[Asterisk-Dev] IAX Spec online

[Kenny Shumard]

> The term reliable / unreliable is wrong. If it is sent reliable,
> the sender guarantees that the packet arrives. I would replace it
> with:
> 
>    All full frames must be immediate acknowledged upon receipt.
>    This acknowledgment can be explicit via an 'ACK' message (see
>    Section 8) or implicit based upon receipt of an appropriate
>    response to the full frame issued.
> 
> Note the RFC version of "must".

Duly noted, I'll change it per your suggestion. Thanks.
> 
> Same with 4.2:
> 
>     4.2  Mini frames
> 
>        Mini Frames are so named because their header is a minimal 4 octets.
>        Mini frames carry no control or signaling data; their sole purpose is
>        to carry a media stream on an already-established IAX call.  They are
>        sent unreliably.  This decision was made because VOIP calls typically
>        can miss several frames without significant degradation in call...
> 
> I would replace it with::
> 
>        to carry a media stream on an already-established IAX call.
>        Mini frames should not need to be acknowledged upon receipt.
>        This decision was made because VOIP calls typically...
> 
> Note the RFC version of "should not". That indicates that they *can*
> be acknowledged if wanted, but it is not necessary. Is that the
> expected behaviour? If not, it should be replaced with "must not
> be".
> 
I don't know that this has ever been considered. I lean toward saying
mini frames "must not" be acknowledged, in order to prohibit excessive
bandwidth usage. After all, if you're using mini frames you're passing
media and I can't think of any reason to acknowledge receipt of it
anyway.

~K