SYM-019-a:
The 4.2.21.5 Keyless copy section should identify How an application client determines that a Logical Unit has the capability to act as a KCSLU or a KCDLU

There is no bit anywhere that indicates the support for acting as a KCSLU or KCDLU.  In reality, it is if the LU supports the EXTERNAL encryption mode or the RAW decryption mode.  So the request here should be reworded to say how does an application client determine which settings of "ENCRYPTION MODE" and "DECRYPTION MODE" fields are supported.

Looking at the section describing each of these fields, there is no text describing a CC returned for RAW or EXTERNAL if they are not supported.  The standard is silent.  This is also the case for DISABLE.  Obviously the standard does not explicitly indicate anywhere that these modes are optional.

What should we do?
Option 1: Add text under the description of these fields stating that if EXTERNAL or RAW mode is selected and it is not supported then CC.  This would change the standard to explicitly state that these options are optional.
Option 2: Add text somewhere to mandate support for these modes.  I suspect this option is not desired.

I think that we must do either option 1 or option 2.  The standard needs to be clear if these are optional or not.

If we go done the path that these are explicitly stated as optional, then this letter ballot comment leads to the question, "How do we report support for different values in these two fields?"  This is not just a question of Keyless copy but also of MIXED decryption mode.  There is an implication that ENCRYPT and DECRYPT are supported as well as DISABLE.  I am not sure that is correct.  There could be a device that only supportes one or the other or some combinations.

Comments?

Kevin D. Butt
SCSI & Fibre Channel Architect, Tape Firmware
MS 6TYA, 9000 S. Rita Rd., Tucson, AZ 85744
Tel: 520-799-2869 / 520-799-5280
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Email address: kdbutt@us.ibm.com
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