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diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc2816.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc2816.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6345103 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc2816.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2635 @@ + + + + + + +Network Working Group A. Ghanwani +Request for Comments: 2816 Nortel Networks +Category: Informational W. Pace + IBM + V. Srinivasan + CoSine Communications + A. Smith + Extreme Networks + M. Seaman + Telseon + May 2000 + + + A Framework for Integrated Services + Over Shared and Switched IEEE 802 LAN Technologies + +Status of this Memo + + This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does + not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this + memo is unlimited. + +Copyright Notice + + Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2000). All Rights Reserved. + +Abstract + + This memo describes a framework for supporting IETF Integrated + Services on shared and switched LAN infrastructure. It includes + background material on the capabilities of IEEE 802 like networks + with regard to parameters that affect Integrated Services such as + access latency, delay variation and queuing support in LAN switches. + It discusses aspects of IETF's Integrated Services model that cannot + easily be accommodated in different LAN environments. It outlines a + functional model for supporting the Resource Reservation Protocol + (RSVP) in such LAN environments. Details of extensions to RSVP for + use over LANs are described in an accompanying memo [14]. Mappings + of the various Integrated Services onto IEEE 802 LANs are described + in another memo [13]. + + + + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 1] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +Contents + + 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 + 2. Document Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 + 3. Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 + 4. Frame Forwarding in IEEE 802 Networks . . . . . . . . . . 5 + 4.1. General IEEE 802 Service Model . . . . . . . . . . . 5 + 4.2. Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 + 4.3. Token Ring/IEEE 802.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 + 4.4. Fiber Distributed Data Interface . . . . . . . . . . 10 + 4.5. Demand Priority/IEEE 802.12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 + 5. Requirements and Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 + 5.1. Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 + 5.2. Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 + 5.3. Non-goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 + 5.4. Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 + 6. Basic Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 + 6.1. Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 + 6.1.1. Requester Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 + 6.1.2. Bandwidth Allocator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 + 6.1.3. Communication Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . 16 + 6.2. Centralized vs. Distributed Implementations . . . . 17 + 7. Model of the Bandwidth Manager in a Network . . . . . . . 18 + 7.1. End Station Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 + 7.1.1. Layer 3 Client Model . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 + 7.1.2. Requests to Layer 2 ISSLL . . . . . . . . . . 19 + 7.1.3. At the Layer 3 Sender . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 + 7.1.4. At the Layer 3 Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . 21 + 7.2. Switch Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 + 7.2.1. Centralized Bandwidth Allocator . . . . . . . 22 + 7.2.2. Distributed Bandwidth Allocator . . . . . . . 23 + 7.3. Admission Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 + 7.4. QoS Signaling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 + 7.4.1. Client Service Definitions . . . . . . . . . 26 + 7.4.2. Switch Service Definitions . . . . . . . . . 27 + 8. Implementation Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 + 8.1. Switch Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 + 8.2. Queuing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 + 8.3. Mapping of Services to Link Level Priority . . . . . 31 + 8.4. Re-mapping of Non-conforming Aggregated Flows . . . . 31 + 8.5. Override of Incoming User Priority . . . . . . . . . 32 + 8.6. Different Reservation Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 + 8.7. Receiver Heterogeneity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 + 9. Network Topology Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 + 9.1. Full Duplex Switched Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 + 9.2. Shared Media Ethernet Networks . . . . . . . . . . . 37 + 9.3. Half Duplex Switched Ethernet Networks . . . . . . . 38 + 9.4. Half Duplex Switched and Shared Token Ring Networks . 39 + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 2] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + 9.5. Half Duplex and Shared Demand Priority Networks . . . 40 + 10. Justification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 + 11. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 + References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 + Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 + Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 + Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 + Full Copyright Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 + +1. Introduction + + The Internet has traditionally provided support for best effort + traffic only. However, with the recent advances in link layer + technology, and with numerous emerging real time applications such as + video conferencing and Internet telephony, there has been much + interest for developing mechanisms which enable real time services + over the Internet. A framework for meeting these new requirements + was set out in RFC 1633 [8] and this has driven the specification of + various classes of network service by the Integrated Services working + group of the IETF, such as Controlled Load and Guaranteed Service + [6,7]. Each of these service classes is designed to provide certain + Quality of Service (QoS) to traffic conforming to a specified set of + parameters. Applications are expected to choose one of these classes + according to their QoS requirements. One mechanism for end stations + to utilize such services in an IP network is provided by a QoS + signaling protocol, the Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) [5] + developed by the RSVP working group of the IETF. The IEEE under its + Project 802 has defined standards for many different local area + network technologies. These all typically offer the same MAC layer + datagram service [1] to higher layer protocols such as IP although + they often provide different dynamic behavior characteristics -- it + is these that are important when considering their ability to support + real time services. Later in this memo we describe some of the + relevant characteristics of the different MAC layer LAN technologies. + In addition, IEEE 802 has defined standards for bridging multiple LAN + segments together using devices known as "MAC Bridges" or "Switches" + [2]. Recent work has also defined traffic classes, multicast + filtering, and virtual LAN capabilities for these devices [3,4]. + Such LAN technologies often constitute the last hop(s) between users + and the Internet as well as being a primary building block for entire + campus networks. It is therefore necessary to provide standardized + mechanisms for using these technologies to support end-to-end real + time services. In order to do this, there must be some mechanism for + resource management at the data link layer. Resource management in + this context encompasses the functions of admission control, + scheduling, traffic policing, etc. The ISSLL (Integrated Services + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 3] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + over Specific Link Layers) working group in the IETF was chartered + with the purpose of exploring and standardizing such mechanisms for + various link layer technologies. + +2. Document Outline + + This document is concerned with specifying a framework for providing + Integrated Services over shared and switched LAN technologies such as + Ethernet/IEEE 802.3, Token Ring/IEEE 802.5, FDDI, etc. We begin in + Section 4 with a discussion of the capabilities of various IEEE 802 + MAC layer technologies. Section 5 lists the requirements and goals + for a mechanism capable of providing Integrated Services in a LAN. + The resource management functions outlined in Section 5 are provided + by an entity referred to as a Bandwidth Manager (BM). The + architectural model of the BM is described in Section 6 and its + various components are discussed in Section 7. Some implementation + issues with respect to link layer support for Integrated Services are + examined in Section 8. Section 9 discusses a taxonomy of topologies + for the LAN technologies under consideration with an emphasis on the + capabilities of each which can be leveraged for enabling Integrated + Services. This framework makes no assumptions about the topology at + the link layer. The framework is intended to be as exhaustive as + possible; this means that it is possible that all the functions + discussed may not be supportable by a particular topology or + technology, but this should not preclude the usage of this model for + it. + +3. Definitions + + The following is a list of terms used in this and other ISSLL + documents. + + - Link Layer or Layer 2 or L2: Data link layer technologies such as + Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 and Token Ring/IEEE 802.5 are referred to as + Layer 2 or L2. + + - Link Layer Domain or Layer 2 Domain or L2 Domain: Refers to a set + of nodes and links interconnected without passing through a L3 + forwarding function. One or more IP subnets can be overlaid on a + L2 domain. + + - Layer 2 or L2 Devices: Devices that only implement Layer 2 + functionality as Layer 2 or L2 devices. These include IEEE 802.1D + [2] bridges or switches. + + - Internetwork Layer or Layer 3 or L3: Refers to Layer 3 of the ISO + OSI model. This memo is primarily concerned with networks that + use the Internet Protocol (IP) at this layer. + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 4] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + - Layer 3 Device or L3 Device or End Station: These include hosts + and routers that use L3 and higher layer protocols or application + programs that need to make resource reservations. + + - Segment: A physical L2 segment that is shared by one or more + senders. Examples of segments include: (a) a shared Ethernet or + Token Ring wire resolving contention for media access using CSMA + or token passing; (b) a half duplex link between two stations or + switches; (c) one direction of a switched full duplex link. + + - Managed Segment: A managed segment is a segment with a DSBM + (designated subnet bandwidth manager, see [14]) present and + responsible for exercising admission control over requests for + resource reservation. A managed segment includes those + interconnected parts of a shared LAN that are not separated by + DSBMs. + + - Traffic Class: Refers to an aggregation of data flows which are + given similar service within a switched network. + + - Subnet: Used in this memo to indicate a group of L3 devices + sharing a common L3 network address prefix along with the set of + segments making up the L2 domain in which they are located. + + - Bridge/Switch: A Layer 2 forwarding device as defined by IEEE + 802.1D [2]. The terms bridge and switch are used synonymously in + this memo. + +4. Frame Forwarding in IEEE 802 Networks + +4.1. General IEEE 802 Service Model + + The user_priority is a value associated with the transmission and + reception of all frames in the IEEE 802 service model. It is + supplied by the sender that is using the MAC service and is provided + along with the data to a receiver using the MAC service. It may or + may not be actually carried over the network. Token Ring/IEEE 802.5 + carries this value encoded in its FC octet while basic Ethernet/IEEE + 802.3 does not carry it. IEEE 802.12 may or may not carry it + depending on the frame format in use. When the frame format in use + is IEEE 802.5, the user_priority is carried explicitly. When IEEE + 802.3 frame format is used, only the two levels of priority + (high/low) that are used to determine access priority can be + recovered. This is based on the value of priority encoded in the + start delimiter of the IEEE 802.3 frame. + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 5] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + NOTE: The original IEEE 802.1D standard [2] contains the + specifications for the operation of MAC bridges. This has recently + been extended to include support for traffic classes and dynamic + multicast filtering [3]. In this document, the reader should be + aware that references to the IEEE 802.1D standard refer to [3], + unless explicitly noted otherwise. + + IEEE 802.1D [3] defines a consistent way for carrying the value of + the user_priority over a bridged network consisting of Ethernet, + Token Ring, Demand Priority, FDDI or other MAC layer media using an + extended