RFC Abstracts

RFC3528 - Mesh-enhanced Service Location Protocol (mSLP)
This document describes the Mesh-enhanced Service Location Protocol (mSLP). mSLP enhances the Service Location Protocol (SLP) with a scope-based fully-meshed peering Directory Agent (DA) architecture. Peer DAs exchange new service registrations in shared scopes via anti- entropy and direct forwarding. mSLP improves the reliability and consistency of SLP DA services, and simplifies Service Agent (SA) registrations in systems with multiple DAs. mSLP is backward compatible with SLPv2 and can be deployed incrementally. This memo defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet community.
RFC3527 - Link Selection sub-option for the Relay Agent Information Option for DHCPv4
This document describes the link selection sub-option of the relay- agent-information option for the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCPv4). The giaddr specifies an IP address which determines both a subnet, and thereby a link on which a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client resides as well as an IP address that can be used to communicate with the relay agent. The subnet-selection option allows the functions of the giaddr to be split so that when one entity is performing as a DHCP proxy, it can specify the subnet/link from which to allocate an IP address, which is different from the IP address with which it desires to communicate with the DHCP server. Analogous situations exist where the relay agent needs to specify the subnet/link on which a DHCP client resides, which is different from an IP address that can be used to communicate with the relay agent. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3526 - More Modular Exponential (MODP) Diffie-Hellman groups for Internet Key Exchange (IKE)
This document defines new Modular Exponential (MODP) Groups for the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) protocol. It documents the well known and used 1536 bit group 5, and also defines new 2048, 3072, 4096, 6144, and 8192 bit Diffie-Hellman groups numbered starting at 14. The selection of the primes for theses groups follows the criteria established by Richard Schroeppel. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3525 - Gateway Control Protocol Version 1
This document defines the protocol used between elements of a physically decomposed multimedia gateway, i.e., a Media Gateway and a Media Gateway Controller. The protocol presented in this document meets the requirements for a media gateway control protocol as presented in RFC 2805. This document replaces RFC 3015. It is the result of continued cooperation between the IETF Megaco Working Group and ITU-T Study Group 16. It incorporates the original text of RFC 3015, modified by corrections and clarifications discussed on the Megaco E-mail list and incorporated into the Study Group 16 Implementor's Guide for Recommendation H.248. The present version of this document underwent ITU-T Last Call as Recommendation H.248 Amendment 1. Because of ITU-T renumbering, it was published by the ITU-T as Recommendation H.248.1 (03/2002), Gateway Control Protocol Version 1. Users of this specification are advised to consult the H.248 Sub-series Implementors' Guide at http://www.itu.int/itudoc/itu-t/com16/implgd for additional corrections and clarifications. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3524 - Mapping of Media Streams to Resource Reservation Flows
This document defines an extension to the Session Description Protocol (SDP) grouping framework. It allows requesting a group of media streams to be mapped into a single resource reservation flow. The SDP syntax needed is defined, as well as a new "semantics" attribute called Single Reservation Flow (SRF). [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3523 - Internet Emergency Preparedness (IEPREP) Telephony Topology Terminology
This document defines the topology naming conventions that are to be used in reference to Internet Emergency Preparedness (IEPREP) phone calls. These naming conventions should be used to focus the IEPREP Working Group during discussions and when writing requirements, gap analysis and other solutions documents. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3522 - The Eifel Detection Algorithm for TCP
The Eifel detection algorithm allows a TCP sender to detect a posteriori whether it has entered loss recovery unnecessarily. It requires that the TCP Timestamps option defined in RFC 1323 be enabled for a connection. The Eifel detection algorithm makes use of the fact that the TCP Timestamps option eliminates the retransmission ambiguity in TCP. Based on the timestamp of the first acceptable ACK that arrives during loss recovery, it decides whether loss recovery was entered unnecessarily. The Eifel detection algorithm provides a basis for future TCP enhancements. This includes response algorithms to back out of loss recovery by restoring a TCP sender's congestion control state. This memo defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet community.
