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Adding an Extensible Object Header #502

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117 changes: 117 additions & 0 deletions draft-ietf-moq-transport.md
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Expand Up @@ -984,6 +984,21 @@ client MUST set the PATH parameter to the `path-abempty` portion of the
URI; if `query` is present, the client MUST concatenate `?`, followed by
the `query` portion of the URI to the parameter.

#### REQUESTED-EXTENSION parameter {#requested-extensions}

The REQUESTED-EXTENSION parameter (key 0x02) allows the client to request
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I struggle to understand how this header is useful unless all relay's in the chain forward it upstream towards the publisher for those that are related to the media content.

Are we envisioning both next hop extension as well as whole chain extensions?

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nit: maybe underscore instead of hyphen as a seperator.

So long as extensions are either confirmed supported or cache/forward unmodified, I think there can be value. For example, perhaps the extension applies to last mile delivery, the ingest node doesn't necessarily need to understand it. That said, there are some sharp edges here in how extensions are defined, and what the expectations are.

the server to acknowledge support for multiple Extension Header types
{{object-extensions}} which are required for operation. The value is a
concatenation of varints, each describing an integer extension header type.
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concatenation of varints

I think an example might help illustrate.

This parameter is optional. If this parameter is present in the
CLIENT_SETUP message, then the server MUST respond with a
REQUESTED-EXTENSION parameter in its SERVER_SETUP message. This parameter
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Should the server setup reply be a different parameter? It's odd to call it 'REQUESTED_EXTENSION' in on the acknowledgement side.

MUST list the subset of those extensions previously requested by the client
which the server supports. If the server does not support any of the
requested extensions, then it MUST respond with a parameter value length of 0.
The client can then choose to continue or disconnect the session, at its
discretion.

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I am not too sure of the purpose of this parameter.
I am struggling understand what it means to say "server supports" .

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Imagine in the future we introduce a new header which signals to a relay that it should transmit this object in its own QUIC stream (for whatever reason). By "supporting" this header, the publisher is signalling that it is aware of any relay processing rules which that header may invoke.

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How about we have something along the lines in the core transport ( below formulation ,may be, exactly what you have, but i am writing it down in a single place to see if we all can agree)

Relay Extension Processing Rules

  1. If a relay understands an extension, it follows the rules as described by the specification that defines the extension, when processing such an extension. Such rules may be to modify the extension ( by updating or by removing it), for example.
  2. If the extension specification requires a given relay to understand an extension but relay doesn't support such an extension, it is treated as protocol violation.
  3. Else the MUST forwards the received extension as-is to downstream relays/subscribers.

Now on the point on how to know if a relay understands an extension or not , there are couple of options

  1. Reserve code points for such extensions OR
  2. Use setup parameters to identify extensions

Extensions are per object property. I am not totally sure if we need stream level extensions at the moq layer though.

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@Suhas - I agree on point 1 (processing rules are defined by whatever spec defines the extension).

but relay doesn't support such an extension, it is treated as protocol violation.

A protocol violation can only be triggered by behaviors defined by the MOQT spec. It cannot be a protocol violation to not support some future optional extension. It may be a protocol violation of the 3rd party spec that defines the extension, but that spec will need to deal with that outcome as these are, after all, optional extensions as far as MOQT is concerned.

Now on the point on how to know if a relay understands an extension or not ,

We have the setup negotiation already in place. This informs the client whether the server "supports" a given extension. By 'support' we mean that it understands any processing rules that are defined by the 3rd party spec. This can give the client some confidence that the server is likely to act in compliant manner regarding that extension.

## GOAWAY {#message-goaway}
The server sends a `GOAWAY` message to initiate session migration
({{session-migration}}) with an optional URI.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1511,6 +1526,12 @@ MUST be sent according to its `Object Forwarding Preference`, described below.
* Object Status: As enumeration used to indicate missing
objects or mark the end of a group or track. See {{object-status}} below.

* Object Extension Count: The number of Object Extensions present. A value of 0
indicates that no Object Extension Headers are present.

* Object Extensions : an optional concatenation of Object Extension Headers. See
{{object-extensions}} below.
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I'd like to talk about ideas to bit pack the extension indictors to save space but conceptually good with this.

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Like to understand what do we mean by concatenation here ?

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Meaning a series of Object Extension headers, serialized in sequence without any delimiters between them.


* Object Payload: An opaque payload intended for an End Subscriber and SHOULD
NOT be processed by a relay. Only present when 'Object Status' is Normal (0x0).

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1557,6 +1578,62 @@ are sent on a new stream. This is to avoid the status message being lost
in cases such as a relay dropping a group and reseting the stream the
group is being sent on.

#### Object Extension {#object-extensions}
An Object Extension is a concatenation of optional Extension Headers. These
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I am bit worried by the usage of word Optional here? What exactly is optional? Looking below I get the impression that Extension header handling are depending on role of the node but in no case are they truly optional, other than it comes to the publisher including them.

A Relay must forward and not modify
A client must be capable of receiving and ignoring them.

headers are visible to relays. Extension headers MUST be forwarded and
MUST NOT be modified by relays. The purpose of Extension Headers is to
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Extension headers MUST be forwarded and MUST NOT be modified by relays

I agree if the relay doesn't understand the extension then we need these normative requirements.