frame format. The usage of user_priority is summarized + below. We refer the interested reader to the IEEE 802.1D + specification for further information. + + If the user_priority is carried explicitly in packets, its utility is + as a simple label enabling packets within a data stream in different + classes to be discriminated easily by downstream nodes without having + to parse the packet in more detail. + + Apart from making the job of desktop or wiring closet switches + easier, an explicit field means they do not have to change hardware + or software as the rules for classifying packets evolve; e.g. based + on new protocols or new policies. More sophisticated Layer 3 + switches, perhaps deployed in the core of a network, may be able to + provide added value by performing packet classification more + accurately and, hence, utilizing network resources more efficiently + and providing better isolation between flows. This appears to be a + good economic choice since there are likely to be very many more + desktop/wiring closet switches in a network than switches requiring + Layer 3 functionality. + + The IEEE 802 specifications make no assumptions about how + user_priority is to be used by end stations or by the network. + Although IEEE 802.1D defines static priority queuing as the default + mode of operation of switches that implement multiple queues, the + user_priority is really a priority only in a loose sense since it + depends on the number of traffic classes actually implemented by a + switch. The user_priority is defined as a 3 bit quantity with a + value of 7 representing the highest priority and a value of 0 as the + lowest. The general switch algorithm is as follows. Packets are + queued within a particular traffic class based on the received + user_priority, the value of which is either obtained directly from + the packet if an IEEE 802.1Q header or IEEE 802.5 network is used, or + is assigned according to some local policy. The queue is selected + based on a mapping from user_priority (0 through 7) onto the number + of available traffic classes. A switch may implement one or more + traffic classes. The advertised IntServ parameters and the switch's + admission control behavior may be used to determine the mapping from + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 6] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + user_priority to traffic classes within the switch. A switch is not + precluded from implementing other scheduling algorithms such as + weighted fair queuing and round robin. + + IEEE 802.1D makes no recommendations about how a sender should select + the value for user_priority. One of the primary purposes of this + document is to propose such usage rules, and to discuss the + communication of the semantics of these values between switches and + end stations. In the remainder of this document we use the term + traffic class synonymously with user_priority. + +4.2. Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 + + There is no explicit traffic class or user_priority field carried in + Ethernet packets. This means that user_priority must be regenerated + at a downstream receiver or switch according to some defaults or by + parsing further into higher layer protocol fields in the packet. + Alternatively, IEEE 802.1Q encapsulation [4] may be used which + provides an explicit user_priority field on top of the basic MAC + frame format. + + For the different IP packet encapsulations used over Ethernet/IEEE + 802.3, it will be necessary to adjust any admission control + calculations according to the framing and padding requirements as + shown in Table 1. Here, "ip_len" refers to the length of the IP + packet including its headers. + + Table 1: Ethernet encapsulations + + --------------------------------------------------------------- + Encapsulation Framing Overhead IP MTU + bytes/pkt bytes + --------------------------------------------------------------- + IP EtherType (ip_len<=46 bytes) 64-ip_len 1500 + (1500>=ip_len>=46 bytes) 18 1500 + + IP EtherType over 802.1D/Q (ip_len<=42) 64-ip_len 1500* + (1500>=ip_len>=42 bytes) 22 1500* + + IP EtherType over LLC/SNAP (ip_len<=40) 64-ip_len 1492 + (1500>=ip_len>=40 bytes) 24 1492 + --------------------------------------------------------------- + + *Note that the packet length of an Ethernet frame using the IEEE + 802.1Q specification exceeds the current IEEE 802.3 maximum packet + length values by 4 bytes. The change of maximum MTU size for IEEE + 802.1Q frames is being accommodated by IEEE 802.3ac [21]. + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 7] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +4.3. Token Ring/IEEE 802.5 + + The Token Ring standard [6] provides a priority mechanism that can be + used to control both the queuing of packets for transmission and the + access of packets to the shared media. The priority mechanisms are + implemented using bits within the Access Control (AC) and the Frame + Control (FC) fields of a LLC frame. The first three bits of the AC + field, the Token Priority bits, together with the last three bits of + the AC field, the Reservation bits, regulate which stations get + access to the ring. The last three bits of the FC field of a LLC + frame, the User Priority bits, are obtained from the higher layer in + the user_priority parameter when it requests transmission of a + packet. This parameter also establishes the Access Priority used by + the MAC. The user_priority value is conveyed end-to-end by the User + Priority bits in the FC field and is typically preserved through + Token Ring bridges of all types. In all cases, 0 is the lowest + priority. + + Token Ring also uses a concept of Reserved Priority which relates to + the value of priority which a station uses to reserve the token for + its next transmission on the ring. When a free token is circulating, + only a station having an Access Priority greater than or equal to the + Reserved Priority in the token will be allowed to seize the token for + transmission. Readers are referred to [14] for further discussion of + this topic. + + A Token Ring station is theoretically capable of separately queuing + each of the eight levels of requested user_priority and then + transmitting frames in order of priority. A station sets Reservation + bits according to the user_priority of frames that are queued for + transmission in the highest priority queue. This allows the access + mechanism to ensure that the frame with the highest priority + throughout the entire ring will be transmitted before any lower + priority frame. Annex I to the IEEE 802.5 Token Ring standard + recommends that stations send/relay frames as follows. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 8] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + Table 2: Recommended use of Token Ring User Priority + + ------------------------------------- + Application User Priority + ------------------------------------- + Non-time-critical data 0 + - 1 + - 2 + - 3 + LAN management 4 + Time-sensitive data 5 + Real-time-critical data 6 + MAC frames 7 + ------------------------------------- + + To reduce frame jitter associated with high priority traffic, the + annex also recommends that only one frame be transmitted per token + and that the maximum information field size be 4399 octets whenever + delay sensitive traffic is traversing the ring. Most existing + implementations of Token Ring bridges forward all LLC frames with a + default access priority of 4. Annex I recommends that bridges + forward LLC frames that have a user_priority greater than 4 with a + reservation equal to the user_priority (although IEEE 802.1D [3] + permits network management override this behavior). The capabilities + provided by the Token Ring architecture, such User Priority and + Reserved Priority, can provide effective support for Integrated + Services flows that require QoS guarantees. + + For the different IP packet encapsulations used over Token Ring/IEEE + 802.5, it will be necessary to adjust any admission control + calculations according to the framing requirements as shown in Table + 3. + + Table 3: Token Ring encapsulations + + --------------------------------------------------------------- + Encapsulation Framing Overhead IP MTU + bytes/pkt bytes + --------------------------------------------------------------- + IP EtherType over 802.1D/Q 29 4370* + IP EtherType over LLC/SNAP 25 4370* + --------------------------------------------------------------- + + *The suggested MTU from RFC 1042 [13] is 4464 bytes but there are + issues related to discovering the maximum supported MTU between any + two points both within and between Token Ring subnets. The MTU + reported here is consistent with the IEEE 802.5 Annex I + recommendation. + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 9] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +4.4. Fiber Distributed Data Interface + + The Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) standard [16] provides a + priority mechanism that can be used to control both the queuing of + packets for transmission and the access of packets to the shared + media. The priority mechanisms are implemented using similar + mechanisms to Token Ring described above. The standard also makes + provision for "Synchronous" data traffic with strict media access and + delay guarantees. This mode of operation is not discussed further + here and represents area within the scope of the ISSLL working group + that requires further work. In the remainder of this document, for + the discussion of QoS mechanisms, FDDI is treated as a 100 Mbps Token + Ring technology using a service interface compatible with IEEE 802 + networks. + +4.5. Demand Priority/IEEE 802.12 + + IEEE 802.12 [19] is a standard for a shared 100 Mbps LAN. Data + packets are transmitted using either the IEEE 802.3 or IEEE 802.5 + frame format. The MAC protocol is called Demand Priority. Its main + characteristics with respect to QoS are the support of two service + priority levels, normal priority and high priority, and the order of + service for each of these. Data packets from all network nodes (end + hosts and bridges/switches) are served using a simple round robin + algorithm. + + If the IEEE 802.3 frame format is used for data transmission then the + user_priority is encoded in the starting delimiter of the IEEE 802.12 + data packet. If the IEEE 802.5 frame format is used then the + user_priority is additionally encoded in the YYY bits of the FC field + in the IEEE 802.5 packet header (see also Section 4.3). Furthermore, + the IEEE 802.1Q encapsulation with its own user_priority field may + also be applied in IEEE 802.12 networks. In all cases, switches are + able to recover any user_priority supplied by a sender. + + The same rules apply for IEEE 802.12 user_priority mapping in a + bridge as with other media types. The only additional information is + that normal priority is used by default for user_priority values 0 + through 4 inclusive, and high priority is used for user_priority + levels 5 through 7. This ensures that the default Token Ring + user_priority level of 4 for IEEE 802.5 bridges is mapped to normal + priority on IEEE 802.12 segments. + + The medium access in IEEE 802.12 LANs is deterministic. The Demand + Priority mechanism ensures that, once the normal priority service has + been preempted, all high priority packets have strict priority over + packets with normal priority. In the event that a normal priority + packet has been waiting at the head of line of a MAC transmit queue + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 10] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + for a time period longer than PACKET_PROMOTION (200 - 300 ms) [19], + its priority is automatically promoted to high priority. Thus, even + normal priority packets have a maximum guaranteed access time to the + medium. + + Integrated Services can be built on top of the IEEE 802.12 medium + access mechanism. When combined with admission control and bandwidth + enforcement mechanisms, delay guarantees as required for a Guaranteed + Service can be provided without any changes to the existing IEEE + 802.12 MAC protocol. + + Since the IEEE 802.12 standard supports the IEEE 802.3 and IEEE 802.5 + frame formats, the same framing overhead as reported in Sections 4.2 + and 4.3 must be considered in the admission control computations for + IEEE 802.12 links. + +5. Requirements and Goals + + This section discusses the requirements and goals which should drive + the design of an architecture for supporting Integrated Services over + LAN technologies. The requirements refer to functions and features + which must be supported, while goals refer to functions and features + which are desirable, but are not an absolute necessity. Many of the + requirements and goals are driven by the functionality supported by + Integrated Services and RSVP. + +5.1. Requirements + + - Resource Reservation: The mechanism must be capable of reserving + resources on a single segment or multiple segments and at + bridges/switches connecting them. It must be able to provide + reservations for both unicast and multicast sessions. It should + be possible to change the level of reservation while the session + is in progress. + + - Admission Control: The mechanism must be able to estimate the + level of resources necessary to meet the QoS requested by the + session in order to decide whether or not the session can be + admitted. For the purpose of