RFC3521 - Framework for Session Set-up with Media Authorization
Establishing multimedia streams must take into account requirements for end-to-end QoS, authorization of network resource usage and accurate accounting for resources used. During session set up, policies may be enforced to ensure that the media streams being requested lie within the bounds of the service profile established for the requesting host. Similarly, when a host requests resources to provide a certain QoS for a packet flow, policies may be enforced to ensure that the required resources lie within the bounds of the resource profile established for the requesting host. To prevent fraud and to ensure accurate billing, this document describes various scenarios and mechanisms that provide the linkage required to verify that the resources being used to provide a requested QoS are in- line with the media streams requested (and authorized) for the session. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3520 - Session Authorization Policy Element
This document describes the representation of a session authorization policy element for supporting policy-based per-session authorization and admission control. The goal of session authorization is to allow the exchange of information between network elements in order to authorize the use of resources for a service and to co-ordinate actions between the signaling and transport planes. This document describes how a process on a system authorizes the reservation of resources by a host and then provides that host with a session authorization policy element which can be inserted into a resource reservation protocol (e.g., the Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP) PATH message) to facilitate proper and secure reservation of those resources within the network. We describe the encoding of session authorization information as a policy element conforming to the format of a Policy Data object (RFC 2750) and provide details relating to operations, processing rules and error scenarios. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3519 - Mobile IP Traversal of Network Address Translation (NAT) Devices
Mobile IP's datagram tunnelling is incompatible with Network Address Translation (NAT). This document presents extensions to the Mobile IP protocol and a tunnelling method which permits mobile nodes using Mobile IP to operate in private address networks which are separated from the public internet by NAT devices. The NAT traversal is based on using the Mobile IP Home Agent UDP port for encapsulated data traffic. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3518 - Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Bridging Control Protocol (BCP)
The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) provides a standard method for transporting multi-protocol datagrams over point-to-point links. PPP defines an extensible Link Control Protocol (LCP) and proposes a family of Network Control Protocols (NCP) for establishing and configuring different network-layer protocols. This document defines the NCP for establishing and configuring Remote Bridging for PPP links. This document obsoletes RFC 2878, which was based on the IEEE 802.1D- 1993 MAC Bridge. This document extends that specification by improving support for bridge control packets. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3517 - A Conservative Selective Acknowledgment (SACK)-based Loss Recovery Algorithm for TCP
This document presents a conservative loss recovery algorithm for TCP that is based on the use of the selective acknowledgment (SACK) TCP option. The algorithm presented in this document conforms to the spirit of the current congestion control specification (RFC 2581), but allows TCP senders to recover more effectively when multiple segments are lost from a single flight of data. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3516 - IMAP4 Binary Content Extension
This memo defines the Binary extension to the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP4). It provides a mechanism for IMAP4 clients and servers to exchange message body data without using a MIME content-transfer- encoding. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3515 - The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Refer Method
This document defines the REFER method. This Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) extension requests that the recipient REFER to a resource provided in the request. It provides a mechanism allowing the party sending the REFER to be notified of the outcome of the referenced request. This can be used to enable many applications, including call transfer. In addition to the REFER method, this document defines the refer event package and the Refer-To request header. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3514 - The Security Flag in the IPv4 Header
Firewalls, packet filters, intrusion detection systems, and the like often have difficulty distinguishing between packets that have malicious intent and those that are merely unusual. We define a security flag in the IPv4 header as a means of distinguishing the two cases. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3513 - Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Addressing Architecture
This specification defines the addressing architecture of the IP Version 6 (IPv6) protocol. The document includes the IPv6 addressing model, text representations of IPv6 addresses, definition of IPv6 unicast addresses, anycast addresses, and multicast addresses, and an IPv6 node's required addresses. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3512 - Configuring Networks and Devices with Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
