A new IETF working group has been formed in the Internet Area. For additional information, please contact the Area Directors or the WG Chairs. +++ Ad-Hoc Network Autoconfiguration (autoconf) ============================================= Current Status: Active Working Group Chair(s): Thomas Clausen <thomas.clausen@polytechnique.fr> Shubhranshu Singh <shubhranshu@samsung.com> Internet Area Director(s): Mark Townsley <townsley@cisco.com> Margaret Wasserman <margaret@thingmagic.com> Internet Area Advisor: Margaret Wasserman <margaret@thingmagic.com> Mailing Lists: General Discussion: manetautoconf@ml.free.fr To Subscribe: manetautoconf-request@ml.free.fr Archive: Description of Working Group: In order to communicate among themselves, ad hoc nodes (refer to RFC 2501) need to configure their network interface(s) with local addresses that are valid within an ad hoc network. Ad hoc nodes may also need to configure globally routable addresses, in order to communicate with devices on the Internet. >From the IP layer perspective, a MANET presents itself as a L3 multi-hop network formed over a collection of links. Thus, each ad hoc node in the MANET is, potentially, acting as a L3 router in order to provide connectivity to other nodes within the MANET. Each ad hoc node maintains host routes to other ad hoc nodes within the MANET - in addition to network routes to destinations outside the MANET. If connected to the Internet, MANETs are edge networks, i.e. their boundary is defined by their edge routers. Due to the nature of the links over which a MANET is formed, ad hoc nodes within a MANET do not share access to a single multicast-capable link for signaling. This implies that the usual delivery semantics of link-local multicast and broadcast are not preserved within a MANET. The address autoconfiguration related protocol specifications such as RFCs 2462, 2461, as used in traditional IP networks, assume that subnet-local signals (e.g. link-local multicast signals) are received by each of the hosts on the particular subnet without being forwarded by the routers defining the subnet boundary. Hence, ad hoc networks (as defined and understood by the IETF MANET WG) cannot use these protocol specifications as-is. The main purpose of the AUTOCONF WG is to standardize mechanisms to be used by ad hoc nodes for configuring unique local and/or globally routable IPv6 addresses. The ad hoc nodes under consideration are, once configured, expected to be able to support multi-hop communication by running MANET routing protocols as developed by the IETF MANET WG. An AUTOCONF mechanism should not be dependent on any specific MANET routing protocol, however the routing protocol may provide for optimizations. With this in mind, the goals of AUTOCONF WG are to: - Produce a "MANET architecture" document defining the MANET architecture as is related to IP networks and the Internet. - Produce a "terminology and problem statement" document, defining the problem statement and goals for AUTOCONF. - Develop an IPv6 address autoconfiguration mechanism to be used by ad hoc nodes for configuring unique local addresses as well as, in cases where Internet connectivity exists, globally routable unique addresses. - Develop a mechanism to promote configured address uniqueness in the situation where different ad hoc networks merge. Issues and requirements related to prefix and/or address providing entities, such as an Internet gateway, will be addressed within the group to the extent that they are directly related to the AUTOCONF mechanisms. Security concerns related to AUTOCONF mechanisms will also be discussed within the group. The working group will reuse existing specifications whenever reasonable and possible. Goals and Milestones: Oct 05 Submit 'MANET architecture' document for WG review Nov 05 Submit 'terminology and problem statement' document for WG review Apr 06 Submit 'MANET architecture' document to IESG for publication as an informational RFC May 06 Submit 'terminology and problem statement' document to IESG for publication as an informational RFC May 06 Submit initial I-D of 'IPv6 address autoconfiguration mechanism' for WG review May 06 Submit initial -ID of 'configured address uniqueness maintenance' for WG review Sep 06 Revise WG documents and review Dec 06 Revise documents based upon implementation experience Apr 07 Submit 'IPv6 address autoconfiguration mechanism' specification and supporting documentation to IESG for publications as Proposed Standard Apr 07 Submit 'configured address uniqueness maintenance' specification and supporting documentation to IESG for publications as Proposed Standard Oct 07 Close or recharter the WG _______________________________________________ IETF-Announce@ietf.org https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf-announce
