This I-D leaves me uncertain. Should it be an RFC? Does it qualify for BCP status? I think 'maybe' and 'no' respectively There are a number of detailed glitches - see below - but the overall style is of more concern to me where BCP status is concerned. Statements such as: - the answer is obvious - they agree well enough - Use your NTP implementation's remote monitoring capabilities to quickly identify servers which are out of sync - the MAC may always be based on an MD5 hash - Readers are encouraged to adopt its mechanisms. - Contact the maintainers of your implementation for more information. - access control should be used to limit the exposure of this information to inappropriate third parties - A much better approach might be - If, against long-standing recommendation, - Readers of this BCP already understand - Readers are encouraged to check the status of the draft, some of which I think misleading, none of which I expect to see in a BCP. Most of it is too vague for me; section 6 stands out as being more of what I would expect to see in a BCP. Also, it is symptomatic, for me, that the 'Requirements Language' is out of date, lacking reference to RFC8174, and yet I see a lot of lower case words, such as 'recommended', along with some upper case. Likewise, the I-D starts with 'Many network security mechanisms rely on time' so security is a key part, if not the point, of the I-D yet I find Security Considerations weak. Section 5 references RFC7384, 'profound threat analysis for time synchronization protocols '. Yes, but it is ironic that that RFC, detailed, thorough, useful, is only Informational; and it is not mentioned in this, the section on Security Considerations. This section does not point to threats and mitigations from the body of the I-D, rather it seems to weaken the whole I-D with somewhat vague statements. Picking up on some details, Abstract RFC 5905 [RFC5905]. looks like a reference which is not ok for an Abstract which needs to be plain text. 1.1. Requirements Language out of date no RFC8174 3.1 BCP38 Info page [1] . I did not immediately recognise [1] as a reference to a URL. 4 compilied in Section Appendix A. compiled? 4.1 opposed to an SNTP implementation expansion would be helpful this section in general lacks any detail of 'how'. What is agreement, between two sources? How do I converge three sources? I look to a BCP for advice on such matters. 4.2 There is a general principle behind this that I would like to see stated, namely to ensure that multiple sources are really independent. I learnt this when I read about Apollo moon shots, but have seen it ignored many times since. You have to work hard to track back to the details of the technology in use to find out if there is really more than one code base, or chip set, or... in use. Where security depends on such matters, you really need to do that to ensure you have independence. Appendix A suggests that there is but one code base. 4.4 its syslog shows Is this a recommendation to use the 'syslog' protocol as opposed to YANG:-) Elsewhere, you use system logs which I think better. I think too that there is a general point that is missing that these systems need error logging, need (remote) monitoring, else ... well, what is the threat? what is the mitigation? broadcast client sounds like a client that broadcasts rather than one that receives broadcasts. 4.6 GNSS I would like expanded on first use IERS ditto 4.6.1 using a leap-smear can cause your reported time to be "legally indefensible sounds like a SHOULD NOT if this is a BCP 5 /A profound threat analysis for time synchronization protocols are given/ A profound threat analysis for time synchronization protocols is given/ 5.1 the MAC may always be based on an MD5 hash, MD5 is regarded as too weak in many contexts; does that apply here? Generally, is there any difference between IPv4 and IPv6 here? IP addresses are often mentioned but no mention of different versions. RFC4786, e.g., is explicit that it covers both. Appendix A /specific to various implementation of RFC 5905./ specific to various implementations of RFC 5905./ except that the advice seems to be specific to ntpd and not apply to any other implementation A.1.2 /mode 7 /Mode 7 / /BY default/by default/ ? Tom Petch ----- Original Message ----- From: "The IESG" <iesg-secretary@xxxxxxxx> To: "IETF-Announce" <ietf-announce@xxxxxxxx> Cc: <ntp-chairs@xxxxxxxx>; <ntp@xxxxxxxx>; <draft-ietf-ntp-bcp@xxxxxxxx>; <suresh@xxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, September 24, 2018 6:07 PM => The IESG has received a request from the Network Time Protocol WG (ntp) to > consider the following document: - 'Network Time Protocol Best Current > Practices' > <draft-ietf-ntp-bcp-07.txt> as Best Current Practice > > The IESG plans to make a decision in the next few weeks, and solicits final > comments on this action. Please send substantive comments to the > ietf@xxxxxxxx mailing lists by 2018-10-08. Exceptionally, comments may be > sent to iesg@xxxxxxxx instead. In either case, please retain the beginning of > the Subject line to allow automated sorting. > > Abstract > > > NTP Version 4 (NTPv4) has been widely used since its publication as > RFC 5905 [RFC5905]. This documentation is a collection of Best > Practices from across the NTP community. > > The file can be obtained via > https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-ntp-bcp/ > > IESG discussion can be tracked via > https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-ntp-bcp/ballot/ > > No IPR declarations have been submitted directly on this I-D. > > The document contains these normative downward references. > See RFC 3967 for additional information: > rfc1305: Network Time Protocol (Version 3) Specification, Implementation and Analysis (Draft Standard - Legacy stream) > rfc5905: Network Time Protocol Version 4: Protocol and Algorithms Specification (Proposed Standard - IETF stream) > rfc7384: Security Requirements of Time Protocols in Packet Switched Networks (Informational - IETF stream) > rfc7094: Architectural Considerations of IP Anycast (Informational - IAB stream)