This document is written for readers interested in the Internet Standard Management Framework and its protocol, the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). In particular, it offers guidance in the effective use of SNMP for configuration management. This information is relevant to vendors that build network elements, management application developers, and those that acquire and deploy this technology in their networks. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3511 - Benchmarking Methodology for Firewall Performance
This document discusses and defines a number of tests that may be used to describe the performance characteristics of firewalls. In addition to defining the tests, this document also describes specific formats for reporting the results of the tests. This document is a product of the Benchmarking Methodology Working Group (BMWG) of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3510 - Internet Printing Protocol/1.1: IPP URL Scheme
This memo defines the "ipp" URL (Uniform Resource Locator) scheme. This memo updates IPP/1.1: Encoding and Transport (RFC 2910), by expanding and clarifying Section 5, "IPP URL Scheme", of RFC 2910. An "ipp" URL is used to specify the network location of a print service that supports the IPP Protocol (RFC 2910), or of a network resource (for example, a print job) managed by such a print service. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3509 - Alternative Implementations of OSPF Area Border Routers
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a link-state intra-domain routing protocol used for routing in IP networks. Though the definition of the Area Border Router (ABR) in the OSPF specification does not require a router with multiple attached areas to have a backbone connection, it is actually necessary to provide successful routing to the inter-area and external destinations. If this requirement is not met, all traffic destined for the areas not connected to such an ABR or out of the OSPF domain, is dropped. This document describes alternative ABR behaviors implemented in Cisco and IBM routers. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3508 - H.323 Uniform Resource Locator (URL) Scheme Registration
ITU-T Recommendation H.323 version 4 introduced an H.323-specific Uniform Resource Locator (URL). This document reproduces the H323-URL definition found in H.323, and is published as an RFC for ease of access and registration with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3507 - Internet Content Adaptation Protocol (ICAP)
ICAP, the Internet Content Adaption Protocol, is a protocol aimed at providing simple object-based content vectoring for HTTP services. ICAP is, in essence, a lightweight protocol for executing a "remote procedure call" on HTTP messages. It allows ICAP clients to pass HTTP messages to ICAP servers for some sort of transformation or other processing ("adaptation"). The server executes its transformation service on messages and sends back responses to the client, usually with modified messages. Typically, the adapted messages are either HTTP requests or HTTP responses. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3506 - Requirements and Design for Voucher Trading System (VTS)
Crediting loyalty points and collecting digital coupons or gift certificates are common functions in purchasing and trading transactions. These activities can be generalized using the concept of a "voucher", which is a digital representation of the right to claim goods or services. This document presents a Voucher Trading System (VTS) that circulates vouchers securely and its terminology; it lists design principles and requirements for VTS and the Generic Voucher Language (GVL), with which diverse types of vouchers can be described. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3505 - Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML): Version 2 Requirements
This document lists the design principles, scope, and requirements for the Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) version 2 specification. It includes requirements as they relate to Extensible Markup Language (XML) syntax, data model, format, and payment processing. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3504 - Internet Open Trading Protocol (IOTP) Version 1, Errata
Since the publication of the RFCs specifying Version 1.0 of the Internet Open Trading Protocol (IOTP), some errors have been noted. This informational document lists these errors and provides corrections for them. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3503 - Message Disposition Notification (MDN) profile for Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)
The Message Disposition Notification (MDN) facility defined in RFC 2298 provides a means by which a message can request that message processing by the recipient be acknowledged as well as a format to be used for such acknowledgements. However, it doesn't describe how multiple Mail User Agents (MUAs) should handle the generation of MDNs in an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP4) environment. This document describes how to handle MDNs in such an environment and provides guidelines for implementers of IMAP4 that want to add MDN support to their products. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3502 - Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) - MULTIAPPEND Extension
This document describes the multiappending extension to the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) (RFC 3501). This extension provides substantial performance improvements for IMAP clients which upload multiple messages at a time to a mailbox on the server. A server which supports this extension indicates this with a capability name of "MULTIAPPEND". [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3501 - INTERNET MESSAGE ACCESS PROTOCOL - VERSION 4rev1
