[AusNOG] Fwd: Ten questions about metadata retention

[Paul Brooks]

On 7/08/2014 3:51 PM, Skeeve Stevens wrote:
> You are assuming a lot of things Paul... i.e. that they need any of that.
>
> I've just built an ISP that operates only on Flat-Rate, pre-paid plans. No VoIP,
> hosted email, websites or such.  They log nothing.  They don't need to.
>
> There is no TIO issues related to billing of data as they are flat-rate.
So when new customer alleges the ISP took their money, but they couldn't connect for a
week to use the system? or (assumption I know, may not be applicable in this case)
customer runs out of data allowance and is capped, and complains the cap wasn't correct?

>
> My policy is only log what you need to, and only for the time you need it.  If you
> don't need it, don't even keep it.  No one can ask you for anything if you don't
> have it.

No argument there for the moment. However I've yet to see an ISP that operated any
form of authentication system that deliberately turned off any log file or syslog or
diagnostic output of events, leaving themselves with no ability to look back even a
few minutes or hours to troubleshoot the system when it goes tits-up.  I suppose
shrugging shoulders, power cycling the box and hoping the blinking lights on the front
provide a clue without any other way to attempt to work out why it failed is viable.

P.