Request For Comments Research Articles

Making stateless and stateful network performance measurements unbiased

The Benchmarking Working Group (BMWG) of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has defined a series of Requests for Comments (RFC) to standardize the benchmarking of network interconnect devices (e.g., bridges, routers, different IPv6 transition solutions). The paper points out that there are cases where the performance results are significantly different when a single IP address pair or multiple IP addresses are used. The cause of this phenomenon is rooted in the recent hardware and software advancements: Receive Side Scaling (RSS) makes it possible to distribute packet processing workload over multiple CPU cores. However, this may be implemented in two ways: the first way only includes the IP addresses into the hash function used to distribute the workload among the CPU cores, whereas the second one also includes the port numbers. RFC 4814 proposed an excellent solution for the second case by recommending the usage of pseudorandom port numbers during benchmarking; however, the first case was not handled properly, because no explicit recommendation was given regarding the usage of multiple IP addresses. This paper attempts to bridge this methodological gap; a practical solution is proposed for using pseudorandom IP addresses in various scenarios including the benchmarking of IPv4 and IPv6 routers and Network Address Translation from IPv6 Clients to IPv4 Servers (stateful NAT64) gateways. Its feasibility is shown by disclosing the details of its implementation in siitperf. Then the proposed solution is validated by both stateless and stateful tests. It is shown that the measurement results of the tests following the proposed solution can better characterize the true performance of the network interconnect devices that follow the first type of RSS implementation than the results of the tests using a single IP address pair.

Enhanced Cloud Computing Security Using Application-Based Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for Communication Systems

The objective of this study is to create an advanced cloud computing security system that addresses the security vulnerabilities inherent in existing authentication processes in communication systems. Specifically, the study developed an application-based multi-layer and multi-factor authentication (MFA) program that enhances cloud security measures. The system presented an improved approach to cloud computing security through the implementation of application-based multi-factor authentication (MFA). By leveraging encryption techniques, the system guarantees secure access based on user profiles. These profiles consist of valid usernames, passwords, and token numbers generated by the application. In addition, the system enhances security by integrating the Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) algorithm (IETF RFC 6238) with location checks, augmenting the overall protection measures. A thorough testing procedure was carried out on the system, with a specific focus on a test web application hosted on the cloud server. The result validated the efficacy of all three authentication factors integrated within the application.

Network_Protocol_Entity_Extraction_Based_on_Few_shot_Learning

Knowledge Graph is a new way of knowledge collections, and building a protocol knowledge graph on RFCs can help us study and analyse network protocol better. Protocol entity extraction is one of the keys to constructing the network protocol knowledge graph.Because RFC (Request For Comments) contains detailed descriptions of basic Internet communication protocols, the protocol entities of the network can be obtained from it. However, the document format and wording are not uniform, which leads to the inability to complete the extraction task of network protocol entities based on traditional rule information extraction methods. Therefore, this paper proposes a network protocol entity extraction method based on Few-Shot Learning. This method can use a very small amount of labeled samples to extract network protocol entities from a large number of unlabeled samples and maintain high recognition accuracy. This method firstly mines as many potential network protocol entities as possible in the RFC document, and secondly performs accurate re-identification of the identified potential network protocol entities. Experiments show that using 5 manually annotated RFC documents to train our model, the accuracy of network protocol entity extraction reaches 88.4%. Compared with the existing methods, this method has higher accuracy and better robustness in terms of network protocol entity extraction, and it also has better identification ability for network protocol entities that have not appeared in the training set.

Developing a Novel Hierarchical VPLS Architecture Using Q-in-Q Tunneling in Router and Switch Design

Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) is an ethernet-based Virtual Private Network (VPN) service that provides multipoint-to-multipoint Layer 2 VPN service, where each site is geographically dispersed across a Wide Area Network (WAN). The adaptability and scalability of VPLS are limited despite the fact that they provide a flexible solution for connecting geographically dispersed sites. Furthermore, the construction of tunnels connecting customer locations that are separated by great distances adds a substantial amount of latency to the user traffic transportation. To address these issues, a novel Hierarchical VPLS (H-VPLS) architecture has been developed using 802.1Q tunneling (also known as Q-in-Q) on high-speed and commodity routers to satisfy the additional requirements of new VPLS applications. The Vector Packet Processing (VPP) performs as the router’s data plane, and FRRouting (FRR), an open-source network routing software suite, acts as the router’s control plane. The router is designed to seamlessly forward VPLS packets using the Request For Comments (RFCs) 4762, 4446, 4447, 4448, and 4385 from The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) integrated with VPP. In addition, the Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) is used for Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Pseudo-Wire (PW) signaling in FRR. The proposed mechanism has been implemented on a software-based router in the Linux environment and tested for its functionality, signaling, and control plane processes. The router is also implemented on commodity hardware for testing the functionality of VPLS in the real world. Finally, the analysis of the results verifies the efficiency of the proposed mechanism in terms of throughput, latency, and packet loss ratio.