The Internet Message Access Protocol, Version 4rev1 (IMAP4rev1) allows a client to access and manipulate electronic mail messages on a server. IMAP4rev1 permits manipulation of mailboxes (remote message folders) in a way that is functionally equivalent to local folders. IMAP4rev1 also provides the capability for an offline client to resynchronize with the server. IMAP4rev1 includes operations for creating, deleting, and renaming mailboxes, checking for new messages, permanently removing messages, setting and clearing flags, RFC 2822 and RFC 2045 parsing, searching, and selective fetching of message attributes, texts, and portions thereof. Messages in IMAP4rev1 are accessed by the use of numbers. These numbers are either message sequence numbers or unique identifiers. IMAP4rev1 supports a single server. A mechanism for accessing configuration information to support multiple IMAP4rev1 servers is discussed in RFC 2244. IMAP4rev1 does not specify a means of posting mail; this function is handled by a mail transfer protocol such as RFC 2821. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3498 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) Linear Automatic Protection Switching (APS) Architectures
This memo defines a portion of the Management Information Base (MIB) for use with network management protocols in TCP/IP based internets. In particular, it defines objects for managing networks using Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) linear Automatic Protection Switching (APS) architectures. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3497 - RTP Payload Format for Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) 292M Video
This memo specifies an RTP payload format for encapsulating uncompressed High Definition Television (HDTV) as defined by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard, SMPTE 292M. SMPTE is the main standardizing body in the motion imaging industry and the SMPTE 292M standard defines a bit-serial digital interface for local area HDTV transport. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3496 - Protocol Extension for Support of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Service Class-aware Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Traffic Engineering
This document specifies a Resource ReSerVation Protocol-Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE) signaling extension for support of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Service Class-aware Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Traffic Engineering. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3495 - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Option for CableLabs Client Configuration
This document defines a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) option that will be used to configure various devices deployed within CableLabs architectures. Specifically, the document describes DHCP option content that will be used to configure one class of CableLabs client device: a PacketCable Media Terminal Adapter (MTA). The option content defined within this document will be extended as future CableLabs client devices are developed. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3494 - Lightweight Directory Access Protocol version 2 (LDAPv2) to Historic Status
This document recommends the retirement of version 2 of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAPv2) and other dependent specifications, and discusses the reasons for doing so. This document recommends RFC 1777, 1778, 1779, 1781, and 2559 (as well as documents they superseded) be moved to Historic status. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3493 - Basic Socket Interface Extensions for IPv6
The de facto standard Application Program Interface (API) for TCP/IP applications is the "sockets" interface. Although this API was developed for Unix in the early 1980s it has also been implemented on a wide variety of non-Unix systems. TCP/IP applications written using the sockets API have in the past enjoyed a high degree of portability and we would like the same portability with IPv6 applications. But changes are required to the sockets API to support IPv6 and this memo describes these changes. These include a new socket address structure to carry IPv6 addresses, new address conversion functions, and some new socket options. These extensions are designed to provide access to the basic IPv6 features required by TCP and UDP applications, including multicasting, while introducing a minimum of change into the system and providing complete compatibility for existing IPv4 applications. Additional extensions for advanced IPv6 features (raw sockets and access to the IPv6 extension headers) are defined in another document. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3492 - Punycode: A Bootstring encoding of Unicode for Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA)
Punycode is a simple and efficient transfer encoding syntax designed for use with Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA). It uniquely and reversibly transforms a Unicode string into an ASCII string. ASCII characters in the Unicode string are represented literally, and non-ASCII characters are represented by ASCII characters that are allowed in host name labels (letters, digits, and hyphens). This document defines a general algorithm called Bootstring that allows a string of basic code points to uniquely represent any string of code points drawn from a larger set. Punycode is an instance of Bootstring that uses particular parameter values specified by this document, appropriate for IDNA. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3491 - Nameprep: A Stringprep Profile for Internationalized Domain Names (IDN)
This document describes how to prepare internationalized domain name (IDN) labels in order to increase the likelihood that name input and name comparison work in ways that make sense for typical users throughout the world. This profile of the stringprep protocol is used as part of a suite of on-the-wire protocols for internationalizing the Domain Name System (DNS). [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3490 - Internationalizing Domain Names in Applications (IDNA)
Until now, there has been no standard method for domain names to use characters outside the ASCII repertoire. This document defines internationalized domain names (IDNs) and a mechanism called Internationalizing Domain Names in Applications (IDNA) for handling them in a standard fashion. IDNs use characters drawn from a large repertoire (Unicode), but IDNA allows the non-ASCII characters to be represented using only the ASCII characters already allowed in so-called host names today. This backward-compatible representation is required in existing protocols like DNS, so that IDNs can be introduced with no changes to the existing infrastructure. IDNA is only meant for processing domain names, not free text. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3489 - STUN - Simple Traversal of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) Through Network Address Translators (NATs)
Simple Traversal of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) Through Network Address Translators (NATs) (STUN) is a lightweight protocol that allows applications to discover the presence and types of NATs and firewalls between them and the public Internet. It also provides the ability for applications to determine the public Internet Protocol (IP) addresses allocated to them by the NAT. STUN works with many existing NATs, and does not require any special behavior from them. As a result, it allows a wide variety of applications to work through existing NAT infrastructure. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3488 - Cisco Systems Router-port Group Management Protocol (RGMP)
This document describes the Router-port Group Management Protocol (RGMP). This protocol was developed by Cisco Systems and is used between multicast routers and switches to restrict multicast packet forwarding in switches to those routers where the packets may be needed. RGMP is designed for backbone switched networks where multiple, high speed routers are interconnected. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3487 - Requirements for Resource Priority Mechanisms for the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
This document summarizes requirements for prioritizing access to circuit-switched network, end system and proxy resources for emergency preparedness communications using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3486 - Compressing the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
This document describes a mechanism to signal that compression is desired for one or more Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages. It also states when it is appropriate to send compressed SIP messages to a SIP entity. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3485 - The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Session Description Protocol (SDP) Static Dictionary for Signaling Compression (SigComp)
The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a text-based protocol for initiating and managing communication sessions. The protocol can be compressed by using Signaling Compression (SigComp). Similarly, the Session Description Protocol (SDP) is a text-based protocol intended for describing multimedia sessions for the purposes of session announcement, session invitation, and other forms of multimedia session initiation. This memo defines the SIP/SDP-specific static dictionary that SigComp may use in order to achieve higher efficiency. The dictionary is compression algorithm independent. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3484 - Default Address Selection for Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)
This document describes two algorithms, for source address selection and for destination address selection. The algorithms specify default behavior for all Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) implementations. They do not override choices made by applications or upper-layer protocols, nor do they preclude the development of more advanced mechanisms for address selection. The two algorithms share a common context, including an optional mechanism for allowing administrators to provide policy that can override the default behavior. In dual stack implementations, the destination address selection algorithm can consider both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses - depending on the available source addresses, the algorithm might prefer IPv6 addresses over IPv4 addresses, or vice-versa. All IPv6 nodes, including both hosts and routers, must implement default address selection as defined in this specification. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3483 - Framework for Policy Usage Feedback for Common Open Policy Service with Policy Provisioning (COPS-PR)