management, it is useful to provide + the ability to respond to queries about availability of resources. + It must be able to make admission control decisions for different + types of services such as Guaranteed Service, Controlled Load, + etc. + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 11] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + - Flow Separation and Scheduling: It is necessary to provide a + mechanism for traffic flow separation so that real time flows can + be given preferential treatment over best effort flows. Packets + of real time flows can then be isolated and scheduled according to + their service requirements. + + - Policing/Shaping: Traffic must be shaped and/or policed by end + stations (workstations, routers) to ensure conformance to + negotiated traffic parameters. Shaping is the recommended + behavior for traffic sources. A router initiating an ISSLL + session must have implemented traffic control mechanisms according + to the IntServ requirements which would ensure that all flows sent + by the router are in conformance. The ISSLL mechanisms at the + link layer rely heavily on the correct implementation of + policing/shaping mechanisms at higher layers by devices capable of + doing so. This is necessary because bridges and switches are not + typically capable of maintaining per flow state which would be + required to check flows for conformance. Policing is left as an + option for bridges and switches, which if implemented, may be used + to enforce tighter control over traffic flows. This issue is + further discussed in Section 8. + + - Soft State: The mechanism must maintain soft state information + about the reservations. This means that state information must + periodically be refreshed if the reservation is to be maintained; + otherwise the state information and corresponding reservations + will expire after some pre-specified interval. + + - Centralized or Distributed Implementation: In the case of a + centralized implementation, a single entity manages the resources + of the entire subnet. This approach has the advantage of being + easier to deploy since bridges and switches may not need to be + upgraded with additional functionality. However, this approach + scales poorly with geographical size of the subnet and the number + of end stations attached. In a fully distributed implementation, + each segment will have a local entity managing its resources. + This approach has better scalability than the former. However, it + requires that all bridges and switches in the network support new + mechanisms. It is also possible to have a semi-distributed + implementation where there is more than one entity, each managing + the resources of a subset of segments and bridges/switches within + the subnet. Ideally, implementation should be flexible; i.e. a + centralized approach may be used for small subnets and a + distributed approach can be used for larger subnets. Examples of + centralized and distributed implementations are discussed in + Section 6. + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 12] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + - Scalability: The mechanism and protocols should have a low + overhead and should scale to the largest receiver groups likely to + occur within a single link layer domain. + + - Fault Tolerance and Recovery: The mechanism must be able to + function in the presence of failures; i.e. there should not be a + single point of failure. For instance, in a centralized + implementation, some mechanism must be specified for back-up and + recovery in the event of failure. + + - Interaction with Existing Resource Management Controls: The + interaction with existing infrastructure for resource management + needs to be specified. For example, FDDI has a resource + management mechanism called the "Synchronous Bandwidth Manager". + The mechanism must be designed so that it takes advantage of, and + specifies the interaction with, existing controls where available. + +5.2. Goals + + - Independence from higher layer protocols: The mechanism should, + as far as possible, be independent of higher layer protocols such + as RSVP and IP. Independence from RSVP is desirable so that it can + interwork with other reservation protocols such as ST2 [10]. + Independence from IP is desirable so that it can interwork with + other network layer protocols such as IPX, NetBIOS, etc. + + - Receiver heterogeneity: this refers to multicast communication + where different receivers request different levels of service. + For example, in a multicast group with many receivers, it is + possible that one of the receivers desires a lower delay bound + than the others. A better delay bound may be provided by + increasing the amount of resources reserved along the path to that + receiver while leaving the reservations for the other receivers + unchanged. In its most complex form, receiver heterogeneity + implies the ability to simultaneously provide various levels of + service as requested by different receivers. In its simplest + form, receiver heterogeneity will allow a scenario where some of + the receivers use best effort service and those requiring service + guarantees make a reservation. Receiver heterogeneity, especially + for the reserved/best effort scenario, is a very desirable + function. More details on supporting receiver heterogeneity are + provided in Section 8. + + - Support for different filter styles: It is desirable to provide + support for the different filter styles defined by RSVP such as + fixed filter, shared explicit and wildcard. Some of the issues + with respect to supporting such filter styles in the link layer + domain are examined in Section 8. + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 13] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + - Path Selection: In source routed LAN technologies such as Token + Ring/IEEE 802.5, it may be useful for the mechanism to incorporate + the function of path selection. Using an appropriate path + selection mechanism may optimize utilization of network resources. + +5.3. Non-goals + + This document describes service mappings onto existing IEEE and ANSI + defined standard MAC layers and uses standard MAC layer services as + in IEEE 802.1 bridging. It does not attempt to make use of or + describe the capabilities of other proprietary or standard MAC layer + protocols although it should be noted that published work regarding + MAC layers suitable for QoS mappings exists. These are outside the + scope of the ISSLL working group charter. + +5.4. Assumptions + + This framework assumes that typical subnetworks that are concerned + about QoS will be "switch rich"; i.e. most communication between end + stations using integrated services support is expected to pass + through at least one switch. The mechanisms and protocols described + will be trivially extensible to communicating systems on the same + shared medium, but it is important not to allow problem + generalization which may complicate the targeted practical + application to switch rich LAN topologies. There have also been + developments in the area of MAC enhancements to ensure delay + deterministic access on network links e.g. IEEE 802.12 [19] and also + proprietary schemes. + + Although we illustrate most examples for this model using RSVP as the + upper layer QoS signaling protocol, there are actually no real + dependencies on this protocol. RSVP could be replaced by some other + dynamic protocol, or the requests could be made by network management + or other policy entities. The SBM signaling protocol [14], which is + based upon RSVP, is designed to work seamlessly in the architecture + described in this memo. + + There may be a heterogeneous mix of switches with different + capabilities, all compliant with IEEE 802.1D [2,3], but implementing + varied queuing and forwarding mechanisms ranging from simple systems + with two queues per port and static priority scheduling, to more + complex systems with multiple queues using WFQ or other algorithms. + + The problem is decomposed into smaller independent parts which may + lead to sub-optimal use of the network resources but we contend that + such benefits are often equivalent to very small improvement in + network efficiency in a LAN environment. Therefore, it is a goal + that the switches in a network operate using a much simpler set of + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 14] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + information than the RSVP engine in a router. In particular, it is + assumed that such switches do not need to implement per flow queuing + and policing (although they are not precluded from doing so). + + A fundamental assumption of the IntServ model is that flows are + isolated from each other throughout their transit across a network. + Intermediate queuing nodes are expected to shape or police the + traffic to ensure conformance to the negotiated traffic flow + specification. In the architecture proposed here for mapping to + Layer 2, we diverge from that assumption in the interest of + simplicity. The policing/shaping functions are assumed to be + implemented in end stations. In some LAN environments, it is + reasonable to assume that end stations are trusted to adhere to their + negotiated contracts at the inputs to the network, and that we can + afford to over-allocate resources during admission control to + compensate for the inevitable packet jitter/bunching introduced by + the switched network itself. This divergence has some implications + on the types of receiver heterogeneity that can be supported and the + statistical multiplexing gains that may be exploited, especially for + Controlled Load flows. This is discussed in Section 8.7 of this + document. + +6. Basic Architecture + + The functional requirements described in Section 5 will be performed + by an entity which we refer to as the Bandwidth Manager (BM). The BM + is responsible for providing mechanisms for an application or higher + layer protocol to request QoS from the network. For architectural + purposes, the BM consists of the following components. + +6.1. Components + +6.1.1. Requester Module + + The Requester Module (RM) resides in every end station in the subnet. + One of its functions is to provide an interface between applications + or higher layer protocols such as RSVP, ST2, SNMP, etc. and the BM. + An application can invoke the various functions of the BM by using + the primitives for communication with the RM and providing it with + the appropriate parameters. To initiate a reservation, in the link + layer domain, the following parameters must be passed to the RM: the + service desired (Guaranteed Service or Controlled Load), the traffic + descriptors contained in the TSpec, and an RSpec specifying the + amount of resources to be reserved [9]. More information on these + parameters may be found in the relevant Integrated Services documents + [6,7,8,9]. When RSVP is used for signaling at the network layer, + this information is available and needs to be extracted from the RSVP + PATH and RSVP RESV messages (See [5] for details). In addition to + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 15] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + these parameters, the network layer addresses of the end points must + be specified. The RM must then translate the network layer addresses + to link layer addresses and convert the request into an appropriate + format which is understood by other components of the BM responsible + admission control. The RM is also responsible for returning the + status of requests processed by the BM to the invoking application or + higher layer protocol. + +6.1.2. Bandwidth Allocator + + The Bandwidth Allocator (BA) is responsible for performing admission + control and maintaining state about the allocation of resources in + the subnet. An end station can request various services, e.g. + bandwidth reservation, modification of an existing reservation, + queries about resource availability, etc. These requests are + processed by the BA. The communication between the end station and + the BA takes place through the RM. The location of the BA will depend + largely on the implementation method. In a centralized + implementation, the BA may reside on a single station in the subnet. + In a distributed implementation, the functions of the BA may be + distributed in all the end stations and bridges/switches as + necessary. The BA is also responsible for deciding how to label + flows, e.g. based on the admission control decision, the BA may + indicate to the RM that packets belonging to a particular flow be + tagged with some priority value which maps to the appropriate traffic + class. + +6.1.3. Communication Protocols + + The protocols for communication between the various components of the + BM system must be specified. These include the following: + + - Communication between the higher layer protocols and the RM: The + BM must define primitives for the application to initiate + reservations, query the BA about available resources, change + change or delete reservations, etc. These primitives could be + implemented as an API for an application to invoke functions of + the BM via the RM. + + - Communication between the RM and the BA: A signaling mechanism + must be defined for the communication between the RM and the BA. + This protocol will specify the messages which must be exchanged + between the RM and the BA in order to service various requests by + the higher layer entity. + + - Communication between peer BAs: If there is more than one BA in + the subnet, a means must be specified for inter-BA communication. + Specifically, the BAs must be able to decide among themselves + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 16] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + about which BA would be responsible for which segments and bridges + or switches. Further, if a request is made for resource + reservation along the domain of multiple BAs, the BAs must be able + to handle such a scenario correctly. Inter-BA communication will + also be responsible for back-up and recovery in the event of + failure. + +6.2. Centralized vs. Distributed Implementations + + Example scenarios are provided showing the location of the components + of the bandwidth manager in centralized and fully distributed + implementations. Note that in either case, the RM must be present in + all end stations that need to make reservations. Essentially, + centralized or distributed refers to the implementation of the BA, + the component responsible for resource reservation and admission + control. In the figures below, "App" refers to the application + making use of the BM. It could either be a user application, or a + higher layer protocol process such as RSVP. + + +---------+ + .-->| BA |<--. + / +---------+ \ + / .-->| Layer 2 |<--. \ + / / +---------+ \ \ + / / \ \ + / / \ \ + +---------+ / / \ \ +---------+ + | App |<----- /-/---------------------------\-\----->| App | + +---------+ / / \ \ +---------+ + | RM |<----. / \ .--->| RM | + +---------+ / +---------+ +---------+ \ +---------+ + | Layer 2 |<------>| Layer 2 |<------>| Layer 2 |<------>| Layer 2 | + +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ + + RSVP Host/ Intermediate Intermediate RSVP Host/ + Router Bridge/Switch Bridge/Switch Router + + Figure 1: Bandwidth Manager with centralized Bandwidth Allocator + + Figure 1 shows a centralized implementation where a single BA is + responsible for admission control decisions for the entire subnet. + Every end station contains a RM. Intermediate bridges and switches in + the network need not have any functions of the BM since they will not + be actively participating in admission control. The RM at the end + station requesting a reservation initiates communication with its BA. + For larger subnets, a single BA may not be able to handle the + reservations for the entire subnet. In that case it would be + necessary to deploy multiple BAs, each managing the resources of a + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 17] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + non-overlapping subset of segments. In a centralized implementation, + the BA must have some knowledge of the Layer 2 topology of the subnet + e.g., link layer spanning tree information, in order to be able to + reserve resources on appropriate segments. Without this topology + information, the BM would have to reserve resources on all segments + for all flows which, in a switched network, would lead to very + inefficient utilization of resources. + + +---------+ +---------+ + | App |<-------------------------------------------->| App | + +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ + | RM/BA |<------>| BA |<------>| BA |<------>| RM/BA | + +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ + | Layer 2 |<------>| Layer 2 |<------>| Layer 2 |<------>| Layer 2 | + +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ + + RSVP Host/ Intermediate Intermediate RSVP Host/ + Router Bridge/Switch Bridge/Switch Router + + Figure 2: Bandwidth Manager with fully + distributed Bandwidth Allocator + + Figure 2 depicts the scenario of a fully distributed bandwidth + manager. In this case, all devices in the subnet have BM + functionality. All the end hosts are still required to have a RM. In + addition, all stations actively participate in admission control. + With this approach, each BA would need only local topology + information since it is responsible for the resources on segments + that are directly connected to it. This local topology information, + such as a list of ports active on the spanning tree and which unicast + addresses are reachable from which ports, is readily available in + today's switches. Note that in the figures above, the arrows between + peer layers are used to indicate logical connectivity. + +7. Model of the Bandwidth Manager in a Network + + In this section we describe how the model above fits with the + existing IETF Integrated Services model of IP hosts and routers. + First, we describe Layer 3 host and router implementations. Next, we + describe how the model is applied in Layer 2 switches. Throughout we + indicate any differences between centralized and distributed + implementations. Occasional references are made to terminology from + the Subnet Bandwidth Manager specification [14]. + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 18] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +7.1. End Station Model + +7.1.1. Layer 3 Client Model + + We assume the same client model as IntServ and RSVP where we use the + term "client" to mean the entity handling QoS in the Layer 3 device + at each end of a Layer 2 Domain. In this model, the sending client + is responsible for local admission control and packet scheduling onto + its link in accordance with the negotiated service. As with the + IntServ model, this involves per flow scheduling with possible + traffic shaping/policing in every such originating node. + + For now, we assume that the client runs an RSVP process which + presents a session establishment interface to applications, provides + signaling over the network, programs a scheduler and classifier in + the driver, and interfaces to a policy control module. In + particular, RSVP also interfaces to a local admission control module + which is the focus of this section. + + The following figure, reproduced from the RSVP specification, depicts + the RSVP process in sending hosts. + + +-----------------------------+ + | +-------+ +-------+ | RSVP + | |Appli- | | RSVP <-------------------> + | | cation<--> | | + | | | |process| +-----+| + | +-+-----+ | +->Polcy|| + | | +--+--+-+ |Cntrl|| + | |data | | +-----+| + |===|===========|==|==========| + | | +--------+ | +-----+| + | | | | +--->Admis|| + | +-V--V-+ +---V----+ |Cntrl|| + | |Class-| | Packet | +-----+| + | | ifier|==>Schedulr|===================> + | +------+ +--------+ | data + +-----------------------------+ + + Figure 3: RSVP in Sending Hosts + +7.1.2. Requests to Layer 2 ISSLL + + The local admission control entity within a client is responsible for + mapping Layer 3 session establishment requests into Layer 2 + semantics. + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 19] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + The upper layer entity makes a request, in generalized terms to ISSLL + of the form: + + "May I reserve for traffic with <traffic characteristic> with + <performance requirements> from <here> to <there> and how should I + label it?" + + where + + <traffic characteristic> = Sender Tspec (e.g. bandwidth, burstiness, + MTU) + <performance requirements> = FlowSpec (e.g. latency, jitter bounds) + <here> = IP address(es) + <there> = IP address(es) - may be multicast + +7.1.3. At the Layer 3 Sender + + The ISSLL functionality in the sender is illustrated in Figure 4. + + The functions of the Requester Module may be summarized as follows: + + - Maps the endpoints of the conversation to Layer 2 addresses in the + LAN, so that the client can determine what traffic is going where. + This function probably makes reference to the ARP protocol cache + for unicast or performs an algorithmic mapping for multicast + destinations. + + - Communicates with any local Bandwidth Allocator module for local + admission control decisions. + + - Formats a SBM request to the network with the mapped addresses and + flow/filter specs. + + - Receives a response from the network and reports the admission + control decision to the higher layer entity, along with any + negotiated modifications to the session parameters. + + - Saves any returned user_priority to be associated with this + session in a "802 header" table. This will be used when + constructing the Layer 2 headers for future data packets belonging + to this session. This table might, for example, be indexed by the + RSVP flow identifier. + + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 20] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + from IP from RSVP + +----|------------|------------+ + | +--V----+ +---V---+ | + | | Addr <---> | | SBM signaling + | |mapping| |Request|<-----------------------> + | +---+---+ |Module | | + | | | | | + | +---+---+ | | | + | | 802 <---> | | + | | header| +-+-+-+-+ | + | +--+----+ / | | | + | | / | | +-----+ | + | | +-----+ | +->|Band-| | + | | | | |width| | + | +--V-V-+ +-----V--+ |Alloc| | + | |Class-| | Packet | +-----+ | + | | ifier|==>Schedulr|=========================> + | +------+ +--------+ | data + +------------------------------+ + + Figure 4: ISSLL in a Sending End Station + + The Bandwidth Allocator (BA) component is only present when a + distributed BA model is implemented. When present, its function is + basically to apply local admission control for the outgoing link + bandwidth and driver's queuing resources. + +7.1.4. At the Layer 3 Receiver + + The ISSLL functionality in the receiver is simpler and is illustrated + in Figure 5. + + The functions of the Requester Module may be summarized as follows: + + - Handles any received SBM protocol indications. + + - Communicates with any local BA for local admission control + decisions. + + - Passes indications up to RSVP if OK. + + - Accepts confirmations from RSVP and relays them back via SBM + signaling towards the requester. + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 21] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + to RSVP to IP + ^ ^ + +----|------------|------+ + | +--+----+ | | + SBM signaling | |Request| +---+---+ | + <-------------> |Module | | Strip | | + | +--+---++ |802 hdr| | + | | \ +---^---+ | + | +--v----+\ | | + | | Band- | \ | | + | | width| \ | | + | | Alloc | . | | + | +-------+ | | | + | +------+ +v---+----+ | + data | |Class-| | Packet | | + <==============>| ifier|==>|Scheduler| | + | +------+ +---------+ | + +------------------------+ + + Figure 5: ISSLL in a Receiving End Station + + - May program a receive classifier and scheduler, if used, to + identify traffic classes of received packets and accord them + appropriate treatment e.g., reservation of buffers for particular + traffic classes. + + - Programs the receiver to strip away link layer header information + from received packets. + + The Bandwidth Allocator, present only in a distributed implementation + applies local admission control to see if a request can be supported + with appropriate local receive resources. + +7.2. Switch Model + +7.2.1. Centralized Bandwidth Allocator + + Where a centralized Bandwidth Allocator model is implemented, + switches do not take part in the admission control process. + Admission control is implemented by a centralized BA, e.g., a "Subnet + Bandwidth Manager" (SBM) as described in [14]. This centralized BA + may actually be co-located with a switch but its functions would not + necessarily then be closely tied with the switch's forwarding + functions as is the case with the distributed BA described below. + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 22] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +7.2.2. Distributed Bandwidth Allocator + + The model of Layer 2 switch behavior described here uses the + terminology of the SBM protocol as an example of an admission control + protocol. The model is equally applicable when other mechanisms, + e.g. static configuration or network management, are in use for + admission control. We define the following entities within the + switch: + + - Local Admission Control Module: One of these on each port + accounts for the available bandwidth on the link attached to that + port. For half duplex links, this involves taking account of the + resources allocated to both transmit and receive flows. For full + duplex links, the input port accountant's task is trivial. + + - Input SBM Module: One instance on each port performs the + "network" side of the signaling protocol for peering with clients + or other switches. It also holds knowledge about the mappings of + IntServ classes to user_priority. + + - SBM Propagation Module: Relays requests that have passed + admission control at the input port to the relevant output ports' + SBM modules. This will require access to the switch's forwarding + table (Layer-2 "routing table" cf. RSVP model) and port spanning + tree state. + + - Output SBM Module: Forwards requests to the next Layer 2 or Layer + 3 hop. + + - Classifier, Queue and Scheduler Module: The functions of this + module are basically as described by the Forwarding Process of + IEEE 802.1D (see Section 3.7 of [3]). The Classifier module + identifies the relevant QoS information from incoming packets and + uses this, together with the normal bridge forwarding database, to + decide at which output port and traffic class to enqueue the + packet. Different types of switches will use different techniques + for flow identification (see Section 8.1). In IEEE 802.1D + switches this information is the regenerated user_priority + parameter which has already been decoded by the receiving MAC + service and potentially remapped by the forwarding process (see + Section 3.7.3 of [3]). This does not preclude more sophisticated + classification rules such as the classification of individual + IntServ flows. The Queue and Scheduler implement the + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 23] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + output queues for ports and provide the algorithm for servicing + the queues for transmission onto the output link in order to + provide the promised IntServ service. Switches will implement one + or more output queues per port and all will implement at least a + basic static priority dequeuing algorithm as their default, in + accordance with IEEE 802.1D. + + - Ingress Traffic Class Mapping and Policing Module: Its functions + are as described in IEEE 802.1D Section 3.7. This optional module + may police the data within traffic classes for conformance to the + negotiated parameters, and may discard packets or re-map the + user_priority. The default behavior is to pass things through + unchanged. + + - Egress Traffic Class Mapping Module: Its functions are as + described in IEEE 802.1D Section 3.7. This optional module may + perform re-mapping of traffic classes on a per output port basis. + The default behavior is to pass things through unchanged. + + Figure 6 shows all of the modules in an ISSLL enabled switch. The + ISSLL model is a superset of the IEEE 802.1D bridge model. + + +-------------------------------+ + SBM signaling | +-----+ +------+ +------+ | SBM signaling + <------------------>| IN |<->| SBM |<->| OUT |<----------------> + | | SBM | | prop.