I wonder if there's room for a negotiated extension that is solely between the publisher and the first hop, where the first hop is allowed to remove the extension if it not longer has applicability.

allow the transmission of application-specific data as well as future
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transmission of application-specific data

MoQT already allows for the transmission of application specific data -- object payloads. What's unique here is a) there can be some well known structure of the application data and b) it is visible to relays as well as the end consumer.

evolution of the transport protocol. Object Extensions are serialized as
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future evolution of the transport protocol

Maybe reword to "modification of transport protocol behavior"

defined below:

~~~
Object Extension {
Extension Header (..) ...
}

Extension Header {
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Header Type (i),
Header Length (i),
Header Value (..)
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Header Value should be opaque bytes.

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Clarification - opaque to whom - the relays? Object headers values are not opaque to relays and nor are Extension Header values. If an application wants to hide content from a relay then it needs to place it in the Object payload (which is opaque) and not the headers.

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If a relay supports an extension and needs it for some thing, it can parse it. If not, it forwards it as-is. This will enable experimentation and also support real-usecase where relay needs to use the information.

My inclination is each extension document defines its scope and usage.

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I think Suhas and Will are saying the same thing here. There's language above that says you MUST forward unmodified.

}
~~~
{: #object-extension-format title="Object Extension Header Format"}

* Header type: an unsigned integer, encoded as a varint and registered in the
IANA table 'MOQ Extension Headers'. See {{iana}}.

##### Extension Header type 0 {#extension-header-zero}
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I don't think we need this defined ? Can you please share your thoughts on why we need this ?

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This default extension header provides a simple way to add ad-hoc name/value pairs to any object. This is similar to the ability of clients and servers to define custom request and response headers in HTTP-land. That functionality has proven extremely useful and efficient in enabling rapid development, testing and deployment of solutions without having to go to IANA registries or revise specifications. I'd like a similar capability within MOQT hence Extension Header Type Zero.

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Thanks for the context. Still i don't see if this adds much value in end to end context.

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Based on your and others feedback, I have removed (via commit e176497) the Extension header type 0 definition. It can be added back in the future if necessary.


This specification defines a utility extension header. The value of this header
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If this is kept in, it purpose needs to be clarified. But it feels like this is creating an additional extension space.

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Based on your and others comments, I removed (via commit e176497) the Extension header type 0 definition. It can be added back in the future if necessary.

is itself a name-value pair.


| Type | Value |
| ---- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| 0x0 | Header Value - see {{extension-header-zero-format}} |


~~~
Header Value {
Name Length (i),
Name Value (..)
Payload (..)
}
~~~
{: #extension-header-zero-format title="Extension header 0 value format"}

* Name Length: the size of the name value in bytes.
* Name Value: a string encoded using ISO-8859-1. This name is application-defined
and is not IANA registered.
* Payload: the contents of the header. The combined size of the name and payload
contents MUST NOT exceed 10240 bytes.

### Object Message Formats

Every Track has a single 'Object Forwarding Preference' and the Original
Publisher MUST NOT mix different forwarding preferences within a single track.
If a subscriber receives different forwarding preferences for a track, it
SHOULD close the session with an error of 'Protocol Violation'.

## Object Stream

Expand All @@ -1577,6 +1654,8 @@ OBJECT_STREAM Message {
Group ID (i),
Object ID (i),
Publisher Priority (8),
Extension Count (i),
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This adds 1 byte to every object including those with no extensions. I'd rather we handle this as a flag embedded in the stream header type (eg: STREAM_HEADER_SUBGROUP=0x02-03. If the LSB is 1 then Extension Count and one or more extensions are present).

[Extension headers (...)],
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Object Payload Length (i),
[Object Status (i)],
Object Payload (..),
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1613,6 +1692,8 @@ OBJECT_DATAGRAM Message {
Group ID (i),
Object ID (i),
Publisher Priority (8),
Extension Count (i),
[Extension headers (...)],
Object Payload Length (i),
[Object Status (i)],
Object Payload (..),
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1771,6 +1852,38 @@ OBJECT_STREAM {
}
~~~

Sending a group on one stream, with the first object containing an
Extension Header.

~~~
Stream = 2

STREAM_HEADER_GROUP {
Subscribe ID = 2
Track Alias = 2
Group ID = 0
Publisher Priority = 0
}
{
Object ID = 0
Extension Count = 1
{ Type = 0
Length = 21
{ Name length = 15
Name value = "example-traceID"
Payload = "123456"
}
}
Object Payload Length = 4
Payload = "abcd"
}
{
Object ID = 1
Object Payload Length = 4
Payload = "efgh"
}

~~~


# Security Considerations {#security}
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1806,6 +1919,10 @@ TODO: fill out currently missing registries:
* Subscribe Error codes
* Announce Error codes
* Message types
* MOQ Extension headers - we wish to reserve extension types 0-127 for
standards utilization where space is a premium, 128 - 16383 for
standards utilization where space is less of a concern, and 16384 and
above for first-come-first-served non-standardization usage.
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Should this space be greased or any particular picking algorithm?

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+1 on greasing - let's get these reserved now and people adding them in their implementation from day one


TODO: register the URI scheme and the ALPN

Expand Down