in vs. out

[Alan DeKok]

wlan at mac.com wrote:
> I'm wondering if anyone has an opinion of the right meaning for input
> vs. output with respect to acct-in/output-octets/packets?
> 
> In RFC 2866, it says:
> 
>   Acct-Input-Octets =  This attribute indicates how many octets have
> been received from the port over the course of this service being provided.

  Remember, this is from the view that users connect to a port on the
NAS.  So data received "from the port" means "from the user".  See also
the Livingston Portmaster documentation:

http://portmasters.com/tech/docs/radius/accounting.html

  They are the people who wrote the original RADIUS specification, so
they should know what it means.

> In the manual of a popular commercial access controller, it says:
> 
> Acct-Input-Octets =  Number of octets/bytes received by the customer.

  That is wrong.  It is number of bytes received FROM the customer, TO
the NAS.

> Which is a rather "outward" way of looking at the "port" referred to in
> RFC. I have also seen it defined in the reverse way. To be standard with
> commercial gear, I have taken the above definition as being the 'right
> way' ... other opinions?

  Follow the standards.  Do not follow broken vendors.

  Alan DeKok.