what is expected. I'd therefore propose that every RFC dealing with crypto algorithms or data formats has to have a mandatory appendix section with examples to be used as a test case. (Every I-Draft should have.) E.g. when describing key agreements precise examples of the random numbers and secrets, byte sequences of example messages, and the results (signatures, keys,...) should be given allowing to do a simple check of any implementation to see, whether the implementation works in principle, and does not have such common bugs like wrong padding, byte order problems etc. regards Hadmut _______________________________________________ Ietf@xxxxxxxx https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf