2.7.6 Multiprotocol Label Switching (mpls)

NOTE: This charter is a snapshot of the 51st IETF Meeting in London, England. It may now be out-of-date. Last Modified: 31-Jul-01

Chair(s):

George Swallow <swallow@cisco.com>
Vijay Srinivasan <vijay@cosinecom.com>

Sub-IP Area Director(s):

Scott Bradner <sob@harvard.edu>
Bert Wijnen <bwijnen@lucent.com>

Sub-IP Area Advisor:

Scott Bradner <sob@harvard.edu>

Technical Advisor(s):

Rob Coltun <rcoltun@redback.com>

Mailing Lists:

General Discussion:mpls@uu.net
To Subscribe: mpls-request@uu.net
In Body: subscribe (unsubscribe)
Archive: http://cell.onecall.net/cell-relay/archives/mpls/mpls.index.html

Description of Working Group:

The MPLS working group has been responsible for standardizing a base technology for using label switching and for the implementation of label-switched paths over various link-level technologies, such as Packet-over-Sonet, Frame Relay, ATM, and LAN technologies (e.g. all forms of Ethernet, Token Ring, etc.). This includes procedures and protocols for the distribution of labels between routers, encapsulations and multicast considerations.

The initial goals of the working group have been largely completed. In particular, it has produced a number of RFCs (see list below) that define the base Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), the basic MPLS architecture and encapsulations, and definitions for how MPLS runs over ATM and Frame Relay links.

The current goals of the working group are:

1. Complete outstanding items from the original MPLS effort:

Informational:

(6/12) Applicability Statement for Extensions to RSVP for LSP-Tunnels (8/08) Applicability Statement for CR-LDP (6/12) LDP State Machine

Experimental:

(10/19/99) MPLS Loop Prevention Mechanism

Standards Track:

(8/08) Constraint-Based LSP Setup using LDP (2/07) Carrying Label Information in BGP-4 (8/29) Extensions to RSVP for LSP Tunnels (8/29) MPLS Support of Differentiated Services (6/27) LSP Modification Using CR-LDP (9/01) Definitions of Managed Objects for LDP (8/29) MPLS Label Switch Router Management Information Base

2. Advance the Proposed Standards developed by the MPLS WG to Draft Standard. This includes the LDP, CR-LDP, and RSVP-TE signaling specifications as well as the encapsulations.

3. Specify appropriate extensions to LDP and RSVP for authentication of LSP originators.

4. Complete work on the MPLS-TE MIB.

5. Specify improved fault tolerance mechanisms for LDP

6. Specify MPLS-specific recovery mechanisms to allow one label-switched path to be used as backup for a set of other label-switched paths, including cases which permit local repair. What constitutes the necessary set of MPLS-specific recovery mechanism should be ascertained through cooperation with the CCAMP and TE working groups.

7. Document additional MPLS encapsulations to allow the operation of label-switched paths over additional lower-layer technologies, such as time-division (e.g. SONET ADMs), wavelength (optical lambdas) and spatial switching (e.g. incoming fiber to outgoing fiber).

8. Complete work in progress for specifying the framework for IP multicast over label switched paths.

Goals and Milestones:

Done

  

Submit documents from original MPLS effort to IESG

Jan 01

  

Shepherd completed MPLS specifications through IESG review and RFC editor processing

Feb 01

  

MPLS-TE MIB ready for advancement to Proposed Standard

Mar 01

  

Framework for IP multicast over label-switched paths ready for advancement.

Jun 01

  

LDP fault tolerance specification ready for advancement to Proposed Standard.

Aug 01

  

Specification for MPLS-specific recovery ready for advancement.

Nov 01

  

Base MPLS Proposed Standard RFCs ready for advancement to Draft Standard.

Dec 01

  

LDP end-to-end LSP authentication ready for advancement to Proposed Standard.

Internet-Drafts:
Request For Comments:

RFC

Status

Title

RFC2702

 

Requirements for Traffic Engineering Over MPLS

RFC3031

PS

Multiprotocol Label Switching Architecture

RFC3032

PS

MPLS Label Stack Encoding

RFC3034

PS

Use of Label Switching on Frame Relay Networks Specification

RFC3035

PS

MPLS using LDP and ATM VC Switching

RFC3036

PS

LDP Specification

RFC3037

PS

LDP Applicability

RFC3038

PS

VCID Notification over ATM link for LDP

RFC3033

PS

The Assignment of the Information Field and Protocol Identifier in the Q.2941 Generic Identifier and Q.2957 User-to-user Signaling for the Internet Protocol

RFC3063

E

MPLS Loop Prevention Mechanism

RFC3107

PS

Carrying Label Information in BGP-4

Current Meeting Report

None received.

Slides

None received.