Robert Thurlow

1
NFSv4 Minor Revisions
Robert Thurlow Staff Engineer Solaris Data
Technologies
2
NFSv4 spec sets rules basics

• Minor rev via standards track RFC
• Compound will include a rev number
• Error NFS4ERR-MINOR-VERS-MISMATCH
• Negotiation via reserved Op 2 when we need it

3
NFSv4 spec sets rules don'ts

• No procedures added or removed
• No changes to args or results of ops
• No changes to existing attrs
• No deletion of ops/attrs/bits/enums
• No new feature can be mandatory!
• No mixing returned objects between compounds
  w/different minor rev

4
NFSv4 spec sets rules do's

• Compound ops can be added
• New attributes can be added
• New mode bits can be added
• Can add new enums or bits
• Can declare op/attr as mandatory to not
  implement!
• Can downgrade or upgrade features along
  MUST/SHOULD/MAY axis

5
What's unspecified?

• Policy!
• How to decide we need a new minor rev
• How to schedule and plan a minor rev - enough
  stuff vs. train models
• How to decide what's in and what's out
• How to decide when we bump major revs
• gt WG chairs own this
• Negotiation and compatability

6
Possibilities

• Enough stuff
• Asynchronous, make judgement calls about when to
  revise
• Not predictable -(
• Features
• Slot interesting features into revisions
• Some features may have to wait unfairly
• Train model
• Revisions happen on schedule
• ... as long as we have passengers
• Quantized, intolerant of schedule slips

7
Thinking so far

• Discussed at Connectathon 2003
• Train model most attractive
• We test at Connectathon every year!
• Most predictable option
• Need a formal schedule initial draft by X, solid
  draft by Y, doc ed combines by Z, test in March
• Probably need appeals procedure via WG chairs
• Need to change our working style spec
  prototype in spring, serious coding in winter

8
Robert Thurlow robert.thurlow_at_sun.com