Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
7.8. Mapping of the AUGMENTS clause

Up: Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
Up: Requests For Comments
Up: RFC 1902
Up: 7. Mapping of the OBJECT-TYPE macro
Prev: 7.7. Mapping of the INDEX clause
Next: 7.8.1. Relation between INDEX and AUGMENTS clauses

7.8. Mapping of the AUGMENTS clause

7.8. Mapping of the AUGMENTS clause The AUGMENTS clause, which must not be present unless the object corresponds to a conceptual row, is an alternative to the INDEX clause. Every object corresponding to a conceptual row has either an INDEX clause or an AUGMENTS clause.

If an object corresponding to a conceptual row has an INDEX clause, that row is termed a base conceptual row; alternatively, if the object has an AUGMENTS clause, the row is said to be a conceptual row augmentation, where the AUGMENTS clause names the object corresponding to the base conceptual row which is augmented by this conceptual row augmentation. (Thus, a conceptual row augmentation cannot itself be augmented.) Instances of subordinate columnar objects of a conceptual row augmentation are identified according to the INDEX clause of the base conceptual row corresponding to the object named in the AUGMENTS clause. Further, instances of subordinate columnar objects of a conceptual row augmentation exist according to the same semantics as instances of subordinate columnar objects of the base conceptual row being augmented. As such, note that creation of a base conceptual row implies the correspondent creation of any conceptual row augmentations.

For example, a MIB designer might wish to define additional columns in an "enterprise-specific" MIB which logically extend a conceptual row in a "standard" MIB. The "standard" MIB definition of the conceptual row would include the INDEX clause and the "enterprise- specific" MIB would contain the definition of a conceptual row using the AUGMENTS clause. On the other hand, it would be incorrect to use the AUGMENTS clause for the relationship between RFC 1573's ifTable and the many media-specific MIBs which extend it for specific media (e.g., the dot3Table in RFC 1650), since not all interfaces are of the same media.

Note that a base conceptual row may be augmented by multiple conceptual row augmentations.


Next: 7.8.1. Relation between INDEX and AUGMENTS clauses

Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
7.8. Mapping of the AUGMENTS clause