| | SBM | | + | +-++--+ +---^--+ /----+-+ | + | / | | / | | + ______________| / | | | | +-------------+ + | \ /+--V--+ | | +--V--+ / | + | \ ____/ |Local| | | |Local| / | + | \ / |Admis| | | |Admis| / | + | \/ |Cntrl| | | |Cntrl| / | + | +-----V+\ +-----+ | | +-----+ /+-----+ | + | |traff | \ +---+--+ +V-------+ / |egrss| | + | |class | \ |Filter| |Queue & | / |traff| | + | |map & |=====|==========>|Data- |=| Packet |=|===>|class| | + | |police| | | base| |Schedule| | |map | | + | +------+ | +------+ +--------+ | +-+---+ | + +----^---------+-------------------------------+------|------+ + data in | |data out + ========+ +========> + + Figure 6: ISSLL in a Switch + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 24] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +7.3. Admission Control + + On receipt of an admission control request, a switch performs the + following actions, again using SBM as an example. The behavior is + different depending on whether the "Designated SBM" for this segment + is within this switch or not. See [14] for a more detailed + specification of the DSBM/SBM actions. + + - If the ingress SBM is the "Designated SBM" for this link, it + either translates any received user_priority or selects a Layer 2 + traffic class which appears compatible with the request and whose + use does not violate any administrative policies in force. In + effect, it matches the requested service with the available + traffic classes and chooses the "best" one. It ensures that, if + this reservation is successful, the value of user_priority + corresponding to that traffic class is passed back to the client. + + - The ingress DSBM observes the current state of allocation of + resources on the input port/link and then determines whether the + new resource allocation from the mapped traffic class can be + accommodated. The request is passed to the reservation propagator + if accepted. + + - If the ingress SBM is not the "Designated SBM" for this link then + it directly passes the request on to the reservation propagator. + + - The reservation propagator relays the request to the bandwidth + accountants on each of the switch's outbound links to which this + reservation would apply. This implies an interface to + routing/forwarding database. + + - The egress bandwidth accountant observes the current state of + allocation of queuing resources on its outbound port and bandwidth + on the link itself and determines whether the new allocation can + be accommodated. Note that this is only a local decision at this + switch hop; further Layer 2 hops through the network may veto the + request as it passes along. + + - The request, if accepted by this switch, is propagated on each + output link selected. Any user_priority described in the + forwarded request must be translated according to any egress + mapping table. + + - If accepted, the switch must notify the client of the + user_priority to be used for packets belonging to that flow. + Again, this is an optimistic approach assuming that admission + control succeeds; downstream switches may refuse the request. + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 25] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + - If this switch wishes to reject the request, it can do so by + notifying the client that originated the request by means of its + Layer 2 address. + +7.4. QoS Signaling + + The mechanisms described in this document make use of a signaling + protocol for devices to communicate their admission control requests + across the network. The service definitions to be provided by such a + protocol e.g. [14] are described below. We illustrate the + primitives and information that need to be exchanged with such a + signaling protocol entity. In all of the examples, appropriate + delete/cleanup mechanisms will also have to be provided for tearing + down established sessions. + +7.4.1. Client Service Definitions + + The following interfaces can be identified from Figures 4 and 5. + + - SBM <-> Address Mapping + + This is a simple lookup function which may require ARP protocol + interactions or an algorithmic mapping. The Layer 2 addresses are + needed by SBM for inclusion in its signaling messages to avoid + requiring that switches participating in the signaling have Layer + 3 information to perform the mapping. + + l2_addr = map_address( ip_addr ) + + - SBM <-> Session/Link Layer Header + + This is for notifying the transmit path of how to add Layer 2 + header information, e.g. user_priority values to the traffic of + each outgoing flow. The transmit path will provide the + user_priority value when it requests a MAC layer transmit + operation for each packet. The user_priority is one of the + parameters passed in the packet transmit primitive defined by the + IEEE 802 service model. + + bind_l2_header( flow_id, user_priority ) + + - SBM <-> Classifier/Scheduler + + This is for notifying transmit classifier/scheduler of any + additional Layer 2 information associated with scheduling the + transmission of a packet flow. This primitive may be unused in + some implementations or it may be used, for example, to provide + information to a transmit scheduler that is performing per traffic + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 26] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + class scheduling in addition to the per flow scheduling required + by IntServ; the Layer 2 header may be a pattern (in addition to + the FilterSpec) to be used to identify the flow's traffic. + + bind_l2schedulerinfo( flow_id, , l2_header, traffic_class ) + + - SBM <-> Local Admission Control + + This is used for applying local admission control for a session + e.g. is there enough transmit bandwidth still uncommitted for + this new session? Are there sufficient receive buffers? This + should commit the necessary resources if it succeeds. It will be + necessary to release these resources at a later stage if the + admission control fails at a subsequent node. This call would be + made, for example, by a segment's Designated SBM. + + status = admit_l2session( flow_id, Tspec, FlowSpec ) + + - SBM <-> RSVP + + This is outlined above in Section 7.1.2 and fully described in + [14]. + + - Management Interfaces + + Some or all of the modules described by this model will also + require configuration management. It is expected that details of + the manageable objects will be specified by future work in the + ISSLL WG. + +7.4.2. Switch Service Definitions + + The following interfaces are identified from Figure 6. + + - SBM <-> Classifier + + This is for notifying the receive classifier of how to match + incoming Layer 2 information with the associated traffic class. + It may in some cases consist of a set of read only default + mappings. + + bind_l2classifierinfo( flow_id, l2_header, traffic_class ) + + - SBM <-> Queue and Packet Scheduler + + This is for notifying transmit scheduler of additional Layer 2 + information associated with a given traffic class. It may be + unused in some cases (see discussion in previous section). + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 27] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + bind_l2schedulerinfo( flow_id, l2_header, traffic_class ) + + - SBM <-> Local Admission Control + + Same as for the host discussed above. + + - SBM <-> Traffic Class Map and Police + + Optional configuration of any user_priority remapping that might + be implemented on ingress to and egress from the ports of a + switch. For IEEE 802.1D switches, it is likely that these + mappings will have to be consistent across all ports. + + bind_l2ingressprimap( inport, in_user_pri, internal_priority ) + bind_l2egressprimap( outport, internal_priority, out_user_pri ) + + Optional configuration of any Layer 2 policing function to be + applied on a per class basis to traffic matching the Layer 2 + header. If the switch is capable of per flow policing then + existing IntServ/RSVP models will provide a service definition for + that configuration. + + bind_l2policing( flow_id, l2_header, Tspec, FlowSpec ) + + - SBM <-> Filtering Database + + SBM propagation rules need access to the Layer 2 forwarding + database to determine where to forward SBM messages. This is + analogous to RSRR interface in Layer 3 RSVP. + + output_portlist = lookup_l2dest( l2_addr ) + + - Management Interfaces + + Some or all of the modules described by this model will also + require configuration management. It is expected that details of + the manageable objects will be specified by future work in the + ISSLL working group. + +8. Implementation Issues + + As stated earlier, the Integrated Services working group has defined + various service classes offering varying degrees of QoS guarantees. + Initial effort will concentrate on enabling the Controlled Load [6] + and Guaranteed Service classes [7]. The Controlled Load service + provides a loose guarantee, informally stated as "the same as best + effort would be on an unloaded network". The Guaranteed Service + provides an upper bound on the transit delay of any packet. The + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 28] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + extent to which these services can be supported at the link layer + will depend on many factors including the topology and technology + used. Some of the mapping issues are discussed below in light of the + emerging link layer standards and the functions supported by higher + layer protocols. Considering the limitations of some of the + topologies, it may not be possible to satisfy all the requirements + for Integrated Services on a given topology. In such cases, it is + useful to consider providing support for an approximation of the + service which may suffice in most practical instances. For example, + it may not be feasible to provide policing/shaping at each network + element (bridge/switch) as required by the Controlled Load + specification. But if this task is left to the end stations, a + reasonably good approximation to the service can be obtained. + +8.1. Switch Characteristics + + There are many LAN bridges/switches with varied capabilities for + supporting QoS. We discuss below the various kinds of devices that + that one may expect to find in a LAN environment. + + The most basic bridge is one which conforms to the IEEE 802.1D + specification of 1993 [2]. This device has a single queue per output + port, and uses the spanning tree algorithm to eliminate topology + loops. Networks constructed from this kind of device cannot be + expected to provide service guarantees of any kind because of the + complete lack of traffic isolation. + + The next level of bridges/switches are those which conform to the + more recently revised IEEE 802.1D specification [3]. They include + support for queuing up to eight traffic classes separately. The level + of traffic isolation provided is coarse because all flows + corresponding to a particular traffic class are aggregated. Further, + it is likely that more than one priority will map to a traffic class + depending on the number of queues implemented in the switch. It + would be difficult for such a device to offer protection against + misbehaving flows. The scope of multicast traffic may be limited by + using GMRP to only those segments which are on the path to interested + receivers. + + A next step above these devices are bridges/switches which implement + optional parts of the IEEE 802.1D specification such as mapping the + received user_priority to some internal set of canonical values on a + per-input-port basis. It may also support the mapping of these + internal canonical values onto transmitted user_priority on a per- + output-port basis. With these extra capabilities, network + administrators can perform mapping of traffic classes between + specific pairs of ports, and in doing so gain more control over + admission of traffic into the protected classes. + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 29] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + Other entirely optional features that some bridges/switches may + support include classification of IntServ flows using fields in the + network layer header, per-flow policing and/or reshaping which is + essential for supporting Guaranteed Service, and more sophisticated + scheduling algorithms such as variants of weighted fair queuing to + limit the bandwidth consumed by a traffic class. Note that it is + advantageous to perform flow isolation and for all network elements + to police each flow in order to support the Controlled Load and + Guaranteed Service. + +8.2. Queuing + + Connectionless packet networks in general, and LANs in particular, + work today because of scaling choices in network provisioning. + Typically, excess bandwidth and buffering is provisioned in the + network to absorb the traffic sourced by higher layer protocols, + often sufficient to cause their transmission windows to run out on a + statistical basis, so that network overloads are rare and transient + and the expected loading is very low. + + With the advent of time-critical traffic such over-provisioning has + become far less easy to achieve. Time-critical frames may be queued + for annoyingly long periods of time behind temporary bursts of file + transfer traffic, particularly at network bottleneck points, e.g. at + the 100 Mbps to 10 Mbps transition that might occur between the riser + to the wiring closet and the final link to the user from a desktop + switch. In this case, however, if it is known a priori (either by + application design, on the basis of statistics, or by administrative + control) that time-critical traffic is a small fraction of the total + bandwidth, it suffices to give it strict priority over the non-time- + critical traffic. The worst case delay experienced by the time- + critical traffic is roughly the maximum transmission time of a + maximum length non-time-critical frame -- less than a millisecond for + 10 Mbps Ethernet, and well below the end to end delay budget based on + human perception times. + + When more than one priority service is to be offered by a network + element e.g. one which supports both Controlled Load as well as + Guaranteed Service, the requirements for the scheduling discipline + become more complex. In order to provide the required isolation + between the service classes, it will probably be necessary to queue + them separately. There is then an issue of how to service the queues + which requires a combination of admission control and more + intelligent queuing disciplines. As with the service specifications + themselves, the specification of queuing algorithms is beyond the + scope of this document. + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 30] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +8.3. Mapping of Services to Link Level Priority + + The number of traffic classes supported and access methods of the + technology under consideration will determine how many and what + services may be supported. Native Token Ring/IEEE 802.5, for + instance, supports eight priority levels which may be mapped to one + or more traffic classes. Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 has no support for + signaling priorities within frames. However, the IEEE 802 standards + committee has recently developed a new standard for bridges/switches + related to multimedia traffic expediting and dynamic multicast + filtering [3]. A packet format for carrying a user_priority field on + all IEEE 802 LAN media types is now defined in [4]. These standards + allow for up to eight traffic classes on all media. The + user_priority bits carried in the frame are mapped to a particular + traffic class within a bridge/switch. The user_priority is signaled + on an end-to-end basis, unless overridden by bridge/switch + management. The traffic class that is used by a flow should depend + on the quality of service desired and whether the reservation is + successful or not. Therefore, a sender should use the user_priority + value which maps to the best effort traffic class until told + otherwise by the BM. The BM will, upon successful completion of + resource reservation, specify the value of user_priority to be used + by the sender for that session's data. An accompanying memo [13] + addresses the issue of mapping the various Integrated Services to + appropriate traffic classes. + +8.4. Re-mapping of Non-conforming Aggregated Flows + + One other topic under discussion in the IntServ context is how to + handle the traffic for data flows from sources that exceed their + negotiated traffic contract with the network. An approach that shows + some promise is to treat such traffic with "somewhat less than best + effort" service in order to protect traffic that is normally given + "best effort" service from having to back off. Best effort traffic + is often adaptive, using TCP or other congestion control algorithms, + and it would be unfair to penalize those flows due to badly behaved + traffic from reserved flows which are often set up by non-adaptive + applications. + + A possible solution might be to assign normal best effort traffic to + one user_priority and to label excess non-conforming traffic as a + lower user_priority although the re-ordering problems that might + arise from doing this may make this solution undesirable, + particularly if the flows are using TCP. For this reason the + controlled load service recommends dropping excess traffic, rather + than re-mapping to a lower priority. This is further discussed + below. + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 31] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +8.5. Override of Incoming User Priority + + In some cases, a network administrator may not trust the + user_priority values contained in packets from a source and may wish + to map these into some more suitable set of values. Alternatively, + due perhaps to equipment limitations or transition periods, the + user_priority values may need to be re-mapped as the data flows + to/from different regions of a network. + + Some switches may implement such a function on input that maps + received user_priority to some internal set of values. This function + is provided by a table known in IEEE 802.1D as the User Priority + Regeneration Table (Table 3-1 in [3]). These values can then be + mapped using an output table described above onto outgoing + user_priority values. These same mappings must also be used when + applying admission control to requests that use the user_priority + values (see e.g. [14]). More sophisticated approaches are also + possible where a device polices traffic flows and adjusts their + onward user_priority based on their conformance to the admitted + traffic flow specifications. + +8.6. Different Reservation Styles + + In the figure above, SW is a bridge/switch in the link layer domain. + S1, S2, S3, R1 and R2 are end stations which are members of a group + associated with the same RSVP flow. S1, S2 and S3 are upstream end + stations. R1 and R2 are the downstream end stations which receive + traffic from all the senders. RSVP allows receivers R1 and R2 to + specify reservations which can apply to: (a) one specific sender + only (fixed filter); (b) any of two or more explicitly specified + senders (shared explicit filter); and (c) any sender in the group + (shared wildcard filter). Support for the fixed filter style is + straightforward; a separate reservation is made for the traffic from + each of the senders. However, support for the other two filter + styles has implications regarding policing; i.e. the merged flow + from the different senders must be policed so that they conform to + traffic parameters specified in the filter's RSpec. This scenario is + further complicated if the services requested by R1 and R2 are + different. Therefore, in the absence of policing within + bridges/switches, it may be possible to support only fixed filter + reservations at the link layer. + + + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 32] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ + | S1 | | S2 | | S3 | + +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ + | | | + | v | + | +-----+ | + +--------->| SW |<---------+ + +-----+ + | | + +----+ +----+ + | | + v V + +-----+ +-----+ + | R1 | | R2 | + +-----+ +-----+ + + Figure 7: Illustration of filter styles + +8.7. Receiver Heterogeneity + + At Layer 3, the IntServ model allows heterogeneous receivers for + multicast flows where different branches of a tree can have different + types of reservations for a given multicast destination. It also + supports the notion that trees may have some branches with reserved + flows and some using best effort service. If we were to treat a + Layer 2 subnet as a single network element as defined in [8], then + all of the branches of the distribution tree that lie within the + subnet could be assumed to require the same QoS treatment and be + treated as an atomic unit as regards admission control, etc. With + this assumption, the model and protocols already defined by IntServ + and RSVP already provide sufficient support for multicast + heterogeneity. Note, however, that an admission control request may + well be rejected because just one link in the subnet is + oversubscribed leading to rejection of the reservation request for + the entire subnet. + + As an example, consider Figure 8, SW is a Layer 2 device + (bridge/switch) participating in resource reservation, S is the + upstream source end station and R1 and R2 are downstream end station + receivers. R1 would like to make a reservation for the flow while R2 + would like to receive the flow using best effort service. S sends + RSVP PATH messages which are multicast to both R1 and R2. R1 sends + an RSVP RESV message to S requesting the reservation of resources. + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 33] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + +-----+ + | S | + +-----+ + | + v + +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ + | R1 |<-----| SW |----->| R2 | + +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ + + Figure 8: Example of receiver heterogeneity + + If the reservation is successful at Layer 2, the frames addressed to + the group will be categorized in the traffic class corresponding to + the service requested by R1. At SW, there must be some mechanism + which forwards the packet providing service corresponding to the + reserved traffic class at the interface to R1 while using the best + effort traffic class at the interface to R2. This may involve + changing the contents of the frame itself, or ignoring the frame + priority at the interface to R2. + + Another possibility for supporting heterogeneous receivers would be + to have separate groups with distinct MAC addresses, one for each + class of service. By default, a receiver would join the "best + effort" group where the flow is classified as best effort. If the + receiver makes a reservation successfully, it can be transferred to + the group for the class of service desired. The dynamic multicast + filtering capabilities of bridges and switches implementing the IEEE + 802.1D standard would be a very useful feature in such a scenario. A + given flow would be transmitted only on those segments which are on + the path between the sender and the receivers of that flow. The + obvious disadvantage of such an approach is that the sender needs to + send out multiple copies of the same packet corresponding to each + class of service desired thus potentially duplicating the traffic on + a portion of the distribution tree. + + The above approaches would provide very sub-optimal utilization of + resources given the expected size and complexity of the Layer 2 + subnets. Therefore, it is desirable to enable switches to apply QoS + differently on different egress branches of a tree that divide at + that switch. + + + + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 34] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + IEEE 802.1D specifies a basic model for multicast whereby a switch + makes multicast forwarding decisions based on the destination + address. This would produce a list of output ports to which the + packet should be forwarded. In its default mode, such a switch would + use the user_priority value in received packets, or a value + regenerated on a per input port basis in the absence of an explicit + value, to enqueue the packets at each output port. Any IEEE 802.1D + switch which supports multiple traffic classes can support this + operation. + + If a switch selects per port output queues based only on the incoming + user_priority, as described by IEEE 802.1D, it must treat all + branches of all multicast sessions within that user_priority class + with the same queuing mechanism. Receiver heterogeneity is then not + possible and this could well lead to the failure of an admission + control request for the whole multicast session due to a single link + being oversubscribed. Note that in the Layer 2 case as distinct from + the Layer 3 case with RSVP/IntServ, the option of having some + receivers getting the session with the requested QoS and some getting + it best effort does not exist as basic IEEE 802.1 switches are unable + to re-map the user_priority on a per link basis. This could become + an issue with heavy use of