Description: This object specifies the maximum time the MTA will attempt to perform the exponential back-off algorithm. This timer only applies when the MTA initiated key management. If the DHCP option code 122, sub-option 4, is provided to the MTA, it overwrites this value.

Unsolicited key updates are retransmitted according to an exponential back-off mechanism using two timers and a maximum retry counter for AS replies. The initial retransmission timer value is the nominal timer value (pktcMtaDevRealmUnsolicitedKeyNomTimeout). The retransmissions occur with an exponentially increasing interval that caps at the maximum timeout value (pktcMtaDevRealmUnsolicitedKeyMaxTimeout). Retransmissions stop when the maximum retry counter is reached (pktcMatDevRealmUnsolicitedMaxRetries).

For example, with values of 3 seconds for the nominal timer, 20 seconds for the maximum timeout, and 5 retries max, retransmission intervals will be 3 s, 6 s, 12 s, 20 s, and 20 s, and retransmissions then stop because the maximum number of retries has been reached.