Common Open Policy Services (COPS) Protocol (RFC 2748), defines the capability of reporting information to the Policy Decision Point (PDP). The types of report information are success, failure and accounting of an installed state. This document focuses on the COPS Report Type of Accounting and the necessary framework for the monitoring and reporting of usage feedback for an installed state. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3482 - Number Portability in the Global Switched Telephone Network (GSTN): An Overview
This document provides an overview of E.164 telephone number portability (NP) in the Global Switched Telephone Network (GSTN). NP is a regulatory imperative seeking to liberalize local telephony service competition, by enabling end-users to retain telephone numbers while changing service providers. NP changes the fundamental nature of a dialed E.164 number from a hierarchical physical routing address to a virtual address, thereby requiring the transparent translation of the later to the former. In addition, there are various regulatory constraints that establish relevant parameters for NP implementation, most of which are not network technology specific. Consequently, the implementation of NP behavior consistent with applicable regulatory constraints, as well as the need for interoperation with the existing GSTN NP implementations, are relevant topics for numerous areas of IP telephony works-in-progress with the IETF. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
RFC3481 - TCP over Second (2.5G) and Third (3G) Generation Wireless Networks
This document describes a profile for optimizing TCP to adapt so that it handles paths including second (2.5G) and third (3G) generation wireless networks. It describes the relevant characteristics of 2.5G and 3G networks, and specific features of example deployments of such networks. It then recommends TCP algorithm choices for nodes known to be starting or ending on such paths, and it also discusses open issues. The configuration options recommended in this document are commonly found in modern TCP stacks, and are widely available standards-track mechanisms that the community considers safe for use on the general Internet. This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements.
RFC3480 - Signalling Unnumbered Links in CR-LDP (Constraint-Routing Label Distribution Protocol)
Current signalling used by Multi-Protocol Label Switching Traffic Engineering (MPLS TE) does not provide support for unnumbered links. This document defines procedures and extensions to Constraint-Routing Label Distribution Protocol (CR-LDP), one of the MPLS TE signalling protocols that are needed in order to support unnumbered links. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3479 - Fault Tolerance for the Label Distribution Protocol (LDP)
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) systems will be used in core networks where system downtime must be kept to an absolute minimum. Many MPLS Label Switching Routers (LSRs) may, therefore, exploit Fault Tolerant (FT) hardware or software to provide high availability of the core networks. The details of how FT is achieved for the various components of an FT LSR, including Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), the switching hardware and TCP, are implementation specific. This document identifies issues in the LDP specification in RFC 3036, "LDP Specification", that make it difficult to implement an FT LSR using the current LDP protocols, and defines enhancements to the LDP specification to ease such FT LSR implementations. The issues and extensions described here are equally applicable to RFC 3212, "Constraint-Based LSP Setup Using LDP" (CR-LDP). [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3478 - Graceful Restart Mechanism for Label Distribution Protocol
This document describes a mechanism that helps to minimize the negative effects on MPLS traffic caused by Label Switching Router's (LSR's) control plane restart, specifically by the restart of its Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) component, on LSRs that are capable of preserving the MPLS forwarding component across the restart. The mechanism described in this document is applicable to all LSRs, both those with the ability to preserve forwarding state during LDP restart and those without (although the latter needs to implement only a subset of the mechanism described in this document). Supporting (a subset of) the mechanism described here by the LSRs that can not preserve their MPLS forwarding state across the restart would not reduce the negative impact on MPLS traffic caused by their control plane restart, but it would minimize the impact if their neighbor(s) are capable of preserving the forwarding state across the restart of their control plane and implement the mechanism described here. The mechanism makes minimalistic assumptions on what has to be preserved across restart - the mechanism assumes that only the actual MPLS forwarding state has to be preserved; the mechanism does not require any of the LDP-related states to be preserved across the restart. The procedures described in this document apply to downstream unsolicited label distribution. Extending these procedures to downstream on demand label distribution is for further study. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
RFC3477 - Signalling Unnumbered Links in Resource ReSerVation Protocol - Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE)
Current signalling used by Multi-Protocol Label Switching Traffic Engineering (MPLS TE) does not provide support for unnumbered links. This document defines procedures and extensions to Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP) for Label Switched Path (LSP) Tunnels (RSVP-TE), one of the MPLS TE signalling protocols, that are needed in order to support unnumbered links. [STANDARDS-TRACK]