dynamic multicast sessions. If a switch + were to implement a separate user_priority mapping at each output + port, then, in some cases, reservations can use a different traffic + class on different paths that branch at such a switch in order to + provide multiple receivers with different QoS. This is possible if + all flows within a traffic class at the ingress to a switch egress in + the same traffic class on a port. For example, traffic may be + forwarded using user_priority 4 on one branch where receivers have + performed admission control and as user_priority 0 on ones where they + have not. We assume that per user_priority queuing without taking + account of input or output ports is the minimum standard + functionality for switches in a LAN environment (IEEE 802.1D) but + that more functional Layer 2 or even Layer 3 switches (i.e. routers) + can be used if even more flexible forms of heterogeneity are + considered necessary to achieve more efficient resource utilization. + The behavior of Layer 3 switches in this context is already well + standardized by the IETF. + +9. Network Topology Scenarios + + The extent to which service guarantees can be provided by a network + depend to a large degree on the ability to provide the key functions + of flow identification and scheduling in addition to admission + control and policing. This section discusses some of the + capabilities of the LAN technologies under consideration and provides + a taxonomy of possible topologies emphasizing the capabilities of + each with regard to supporting the above functions. For the + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 35] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + technologies considered here, the basic topology of a LAN may be + shared, switched half duplex or switched full duplex. In the shared + topology, multiple senders share a single segment. Contention for + media access is resolved using protocols such as CSMA/CD in Ethernet + and token passing in Token Ring and FDDI. Switched half duplex, is + essentially a shared topology with the restriction that there are + only two transmitters contending for resources on any segment. + Finally, in a switched full duplex topology, a full bandwidth path is + available to the transmitter at each end of the link at all times. + Therefore, in this topology, there is no need for any access control + mechanism such as CSMA/CD or token passing as there is no contention + between the transmitters. Obviously, this topology provides the best + QoS capabilities. Another important element in the discussion of + topologies is the presence or absence of support for multiple traffic + classes. These were discussed earlier in Section 4.1. Depending on + the basic topology used and the ability to support traffic classes, + we identify six scenarios as follows: + + 1. Shared topology without traffic classes. + 2. Shared topology with traffic classes. + 3. Switched half duplex topology without traffic classes. + 4. Switched half duplex topology with traffic classes. + 5. Switched full duplex topology without traffic classes. + 6. Switched full duplex topology with traffic classes. + + There is also the possibility of hybrid topologies where two or more + of the above coexist. For instance, it is possible that within a + single subnet, there are some switches which support traffic classes + and some which do not. If the flow in question traverses both kinds + of switches in the network, the least common denominator will + prevail. In other words, as far as that flow is concerned, the + network is of the type corresponding to the least capable topology + that is traversed. In the following sections, we present these + scenarios in further detail for some of the different IEEE 802 + network types with discussion of their abilities to support the + IntServ services. + +9.1. Full Duplex Switched Networks + + On a full duplex switched LAN, the MAC protocol is unimportant as as + access is concerned, but must be factored into the characterization + parameters advertised by the device since the access latency is equal + to the time required to transmit the largest packet. Approximate + values for the characteristics on various media are provided in the + following tables. These delays should be also be considered in the + context of the speed of light delay which is approximately 400 ns for + typical 100 m UTP links and 7 us for typical 2 km multimode fiber + links. + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 36] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + Table 4: Full duplex switched media access latency + + -------------------------------------------------- + Type Speed Max Pkt Max Access + Length Latency + -------------------------------------------------- + Ethernet 10 Mbps 1.2 ms 1.2 ms + 100 Mbps 120 us 120 us + 1 Gbps 12 us 12 us + Token Ring 4 Mbps 9 ms 9 ms + 16 Mbps 9 ms 9 ms + FDDI 100 Mbps 360 us 8.4 ms + Demand Priority 100 Mbps 120 us 120 us + -------------------------------------------------- + + Full duplex switched network topologies offer good QoS capabilities + for both Controlled Load and Guaranteed Service when supported by + suitable queuing strategies in the switches. + +9.2. Shared Media Ethernet Networks + + Thus far, we have not discussed the difficulty of dealing with + allocation on a single shared CSMA/CD segment. As soon as any + CSMA/CD algorithm is introduced the ability to provide any form of + Guaranteed Service is seriously compromised in the absence of any + tight coupling between the multiple senders on the link. There are a + number of reasons for not offering a better solution to this problem. + + Firstly, we do not believe this is a truly solvable problem as it + would require changes to the MAC protocol. IEEE 802.1 has examined + research showing disappointing simulation results for performance + guarantees on shared CSMA/CD Ethernet without MAC enhancements. + There have been proposals for enhancements to the MAC layer + protocols, e.g. BLAM and enhanced flow control in IEEE 802.3. + However, any solution involving an enhanced software MAC running + above the traditional IEEE 802.3 MAC, or other proprietary MAC + protocols, is outside the scope of the ISSLL working group and this + document. Secondly, we are not convinced that it is really an + interesting problem. While there will be end stations on shared + segments for some time to come, the number of deployed switches is + steadily increasing relative to the number of stations on shared + segments. This trend is proceeding to the point where it may be + satisfactory to have a solution which assumes that any network + communication requiring resource reservations will take place through + at least one switch or router. Put another way, the easiest upgrade + to existing Layer 2 infrastructure for QoS support is the + installation of segment switching. Only when this has been done is + it worthwhile to investigate more complex solutions involving + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 37] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + admission control. Thirdly, the core of campus networks typically + consists of solutions based on switches rather than on repeated + segments. There may be special circumstances in the future, e.g. + Gigabit buffered repeaters, but the characteristics of these devices + are different from existing CSMA/CD repeaters anyway. + + Table 5: Shared Ethernet media access latency + + -------------------------------------------------- + Type Speed Max Pkt Max Access + Length Latency + -------------------------------------------------- + Ethernet 10 Mbps 1.2 ms unbounded + 100 Mbps 120 us unbounded + 1 Gbps 12 us unbounded + -------------------------------------------------- + +9.3. Half Duplex Switched Ethernet Networks + + Many of the same arguments for sub optimal support of Guaranteed + Service on shared media Ethernet also apply to half duplex switched + Ethernet. In essence, this topology is a medium that is shared + between at least two senders contending for packet transmission. + Unless these are tightly coupled and cooperative, there is always the + chance that the best effort traffic of one will interfere with the + reserved traffic of the other. Dealing with such a coupling would + require some form of modification to the MAC protocol. + + Not withstanding the above argument, half duplex switched topologies + do seem to offer the chance to provide Controlled Load service. With + the knowledge that there are exactly two potential senders that are + both using prioritization for their Controlled Load traffic over best + effort flows, and with admission control having been done for those + flows based on that knowledge, the media access characteristics while + not deterministic are somewhat predictable. This is probably a close + enough useful approximation to the Controlled Load service. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 38] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + Table 6: Half duplex switched Ethernet media access latency + + ------------------------------------------ + Type Speed Max Pkt Max Access + Length Latency + ------------------------------------------ + Ethernet 10 Mbps 1.2 ms unbounded + 100 Mbps 120 us unbounded + 1 Gbps 12 us unbounded + ------------------------------------------ + +9.4. Half Duplex Switched and Shared Token Ring Networks + + In a shared Token Ring network, the network access time for high + priority traffic at any station is bounded and is given by + (N+1)*THTmax, where N is the number of stations sending high priority + traffic and THTmax is the maximum token holding time [14]. This + assumes that network adapters have priority queues so that + reservation of the token is done for traffic with the highest + priority currently queued in the adapter. It is easy to see that + access times can be improved by reducing N or THTmax. The + recommended default for THTmax is 10 ms [6]. N is an integer from 2 + to 256 for a shared ring and 2 for a switched half duplex topology. + A similar analysis applies for FDDI. + + Table 7: Half duplex switched and shared Token + Ring media access latency + ---------------------------------------------------- + Type Speed Max Pkt Max Access + Length Latency + ---------------------------------------------------- + Token Ring 4/16 Mbps shared 9 ms 2570 ms + 4/16 Mbps switched 9 ms 30 ms + FDDI 100 Mbps 360 us 8 ms + ---------------------------------------------------- + + Given that access time is bounded, it is possible to provide an upper + bound for end-to-end delays as required by Guaranteed Service + assuming that traffic of this class uses the highest priority + allowable for user traffic. The actual number of stations that send + traffic mapped into the same traffic class as Guaranteed Service may + vary over time but, from an admission control standpoint, this value + is needed a priori. The admission control entity must therefore use + a fixed value for N, which may be the total number of stations on the + ring or some lower value if it is desired to keep the offered delay + guarantees smaller. If the value of N used is lower than the total + number of stations on the ring, admission control must ensure that + the number of stations sending high priority traffic never exceeds + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 39] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + this number. This approach allows admission control to estimate + worst case access delays assuming that all of the N stations are + sending high priority data even though, in most cases, this will mean + that delays are significantly overestimated. + + Assuming that Controlled Load flows use a traffic class lower than + that used by Guaranteed Service, no upper bound on access latency can + be provided for Controlled Load flows. However, Controlled Load + flows will receive better service than best effort flows. + + Note that on many existing shared Token Rings, bridges transmit + frames using an Access Priority (see Section 4.3) value of 4 + irrespective of the user_priority carried in the frame control field + of the frame. Therefore, existing bridges would need to be + reconfigured or modified before the above access time bounds can + actually be used. + +9.5. Half Duplex and Shared Demand Priority Networks + + In IEEE 802.12 networks, communication between end nodes and hubs and + between the hubs themselves is based on the exchange of link control + signals. These signals are used to control access to the shared + medium. If a hub, for example, receives a high priority request + while another hub is in the process of serving normal priority + requests, then the service of the latter hub can effectively be + preempted in order to serve the high priority request first. After + the network has processed all high priority requests, it resumes the + normal priority service at the point in the network at which it was + interrupted. + + The network access time for high priority packets is basically the + time needed to preempt normal priority network service. This access + time is bounded and it depends on the physical layer and on the + topology of the shared network. The physical layer has a significant + impact when operating in half duplex mode as, e.g. when used across + unshielded twisted pair cabling (UTP) links, because link control + signals cannot be exchanged while a packet is transmitted over the + link. Therefore the network topology