The MPLS WG Archive

["alex.mondrus" <alex.mondrus@ipoptical.com>]

Spencer:

What problems are you trying to solve that have not been addressed yet in
the previous TE IGP drafts ?

Thank you, Alex Mondrus

http://www.ipoptical.com


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mpls@UU.NET [mailto:owner-mpls@UU.NET]On Behalf Of
Spencer.Giacalone@predictive.com
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2000 11:04 AM
To: mpls@UU.NET
Subject: new draft


FYI,

A new ID was posted a few weeks back. The memo can be found at:
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-giacalone-te-optical-next-00.txt


An overview is as follows:

Abstract

This memo defines extensions to OSPFv3 [2] to provide support for Network
Engineering. This set of extensions is termed Network Engineering
eXTensions for OSPFv3, or NEXT. The term network engineering was chosen to
impart NEXT's wide scope of functionality. NEXT is intended to provide
holistic and extremely rich state information to OSPFv3 routers. Using
this information, various advanced topological and administrative
decisions can be made.

Please send comments to ospf@discuss.microsoft.com.

Overview

This document details extensions to OSPFv3 [2] called NEXT. NEXT can be
used to add very granular network engineering capabilities to OSPFv3
networks. To accomplish this, NEXT provides a wealth of interface, link,
and device capability and state information to OSPFv3, or other protocols.
The intent of NEXT is to enable the selection of shortest paths through
networks based on sets of advanced network state criteria.

Using NEXT, advanced policy decisions can be made, and traffic can be
routed or switch traffic with varying qualities of service. NEXT can also
assist in building complex fault tolerant networks.

NEXT aims to provide a system of unified network state information to
satisfy the requirements of numerous existing and developmental protocols.
While NEXT builds on functionality presented in other works, it adds many
new features, presents new philosophical possibilities, and is intended
for use with OSPFv3.

NEXT focuses on traffic engineering (TE) [3,4] and Multi Protocol lambda
Switching (MPLmS) [5,6], and Protection Wavelength Routing, but is
specifically intended to support changing requirements and technologies in
the future.

A core philosophical premise of NEXT is that it may effect the core
topology building process of OSPFv3, or may be used to build separate
"shadow" topologies. In the former, NEXT can be used a basis to make
sophisticated decisions within OSPFv3. In the later, OSPFv3/NEXT can serve
to build repositories of detailed information to enhance supplementary
protocols.

NEXT supports advanced intra-area and inter-area routing.

Since NEXT operates with and depends on OSPFv3, which is essentially
network protocol independent, NEXT can be used to enable all networks to
become extensively self aware.

It is hoped that NEXT will become a focal point for the distribution of
advanced network information, enhancing OSPFv3 (and other protocols) while
enabling complex deterministic services to be implemented.

Note that in addition to allowing existing QOS protocols, such as RSVP, to
provide new types of QoS, NEXT can enhance these protocols, by reducing
the possibility of "crank-back". Extensions to other protocols to make use
of NEXT information may be needed.

-Spence