[aprssig] APRS Network Stewardship

[Robert Bruninga]

Network Stewardship is a fundamental aspect of APRS.

Over the years it might be that new software for APRS
is containing less Network Stewardship, or, if it is there, 
it is not highlighted as an important part of APRS ops.

What I mean by  Network Stewardship is that software
must attempt to balance the needs of the individual  with 
the needs of the network to survive and provide some 
basic level of service.  This includes minimizing paths, 
proper choice of rates,  reducing fluff, eliminating bad 
data, timing out of old data, smart ack techniques, smart 
beaconing among others.

To this end I am assembling a table of items involved
in Network Stewardship so that we dont lose sight
of these important items.  I'll seed the table to get it
started, based on what is built-into APRSdos, but I 
will need some help filling in the blanks for other 
programs...

Network Stewardship
*------------------------------------------------------------------------
Auto Netcycle  (10m local else 30)
Default Path of WIDE
Confirmation for hops over 3
Confirmation for hops past GATE
RELAY not allowed beyond first 
HID in TNC forced to OFF
TNC beacon forced OFF 
Decaying of old Messages
Decaying of old Posits
Decaying of old Objects
Randomizing multiple objects
Randomizing all timings
Message termination after N
Retry Messages on Heard
Redundant ACKing
Message Reply ACKing
Analysis Tool for ALOHA range
Analysis Tool for observing HOPS
Analysis Tool for observing Paths
Analysis Tool for Digis (PHG)
Heard counts per station per hour
Monitoring tool for HID's
Channel Loading Display