has to be considered since, in + larger shared networks, the link control signals must potentially + traverse several links and hubs before they can reach the hub which + has the network control function. This may delay the preemption of + the normal priority service and hence increase the upper bound that + may be guaranteed. + + Upper bounds on the high priority access time are given below for a + UTP physical layer and a cable length of 100 m between all end nodes + and hubs using a maximum propagation delay of 570 ns as defined in + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 40] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + [19]. These values consider the worst case signaling overhead and + assume the transmission of maximum sized normal priority data packets + while the normal priority service is being preempted. + + Table 8: Half duplex switched Demand Priority UTP access latency + + ------------------------------------------------------------ + Type Speed Max Pkt Max Access + Length Latency + ------------------------------------------------------------ + Demand Priority 100 Mbps, 802.3 pkt, UTP 120 us 254 us + 802.5 pkt, UTP 360 us 733 us + ------------------------------------------------------------ + + Shared IEEE 802.12 topologies can be classified using the hub + cascading level "N". The simplest topology is the single hub network + (N = 1). For a UTP physical layer, a maximum cascading level of N = + 5 is supported by the standard. Large shared networks with many + hundreds of nodes may be built with a level 2 topology. The + bandwidth manager could be informed about the actual cascading level + by network management mechanisms and can use this information in its + admission control algorithms. + + In contrast to UTP, the fiber optic physical layer operates in dual + simplex mode. Upper bounds for the high priority access time are + given below for 2 km multimode fiber links with a propagation delay + of 10 us. + + For shared media with distances of up to 2 km between all end nodes + and hubs, the IEEE 802.12 standard allows a maximum cascading level + of 2. Higher levels of cascaded topologies are supported but require + a reduction of the distances [15]. + + The bounded access delay and deterministic network access allow the + support of service commitments required for Guaranteed Service and + Controlled Load, even on shared media topologies. The support of + just two priority levels in 802.12, however, limits the number of + services that can simultaneously be implemented across the network. + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 41] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + Table 9: Shared Demand Priority UTP access latency + + ---------------------------------------------------------------- + Type Speed Max Pkt Max Access Topology + Length Latency + ---------------------------------------------------------------- + Demand Priority 100 Mbps, 802.3 pkt 120 us 262 us N = 1 + 120 us 554 us N = 2 + 120 us 878 us N = 3 + 120 us 1.24 ms N = 4 + 120 us 1.63 ms N = 5 + + Demand Priority 100 Mbps, 802.5 pkt 360 us 722 us N = 1 + 360 us 1.41 ms N = 2 + 360 us 2.32 ms N = 3 + 360 us 3.16 ms N = 4 + 360 us 4.03 ms N = 5 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- + + Table 10: Half duplex switched Demand Priority + fiber access latency + ------------------------------------------------------------- + Type Speed Max Pkt Max Access + Length Latency + ------------------------------------------------------------- + Demand Priority 100 Mbps, 802.3 pkt, fiber 120 us 139 us + 802.5 pkt, fiber 360 us 379 us + ------------------------------------------------------------- + + Table 11: Shared Demand Priority fiber access latency + + --------------------------------------------------------------- + Type Speed Max Pkt Max Access Topology + Length Latency + --------------------------------------------------------------- + Demand Priority 100 Mbps, 802.3 pkt 120 us 160 us N = 1 + 120 us 202 us N = 2 + + Demand Priority 100 Mbps, 802.5 pkt 360 us 400 us N = 1 + 360 us 682 us N = 2 + --------------------------------------------------------------- + +10. Justification + + An obvious concern is the complexity of this model. It essentially + does what RSVP already does at Layer 3, so why do we think we can do + better by reinventing the solution to this problem at Layer 2? + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 42] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + The key is that there are a number of simple Layer 2 scenarios that + cover a considerable portion of the real QoS problems that will + occur. A solution that covers the majority of problems at + significantly lower cost is beneficial. Full RSVP/IntServ with per + flow queuing in strategically positioned high function switches or + routers may be needed to completely resolve all issues, but devices + implementing the architecture described in herein will allow for a + significantly simpler network. + +11. Summary + + This document has specified a framework for providing Integrated + Services over shared and switched LAN technologies. The ability to + provide QoS guarantees necessitates some form of admission control + and resource management. The requirements and goals of a resource + management scheme for subnets have been identified and discussed. We + refer to the entire resource management scheme as a Bandwidth + Manager. Architectural considerations were discussed and examples + were provided to illustrate possible implementations of a Bandwidth + Manager. Some of the issues involved in mapping the services from + higher layers to the link layer have also been discussed. + Accompanying memos from the ISSLL working group address service + mapping issues [13] and provide a protocol specification for the + Bandwidth Manager protocol [14] based on the requirements and goals + discussed in this document. + +References + + [1] IEEE Standards for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: + Overview and Architecture, ANSI/IEEE Std 802, 1990. + + [2] ISO/IEC 10038 Information technology - Telecommunications and + information exchange between systems - Local area networks - + Media Access Control (MAC) Bridges, (also ANSI/IEEE Std 802.1D- + 1993), 1993. + + [3] ISO/IEC 15802-3 Information technology - Telecommunications and + information exchange between systems - Local and metropolitan + area networks - Common specifications - Part 3: Media Access + Control (MAC) bridges (also ANSI/IEEE Std 802.1D-1998), 1998. + + [4] IEEE Standards for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: + Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks, IEEE Std 802.1Q-1998, 1998. + + [5] Braden, B., Zhang, L., Berson, S., Herzog, S. and S. Jamin, + "Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) - Version 1 Functional + Specification", RFC 2205, September 1997. + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 43] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + [6] Wroclawski, J., "Specification of the Controlled Load Network + Element Service", RFC 2211, September 1997. + + [7] Shenker, S., Partridge, C. and R. Guerin, "Specification of + Guaranteed Quality of Service", RFC 2212, September 1997. + + [8] Braden, R., Clark, D. and S. Shenker, "Integrated Services in + the Internet Architecture: An Overview", RFC 1633, June 1994. + + [9] Wroclawski, J., "The Use of RSVP with IETF Integrated Services", + RFC 2210, September 1997. + + [10] Shenker, S. and J. Wroclawski, "Network Element Service + Specification Template", RFC 2216, September 1997. + + [11] Shenker, S. and J. Wroclawski, "General Characterization + Parameters for Integrated Service Network Elements", RFC 2215, + September 1997. + + [12] Delgrossi, L. and L. Berger (Editors), "Internet Stream Protocol + Version 2 (ST2) Protocol Specification - Version ST2+", RFC + 1819, August 1995. + + [13] Seaman, M., Smith, A. and E. Crawley, "Integrated Service + Mappings on IEEE 802 Networks", RFC 2815, May 2000. + + [14] Yavatkar, R., Hoffman, D., Bernet, Y. and F. Baker, "SBM Subnet + Bandwidth Manager): Protocol for RSVP-based Admission Control + Over IEEE 802-style Networks", RFC 2814, May 2000. + + [15] ISO/IEC 8802-3 Information technology - Telecommunications and + information exchange between systems - Local and metropolitan + area networks - Common specifications - Part 3: Carrier Sense + Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) Access Method + and Physical Layer Specifications, (also ANSI/IEEE Std 802.3- + 1996), 1996. + + [15] ISO/IEC 8802-5 Information technology - Telecommunications and + information exchange between systems - Local and metropolitan + area networks - Common specifications - Part 5: Token Ring + Access Method and Physical Layer Specifications, (also ANSI/IEEE + Std 802.5-1995), 1995. + + [17] Postel, J. and J. Reynolds, "A Standard for the Transmission of + IP Datagrams over IEEE 802 Networks", STD 43, RFC 1042, February + 1988. + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 44] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + + [18] C. Bisdikian, B. V. Patel, F. Schaffa, and M Willebeek-LeMair, + The Use of Priorities on Token Ring Networks for Multimedia + Traffic, IEEE Network, Nov/Dec 1995. + + [19] IEEE Standards for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Demand + Priority Access Method, Physical Layer and Repeater + Specification for 100 Mb/s Operation, IEEE Std 802.12-1995. + + [20] Fiber Distributed Data Interface MAC, ANSI Std. X3.139-1987. + + [21] ISO/IEC 15802-3 Information technology - Telecommunications and + information exchange between systems - Local and metropolitan + area networks - Specific requirements - Supplement to Carrier + Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) Access + Method and Physical Layer Specifications - Frame Extensions for + Virtual Bridged Local Area Network (VLAN) Tagging on 802.3 + Networks, IEEE Std 802.3ac-1998 (Supplement to IEEE 802.3 1998 + Edition), 1998. + +Security Considerations + + Implementation of the model described in this memo creates no known + new avenues for malicious attack on the network infrastructure. + However, readers are referred to Section 2.8 of the RSVP + specification [5] for a discussion of the impact of the use of + admission control signaling protocols on network security. + +Acknowledgements + + Much of the work presented in this document has benefited greatly + from discussion held at the meetings of the Integrated Services over + Specific Link Layers (ISSLL) working group. We would like to + acknowledge contributions from the many participants via discussion + at these meetings and on the mailing list. We would especially like + to thank Eric Crawley, Don Hoffman and Raj Yavatkar for contributions + via previous Internet drafts, and Peter Kim for contributing the text + about Demand Priority networks. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 45] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +Authors' Addresses + + Anoop Ghanwani + Nortel Networks + 600 Technology Park Dr + Billerica, MA 01821, USA + + Phone: +1-978-288-4514 + EMail: aghanwan@nortelnetworks.com + + + Wayne Pace + IBM Corporation + P. O. Box 12195 + Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA + + Phone: +1-919-254-4930 + EMail: pacew@us.ibm.com + + + Vijay Srinivasan + CoSine Communications + 1200 Bridge Parkway + Redwood City, CA 94065, USA + + Phone: +1-650-628-4892 + EMail: vijay@cosinecom.com + + + Andrew Smith + Extreme Networks + 3585 Monroe St + Santa Clara, CA 95051, USA + + Phone: +1-408-579-2821 + EMail: andrew@extremenetworks.com + + + Mick Seaman + Telseon + 480 S. California Ave + Palo Alto, CA 94306 + USA + + Email: mick@telseon.com + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. Informational [Page 46] + +RFC 2816 Framework for Int-Serv Over IEEE 802 LAN May 2000 + + +Full Copyright Statement + + Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2000). All Rights Reserved. + + This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to + others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it + or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published + and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any + kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are + included on all such copies and derivative works. However, this + document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing + the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or other + Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose of + developing Internet standards in which case the procedures for + copyrights defined in the Internet Standards process must be + followed, or as required to translate it into languages other than + English. + + The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be + revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns. + + This document and the information contained herein is provided on an + "AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET ENGINEERING + TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING + BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION + HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF + MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Acknowledgement + + Funding for the RFC Editor function is currently provided by the + Internet Society. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Ghanwani, et al. 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