SDN-based automated rekey of IPsec security associations: Design and practical validations

The standard Request for Comments (RFC) 9061 defines a framework to autonomously manage IPsec security associations (SAs) in SDN environments. The standard describes two cases: the IKE case, in which the nodes use the Internet Key Exchange (IKEv2) protocol to negotiate IPsec SAs, and the IKE-less case, in which IKEv2 is not shipped in the network devices, and the SDN controller is in charge of distributing the IPsec SAs with all the information needed to secure the communications (cryptographic material, traffic selectors, algorithms, etc.). In both cases, for security reasons, the IPsec protocol requires the periodic renovation of the keys used by the IPsec SAs in a process named rekey. The IKE case already has an automatic rekey mechanism, the IKEv2 protocol, however the IKE-less case requires the definition of a rekey method, which is implemented by the controller. The use of the IKE-less case has been recognized useful in scenarios such as datacenters, with thousands of nodes requiring the management of SAs, or Internet of Things, with constrained devices that may not have enough resources to use IKEv2. Therefore, the definition of a suitable rekey process is a keystone for the IKE-less case. This work presents the design, implementation and validation of four different algorithms to perform a rekey process in the IKE-less case from the IPsec standard, taking to account performance, security and packet loss. We have also analyzed each algorithm’s behavior in representative network scenarios based on mesh or star topologies.

New Directions and Challenges within Identity and Access Management

Identity and access management is a core building block for the majority of web services. Cloud-based services, social webs, mobile apps, but also IoT-related services rely on identity management to provide a seamless and secure user experience. Transmitting and sharing sensitive information with other organizations always poses a security and privacy risk to all participating entities. One solution to tackle this problem is the principle of federated identity management (FIM). FIM is used to authenticate and authorize users across multiple organizations and platforms in order to obtain access to resources and services. The benefits of FIM are, for example, consistent data, reduced amount of sensitive information needed to be shared, as well as less passwords for the user to remember. Both predominant standards, Secure Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0 and Open Authentication (OAuth) 2.0 with the authentication layer OpenID Connect, are in wide-spread practical use for at least a decade. However, these protocols were developed with different requirements in mind than nowadays present. This led to several extensions to tackle real-world problems, making it cumbersome to comply with every flavor. Also, Request for Comments (RFC) 8252 suggests that a native app opens a system browser for user authentication; consequently, new protocols are currently developed. For example, within Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), Kantara Initiative, and OpenID Foundation, which (should) have three main goals in common: • Reducing the complexity in contrast to SAML 2.0 and OAuth 2.0. • Decreasing the amount of extensions and varieties found in the wild. Both help developers to comply with the standards and, consequently, increase the security. • Including edge and future use cases, making the protocols even more useful. This article gives insights into current developments and possible future paths.

Detecting contradictions from IoT protocol specification documents based on neural generated knowledge graph

Due to the boom of Internet of Things (IoT) in recent years, various IoT devices are connected to the Internet and communicate with each other through network protocols such as the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP). These protocols are typically defined and described in specification documents, such as Request for Comments (RFC), which are written in natural or semi-formal languages. Since developers largely follow the specification documents when implementing web protocols, they have become the de facto protocol specifications. Therefore, it must be ensured that the descriptions in them are consistent to avoid technological issues, incompatibility, security risks, or even legal concerns. In this work, we propose Neural RFC Knowledge Graph (NRFCKG), a neural network-generated knowledge graph based contradictions detection tool for IoT protocol specification documents. Our approach can automatically parse the specification documents and construct knowledge graphs from them through entity extraction, relation extraction, and rule extraction with large language models. It then conducts an intra-entity and inter-entity contradiction detection over the generated knowledge graph. We implement NRFCKG and apply it to the most extensively used messaging protocols in IoT, including the main RFC (RFC7252) of CoAP, the specification document of MQTT, and the specification document of AMQP. Our evaluation shows that NRFCKG generalizes well to other specification documents and it manages to detect contradictions from these IoT protocol specification documents.

