[tor-bugs] #30196 [Core Tor/sbws]: Add the tor version to the sbws bandwidth file header

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#30196: Add the tor version to the sbws bandwidth file header
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 Reporter:  teor           |          Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement    |         Status:  new
 Priority:  Medium         |      Milestone:  sbws: 1.2.x-final
Component:  Core Tor/sbws  |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal         |     Resolution:
 Keywords:                 |  Actual Points:
Parent ID:                 |         Points:  1
 Reviewer:                 |        Sponsor:
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Comment (by juga):

 Summarizing the metadata proposed:

 Replying to [comment:3 irl]:
 >
 > * The need for the inline contact information becomes evident when we
 look at how much trouble we've had tracking down who runs the default
 bridges in Tor Browser #30121

 Do we need contact information having an identifier (see
 https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/30217#comment:2) and
 initially knowing who runs the scanners (usually the same dirauth)?.

 > * The need for AS as well as country allows us to correlate BGP events
 with bandwidth changes. Ideally we can know both the AS of the scanner and
 the target. Tor Metrics already knows the AS of the relay.

 When we decided to include the country (#29299) i remember arma commenting
 in irc to just add it in the configuration to don't make the code more
 complicated. I'm commenting more on this in (#30229)

 > * In some cases, the target is on a CDN, which means the AS may not be
 known in advance. In these cases we might choose to omit the AS number and
 instead use a user-assigned country code for the target.

 Do we currently have more than one CDN?. I only know one, though would be
 great to have more.

 > * We could assign QM-QZ (user-assigned codes not used elsewhere in Tor
 to my knowledge) to CDN providers but each new provider used would require
 a spec change, and external researchers would end up using whatever value
 and not being able to interop their data with ours if we clash.
 > * We could use the OO escape code and build codes like "OOFastly" which
 is probably the more maintainable solution, but would require that parsers
 do not panic when they see >2 characters (I know the standard is known as
 alpha-2 but it isn't actually limited to 2 characters!)
 > * We could use Tor's geoip database to resolve the IP address resolved
 via the same circuit of the CDN into a country/IP address to add to the
 measurements, but this may prove to be unreliable especially in the longer
 term as IPv4 exhaustion causes more and more IP address swapping about.

 Not convinced on any of the options for CDNs, but can't think of other
 solution.

 Replying to [comment:4 teor]:
 > * we wanted to know the tor version to recommend tor upgrades to
 bandwidth authority operators (#30184)

 easy.

 > * we might be interested in OpenSSL and NSS versions in future, because
 they have both had different bugs that stop relays connecting to each
 other

 Is there a way to ask this to Tor? `GETINFO` only returns Tor version. Is
 it possible that python `ssl.OPENSSL_VERSION` might be different to the
 one being used by the running Tor?.

 > * we have asked authority operators about operating systems before

 What in concrete we would like to know about the operating system?, see
 options in https://docs.python.org/3/library/platform.html

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/30196#comment:5>
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