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Re: Racing QM Initiator's



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Ben McCann wrote:
> 
> By dumb luck, I just had two SG's attempt a QM exchange with each
> other _at_the_same_time_. Each sent the first QM packet as
> initiator and each got that packet and tried to act as QM
> responder. Both got confused because they both switched from
> Initiator to Responder in mid-stream. 
> 
> Here was my test configuration:
> 
>         C1-----SG=======SG-----C2
> 
> Clients 1 and 2 (C1, C2) are both pinging each other. Policy on the
> SG's creates tunnel mode SA's for the ping traffic. The current
> Phase 2 SA for ping expires at the same time on both SG's. Then
> next ping send by each client triggers each SG to create a Phase 2
> SA.
> 
> What is the interoperable way to solve this race? I trolled through
> the list archives but didn't see anything relevant. Possibilities
> are: 
> 
> 1. Deal with it. Two QM exchanges occur where both SG's are
> temporarily both Phase 2 initiator and responder.

So you end up with two SAs.  No problem.

> (This could be tough because that
> state is part of the parent Phase 1 SA).


That's an implementation detail.  Either side can initiate a QM and
if they do it simultaneously and you end up with two SAs I don't see
why it would matter.  They're both perfectly valid.


> 2. Both SG's abort the QM exchange, backoff, and retry later.
> 
> 3. One SG aborts and becomes responder. How do you know which
> should abort? The SG with the lowest IP address?
> 
> I'm sure there are other options too. Any opinions are welcome...
> 
> Thanks,
> Ben McCann
> 
> --
> Ben McCann                              Indus River Networks
>                                         31 Nagog Park
>                                         Acton, MA, 01720
> email: bmccann@indusriver.com           web: www.indusriver.com
> phone: (978) 266-8140                   fax: (978) 266-8111

- -- 

Will Price, Architect/Sr. Mgr., PGP Client Products
Total Network Security Division
Network Associates, Inc.



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