APA’s Government, Policy, and Advocacy Update (March 2023)

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Government & LegalFull AccessAPA’s Government, Policy, and Advocacy Update (March 2023)Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:26 Feb 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.03.3.67APA Expresses Support for Efforts to Increase Naloxone AccessIn a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), APA expressed its support for the FDA’s preliminary assessment that naloxone nasal spray and autoinjector formulations are safe and effective for over-the-counter use. The letter, signed by APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., was written in response to the FDA’s request for comments on the use of naloxone for nonprescription use.In the letter, APA encouraged the FDA to add naloxone nasal spray to the list of FDA Essential Medications. “This would open federal resources and prioritize investment in long-term domestic manufacturing.” Further, APA emphasized the importance of education on the use of naloxone so individuals can appropriately identify and respond to an overdose. Finally, APA addressed the cost barriers associated with naloxone, noting that some forms of nicotine replacement therapy are not covered by Medicare because they are over the counter. APA encouraged the FDA to work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other payers to keep costs down for the most vulnerable populations.APA's Letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Mental Health Liaison Group Provides Feedback on CONNECT for Health ActAPA and its partner organizations, members of the Mental Health Liaison Group Telehealth Work Group, sent a letter Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) providing suggestions for the reintroduction of the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act.The groups wrote that any reintroduction of the CONNECT Act should eliminate the in-person requirement for telemental health services under Medicare as a prerequisite for coverage of a telehealth service, which was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This provision is “inequitable for individuals with mental health conditions,” the letter stated. The letter emphasized the groups’ support for in-person care when clinically appropriate or desired by the patient.“Given the immense need for mental health services combined with acute behavioral health workforce shortages, the in-person telemental health provision is counter to the intent of ensuring more Americans receive life-changing care and, in fact, could further exacerbate our nation’s growing mental health crisis,” the letter stated.APA and Mental Health Liaison Group Telehealth Work Group (MHLG) letter to Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) APA Provides Comments on SUD Patient RecordsIn a letter to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office of Civil Rights, APA provided input to the proposed changes to the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records under 42 CFR Part 2 (referred to as Part 2), which protects patients’ privacy and records concerning treatment related to SUD.The goals of the proposed changes are to improve coordination among professionals and increase protections for patients concerning records disclosure to avoid discrimination in treatment, according to a SAMHSA news release.However, APA cautioned that the proposed rule, as written, does not do enough to mitigate data segregation and segmentation, which challenge care coordination efforts. For example, the regulation does not ease the burden of data management in integrated and collaborative care settings. “At best, psychiatrists and other specialists may have significant administrative burden added to manage and maintain patient data in separate platforms, all without the intended outcome of coordination with colleagues to support shared patients,” APA’s letter stated.APA offered numerous recommendations, including that SAMHSA should provide one-on-one technical assistance to clinicians or facilities wanting to ensure compliance with the rule, delay the rule’s finalization, and implement public education around SUD data to empower patients when consenting to data disclosures. ■Letter to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office of Civil Rights ISSUES NewArchived

Position Statement on the Joint ITA–NIST– USPTO Collaboration Initiative Regarding Standards; Notice of Public Listening and Request for Comments

Position Statement on the Joint ITA–NIST– USPTO Collaboration Initiative Regarding Standards; Notice of Public Listening and Request for Comments

Standards and Specifications for Carriage of JPEG XS in RTP for IP Networks

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) XS is a low-latency, low-complexity wavelet codec that is promising for Internet Protocol (IP) transport of professional media both on-premises and in the cloud. A combination of standards and specifications, including SMPTE ST 2110-22, ISO/IEC 21122-3, Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) request for comments (RFC) 9134, and Video Services Forum (VSF) TR-08, define the transport of JPEG XS in realtime transport protocol (RTP) over IP. This article describes the essential details of that transport</i> .

An Efficient Full Hardware Implementation of Extended Merkle Signature Scheme

This paper presents a full hardware implementation of the eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme (XMSS), a NIST approved and IETF RFC specified post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithm. An optimized node traversal is proposed to enable efficient memory utilization without compromising the computational latency of the L-tree and Merkle tree construction, which are two key components used for the compression of the Winternitz One-Time Signature (WOTS) public key in XMSS. The computation of the authentication path during signature generation has also been significantly sped up by our proposed hardware implementation of the Buchmann, Dahmen, and Schneider (BDS) algorithm. Our implementation has completely avoided the use of block random-access memory, which is known to be vulnerable to side-channel attacks. The memory requirement has been highly optimized for implementation with small flip-flop chains and register counters as pointers for fast data access. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first full hardware implementation of all three <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">key generation</i> , <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">signing</i> and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">verification</i> operations of XMSS. The design has been prototyped and evaluated on a 28 nm FPGA platform to demonstrate its performance improvements over the most efficient software and hardware/software co-design methods reported to date. Specifically, it increases the computational efficiency of the best reported XMSS implementation for <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">key generation</i> and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">signature generation</i> by about 20% and 50%, respectively. It can also run at 10% higher clock speed than the fastest hardware implementation of <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">signature verification</i> in FPGA with 8% lower hardware resource utilization.

