Session Date/Time: 10 Jun 2025 18:00

TOOLS

Summary

The TOOLS working group discussed ongoing infrastructure migrations, progress on IDES 3, proposed RFC Editor redirects, and updates to the mail archive and data tracker, including upcoming password strength enforcement and blob storage integration. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a detailed discussion on future video streaming options, driven by recent YouTube access issues, exploring requirements for alternative services, bulk content distribution, and associated considerations like cost and licensing. No immediate decisions were made regarding video streaming, with further investigation and discussion planned.

Key Discussion Points

Infrastructure Migration Status:
- Work on modernizing RSC production tools is a high priority, aiming to finish before the "RFC 10K problem" (first 5-digit RFC).
- Significant progress is being made on replacing aging RFC Production Center (RPC) infrastructure.
- Data Tracker performance is being improved using blob storage for content delivery and reliability.
- Primary production services are largely migrated to Azure, with remaining file-system dependent services (Data Tracker, mail archive, IMAP arsync) planned for transition just after IETF 123 to minimize disruption.
- Progress is being made on long-deferred feature requests, including ISG metrics insights and a rewrite of IAB liaison management tooling.
- Mail system stabilization and finalization of the IDES 3 rewrite are ongoing.
IDES 3:
- IDES 3 is very close to beta, with one remaining issue related to token.token being misinterpreted as a domain name.
- Once this issue is resolved, the community will be asked for a strong review before it becomes the primary ID submission tool.
- Clarification was provided that IDES 3 supports both plain text and XML Internet-Drafts, leveraging XML structure for reports. This will be added to documentation.
RFC Editor Redirects:
- A proposal was made to redirect www.ietf.org/rsc links to rsc.rfceditor.org relatively soon, before the next TOOLS call.
- No significant load impact is expected due to heavy caching of these assets, despite rsc.rfceditor.org origins being perceived as slightly less powerful.
XML2RFC Vocabulary:
- The definitive XML vocabulary has been moved to authors.ietf.org.
- Plans are to discontinue the auto-generation of vocabulary documentation from XML2RFC and redirect old links to authors.ietf.org.
- The authors.ietf.org content is human-curated and actively maintained, based on, but substantially enhanced from, previous XML2RFC output.
ISG Data Tracker Features:
- An ISG representative thanked the TOOLS team for re-engaging on data tracker features, noting their helpfulness.
Mail Archive Updates:
- Improvements were made to several poorly performing queries.
- The message export feature has been restricted to logged-in sessions.
- Private list access has been refactored to incorporate any email addresses associated with a user's data tracker account.
Data Tracker Password Strength Enforcement:
- Enforcement of password strength requirements is planned for late next week, providing a few weeks before the IETF 123 draft submission deadline.
- Upon login with a fresh session, passwords will be evaluated against new requirements. Users with non-compliant passwords will be required to perform a password reset.
- Communication will be via data tracker announcements and with the IESG.
- A widely used Python package for password strength determination is being utilized.
Data Tracker Blob Storage Infrastructure Change:
- A significant infrastructure change is planned for late Thursday that will move the plumbing for getting artifacts into blob storage to an asynchronous process, making the data tracker the authoritative store.
- This deployment involves new components and manual checking, potentially causing a small number of minutes of user-noticeable downtime (single-digit minutes).
Video Streaming Discussion:
- Prompted by recent YouTube access issues (e.g., requiring login), the discussion focused on providing alternative access to IETF video content.
- Current content: approximately 2.5 TB, with 600,000 minutes streamed from YouTube in 2024.
- Requirements for Alternatives (adding to, not replacing YouTube):
  - No third-party login.
  - Wide dissemination.
  - Expected playback features like scrubbing and sharing links to specific points.
- Cost Considerations: Exploring services like Cloudflare Stream under Project Galileo to minimize costs.
- AI/IPR Concerns: Raised the potential for IETF videos to train AI models. The IETF Trust's view (from two years prior) was "nothing to see here" regarding AI-related IPR. Discussion included considering adding licensing messages (e.g., Note Well) to videos, potentially retrospectively for new services.
- Bulk Download/Peer-to-Peer Distribution: Discussion on making raw video files available for download (HTTP, rsync, BitTorrent) to enable community members to host or distribute on other platforms (e.g., PeerTube), potentially aiding accessibility in regions like China.
- Withdrawal Capability: A note in the current session's notes about needing a mechanism for removing content for new services was discussed, contrasting with the IETF's aggressively open, permanent publication model for artifacts (like RFCs) where withdrawal of previously distributed copies is not typically a concern.
- Clarity on MVP/Requirements: A need was identified to crisply define the minimum viable product (MVP) and specific requirements for alternative streaming solutions (e.g., specific UI features, target accessibility goals beyond YouTube's general offerings) to guide engineering efforts and solution evaluation.
- This is an ongoing conversation, with no immediate decisions.

Decisions and Action Items

RFC Editor Redirects: Proceed with proposed redirect of www.ietf.org/rsc links to rsc.rfceditor.org relatively soon, before the next TOOLS call, unless significant concerns are raised.
XML2RFC Vocabulary: Plan to turn off generation and redirect old links to human-curated content on authors.ietf.org.
Data Tracker Password Strength Enforcement: Roll out enforcement late next week.
- Action: TOOLS team to work with IESG to communicate changes via data tracker announcements.
Data Tracker Blob Storage Infrastructure Change: Deploy large infrastructure change late Thursday.

Next Steps

IDES 3: Resolve the token.token issue, then solicit strong community review. Update documentation to clearly state support for XML drafts.
Video Streaming: Continue dialogue, gather more information from existing streaming providers to understand option space and costs. Further clarify specific functional requirements (e.g., MVP, UI features) and underlying problems (e.g., accessibility challenges, avoiding vendor lock-in) to be solved by alternative solutions.
Next TOOLS Call: Scheduled for its regular position next month, with links available in the data tracker.