On Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:18:15 -0400 Christopher Morrow <christopher.mor...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 4:32 PM, William Herrin <b...@herrin.us> wrote: > > On Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 1:20 PM, Christopher Morrow > > <christopher.mor...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Polling a little bit here, there's an active discussion going on > >> 6...@ietf about whether or not v6 routers should: > >> o be required to implement ip redirect functions (icmpv6 redirect) > >> o be sending these by default > > > > Hi Chris, > > > > If you don't mind, I'd like to ask a similar question whose answers > > might be instructive for the question you asked: > > sure :) (other folks should also chime in, or I thought that was the > spirit of your question...) > > > > > Forgetting all of the theoretical constructs for a moment, has anyone > > here personally encountered an operational scenario in which ICMP > > redirects solved a problem for you that you would otherwise have found > > difficult or intransigent? Without naming names, would you describe > > the scenario's details, explain the problem that would have existed > > absent redirects and explain how redirects solved it for you? > > I've never had redirects solve a problem for me. > So how do you know? If redirects are enabled by default, then they may have fixed a problem for you that you didn't know existed and never realised existed. When your packets get there successfully you don't go and investigate why. You only troubleshoot failure, not success. I think the only way to know an absolute answer would be to have witnessed this sequence of events - have an environment where redirects are switched off - suffer from a problem that redirects are designed to solve - switch redirects on and have the problem not disappear Of course, the problem not disappearing when redirects are enabled might also mean a misdiagnosis of what the problem really is. Regards, Mark.