Public Comment on Request for Comments on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's New Car Assessment Program. Docket ID: NHTSA-2021-0002-0482

Public Comment on Request for Comments on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's New Car Assessment Program. Docket ID: NHTSA-2021-0002-0482

A Proposed Optimization Framework for the Routing Protocols in Adhoc networks

Because of recent advancements in wireless communication and networking, it is now much simpler for people to continue cultivating meaningful connections with one another. After the evolution of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and Mobile IPv6, which is described in IETF RFC 4068, there is a demand for the design of a routing protocol based on the new architecture of wireless networks that can facilitate efficient communication. This is because the design of a routing protocol that is based on the new architecture of wireless networks is required to meet this demand. This desire has surfaced as a direct result of the necessity to design a protocol that is suitable for usage with the recently developed architecture of wireless networks. Wireless sensor networks, abbreviated as WSN for convenience, are one kind of wireless network that might run into problems with its physical layout. Scalability, energy efficiency, and efficient routing throughout the network are the three problems that need to be addressed here. It changes the way sensing operations are performed from those that can only be done on a small scale, in a centralized location, and at a high cost into those that can be done on a large scale, in a dispersed location, and at a lower cost. This is accomplished by combining extremely small battery-powered sensors with wireless networks. There are literally hundreds of different applications for wireless sensor networks that may be utilized to make complex problems easier to handle. When it comes to the great majority of applications for wireless sensor nodes, the key concern of engineers is the conservation of energy in these nodes. This becomes very important because the amount of energy consumption in sensor nodes should be maintained to a minimum in order to maximize the amount of time that a network can continue to function normally. The creation of a routing algorithm that consumes the least amount of energy possible is the major challenge presented by WSN. Clustering techniques are necessary for the maintenance of the network's available energy, and the k means clustering strategy is used during the formation of clusters in wireless sensor networks (WSN). When there is growth in the network and the topology formation changes because of scalability in the network, a new routing technique has been proposed with a k-means clustering algorithm using IPv6. The goal of this technique is to minimize energy consumption among the nodes while also maintaining a balanced distribution of energy use across the network. This was carried out with the goal of using IPv6, which has already been accomplished. The method of routing that has been presented is suitable for implementation in settings that support not only unicast and multicast routing but also any cast and multicast routing as well as multipath routing. This is done so that load balancing may be implemented successfully inside the network. In addition, research has been done to investigate the problem of finding bottleneck nodes within a WSN in order to make the process of energy conservation easier.

Conflict between Pharmacy Preceptors and Pharmacy Learners in Experiential Education

The relationship between a preceptor and a learner is complex and can be prone to conflict. The issue of conflict in experiential education has been studied in medicine, nursing, social work, and education; however, conflict between pharmacy preceptors and learners has not been described. To describe types of conflict between pharmacy preceptors and learners, the outcomes of such conflict, the impacts on the preceptor-learner relationship, and conflict-resolution strategies. An anonymous electronic survey of pharmacist preceptors and pharmacy residents in British Columbia was conducted. The survey included various types of questions to enrich the quality of responses (e.g., Likert scale, ranking, and requests for comments). Descriptive statistics were used. Forty-nine participants completed the survey from the preceptor's perspective, 12 from the learner's perspective, and 4 from both perspectives. Sixty percent of preceptors (32/53) and 75% of learners (12/16) admitted experiencing conflict. Preceptors (n = 27) cited the learner's professionalism (74%), knowledge/skills (59%), communication issues (59%), personal issues (56%), and punctuality/attendance (52%) as causes of conflict. Learners, however (n = 12), cited differing expectations (67%), teaching versus learning style preferences (50%), and communication issues (67%) as causes of conflict. The majority of preceptors and learners indicated that conflict had negatively affected the relationship; however, most preceptors (69% [18/26]) and learners (50% [6/12]) agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "I have generally felt comfortable working with preceptors/learners after a conflict." More learners than preceptors felt that the learner's ability to perform was negatively affected by the conflict (92% [11/12] versus 52% [13/25]). Preceptors were more likely to take initiative to resolve conflict. Verbal communication was the method of conflict resolution preferred by both preceptors and learners. Most preceptors and learners indicated that they felt that conflicts were generally resolved. Conflict was common in the pharmacy preceptor-learner relationship. Pharmacy preceptors and learners had different perspectives about the causes and outcomes of conflict.

Possible attempts to identify e-mail header of the sender for academic qualification fraud

This research aims to contribute to forensic counteractive measures that can identify and track the people who use e-mail for diploma mills. The authors had adopted e-mail forensic process to acquire, extract, analyse, and interpret data. The scope of this research included the empirical analysis from the experimental e-mails' headers using forensic tools and manual approach based on the request for comments (RFCs) as the primary guidelines. The study found that the commercial tool extracted headers less often than the free alternatives. E-mail sent from desktops provided the computer name and ISP of the sender. However, typical and anonymous e-mails can only trace back to the original mail servers. Although tools could provide investigators with ease and convenience, data acquisition and validation need to be done manually. This research is not the ad hoc mechanism, but it can be implemented in other criminal investigations or related endeavours.

Possible attempts to identify e-mail header of the sender for academic qualification fraud

This research aims to contribute to forensic counteractive measures that can identify and track the people who use e-mail for diploma mills. The authors had adopted e-mail forensic process to acquire, extract, analyse, and interpret data. The scope of this research included the empirical analysis from the experimental e-mails' headers using forensic tools and manual approach based on the request for comments (RFCs) as the primary guidelines. The study found that the commercial tool extracted headers less often than the free alternatives. E-mail sent from desktops provided the computer name and ISP of the sender. However, typical and anonymous e-mails can only trace back to the original mail servers. Although tools could provide investigators with ease and convenience, data acquisition and validation need to be done manually. This research is not the ad hoc mechanism, but it can be implemented in other criminal investigations or related endeavours.

Comment Letter of Professors Max M. Schanzenbach and Robert H. Sitkoff on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Request for Comment on the Names Rule for Mutual Finds in Light of ESG Investing and Other Market Developments

In March 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission asked for public comment on the names rule (rule 35d-1) for mutual funds in light of developments since the rule's adoption in 2001. Among such developments, the request for comment identifies burgeoning investor interest in environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) investing and the corresponding proliferation of funds that purport to make use of ESG factors. This response to the SEC’s request for comment has two purposes: First, we provide clarifying context for the ESG investing phenomenon and a summary of the current state of theoretical and empirical literature in financial economics on it. Second, we discuss how this context informs the critical relationship between ESG disclosure by a mutual fund, both in the fund’s name and in its prospectus, and the rules (e.g., state trust law or ERISA) that govern the extent to which a trustee or other fiduciary may use ESG factors in fiduciary investment. We organize this response in four parts: (1) we provide a clarifying taxonomy on the meaning of ESG investing and the methods for implementing it; (2) we discuss the inherent subjectivity in identifying and applying ESG factors; (3) we assess the current theory and evidence on whether ESG investing can improve risk-adjusted returns; and (4) we identify four interrelated questions of regulatory policy stemming from growing investor interest in ESG investing, situating the request for comment toward potential revision of the names rule within that four-part framework. This response is largely but not entirely based on “Reconciling Fiduciary Duty and Social Conscience: The Law and Economics of ESG Investing by a Trustee,” 72 Stanford Law Review 381 (2020), https://ssrn.com/abstract=3244665.

Surprising Consequences of Researching John Wooden’s Teaching Practices: The Backstory of the 1976 Study of the Legendary University of California, Los Angeles Basketball Coach

During John Wooden’s final coaching season, two psychologists systematically recorded his specific teaching acts during UCLA basketball practices. Results were presented in a 1976 Psychology Today article, which garnered little media or public attention. At the time, Coach Wooden never responded to three requests for comments—twice to prepublication manuscripts and once to the published version. This memoir recounts the backstory of the study and reports some unanticipated and surprising consequences 25 years later. First, Coach Wooden handed out photocopies of the article, and second, a review of research indicated that the 1976 study was one of the earliest systematic studies of coaching.

Readers reveal more about what's on tap for the field in 2020

Mental Health Weekly readers continue to weigh in on challenges and opportunities awaiting the field in 2020. Here are more of their responses. Thanks to everyone who responded to our request for comments.

The best and worst of 2019, and hopes and fears for 2020: Part 2

Last week's Preview Issue (see ADAW Jan. 6, 2020) didn't have room for all of the past‐year reflections and hopes and fears for the new year from stakeholders. We include them here. Thanks to the field leaders who responded to our request for comments.