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diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc6123.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc6123.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7f319c2 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc6123.txt @@ -0,0 +1,731 @@ + + + + + + +Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) A. Farrel +Request for Comments: 6123 Old Dog Consulting +Category: Historic February 2011 +ISSN: 2070-1721 + + + Inclusion of Manageability Sections in + Path Computation Element (PCE) Working Group Drafts + +Abstract + + It has often been the case that manageability considerations have + been retrofitted to protocols after they have been specified, + standardized, implemented, or deployed. This is sub-optimal. + Similarly, new protocols or protocol extensions are frequently + designed without due consideration of manageability requirements. + + The Operations Area has developed "Guidelines for Considering + Operations and Management of New Protocols and Protocol Extensions" + (RFC 5706), and those guidelines have been adopted by the Path + Computation Element (PCE) Working Group. + + Previously, the PCE Working Group used the recommendations contained + in this document to guide authors of Internet-Drafts on the contents + of "Manageability Considerations" sections in their work. This + document is retained for historic reference. + +Status of This Memo + + This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is + published for the historical record. + + This document defines a Historic Document for the Internet community. + This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force + (IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has + received public review and has been approved for publication by the + Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Not all documents + approved by the IESG are a candidate for any level of Internet + Standard; see Section 2 of RFC 5741. + + Information about the current status of this document, any errata, + and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at + http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6123. + + + + + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 1] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + +Copyright Notice + + Copyright (c) 2011 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the + document authors. All rights reserved. + + This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal + Provisions Relating to IETF Documents + (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of + publication of this document. Please review these documents + carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect + to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must + include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of + the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as + described in the Simplified BSD License. + +1. Introduction + + This document is produced for historic reference. + + When new protocols or protocol extensions are developed, it is often + the case that not enough consideration is given to the manageability + of the protocols or to the way in which they will be operated in the + network. The result is that manageability considerations are only + understood once the protocols have been implemented and sometimes not + until after they have been deployed. + + The resultant attempts to retrofit manageability mechanisms are not + always easy or architecturally pleasant. Furthermore, it is possible + that certain protocol designs make manageability particularly hard to + achieve. + + Recognizing that manageability is fundamental to the utility and + success of protocols designed within the IETF, and that simply + defining a MIB module does not necessarily provide adequate + manageability, this document was developed to define recommendations + for the inclusion of Manageability Considerations sections in all + Internet-Drafts produced within the PCE Working Group. It was the + intention that meeting these recommendations would ensure that proper + consideration was given to the support of manageability at all stages + of the protocol development process from Requirements and + Architecture through Specification and Applicability. + + It is clear that the presence of such a section in an Internet-Draft + does not guarantee that the protocol will be well-designed or + manageable. However, the inclusion of this section will ensure that + the authors have the opportunity to consider the issues, and, by + reading the material in this document, they will gain some guidance. + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 2] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + + This document was developed within the PCE Working Group and was used + to help guide the authors and editors within the working group to + produce Manageability Considerations sections in the Internet-Drafts + and RFCs produced by the working group. + + [RFC5706] presents general guidance from the IETF's Operations Area + for considering Operations and Management of new protocols and + protocol extensions. It has been adopted by the PCE Working Group to + provide guidance to editors and authors within the working group, so + this document is no longer required. However, the working group + considers that it will be useful to archive this document as Historic + for future reference. + +1.1. Requirements Notation + + This document is not a protocol specification. The key words "MUST", + "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", + "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be + interpreted as described in [RFC2119] in order that the contents of a + Manageability Considerations section can be clearly understood. + +1.2. What Is Manageability? + + In this context, "manageability" is used to refer to the interactions + between a network operator (a human or an application) and the + network components (hosts, routers, switches, applications, and + protocols) performed to ensure the correct operation of the network. + + Manageability issues are often referred to under the collective + acronym, FCAPS [X.700], which stands for the following: + + - Fault management + - Configuration + - Accounting + - Performance + - Security + + Conventionally, Security is already covered an Internet-Draft in its + own Security Considerations section, and this document does not in + any way diminish the need for that section. Indeed, as pointed out + in Section 6, a full consideration of other aspects of manageability + may increase the text that should be supplied in the Security + Considerations section. + + The author of a Manageability Considerations section should certainly + consider all aspects of FCAPS. The author should reflect on how the + manageability of a new protocol impacts the manageability and + operation of the entire network. Specific optional subsections (see + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 3] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + + Section 2.3) should be added as necessary to describe features of + FCAPS that are pertinent but are not covered by the recommended + subsections. More discussion of what manageability is and what may + be included in a Manageability Considerations section can be found in + [RFC5706]. + + As part of documenting the manageability considerations for a new + protocol or for protocol extensions, authors should consider that one + of the objectives of specifying protocols within the IETF is to + ensure interoperability of implementations. This interoperability + extends to the manageability function so that it is an ideal that + there should be implementation independence between management + applications and managed entities. This may be promoted by the use + of standardized management protocols and by the specification of + standard information models. + + Note that, in some contexts, reference is made to the term + "management plane". This is used to describe the exchange of + management messages through management protocols (often transported + by IP and by IP transport protocols) between management applications + and the managed entities such as network nodes. The management plane + may use distinct addressing schemes, virtual links or tunnels, or a + physically separate management control network. The management plane + should be seen as separate from, but possibly overlapping with, the + control plane, in which signaling and routing messages are exchanged, + and the forwarding plane (sometimes called the data plane or user + plane), in which user traffic is transported. + +2. Presence and Placement of Manageability Considerations Sections + + Note that examples of the sections described here can be found in the + documents listed in Appendix A. + +2.1. Null Manageability Considerations Sections + + In the event that there are no manageability requirements for an + Internet-Draft, the draft SHOULD still contain a Manageability + Considerations section. The presence of this section indicates to + the reader that due consideration has been given to manageability and + that there are no (or no new) requirements. + + In this case, the section SHOULD contain a simple statement such as + "There are no new manageability requirements introduced by this + document" and SHOULD briefly explain why that is the case with a + summary of manageability mechanisms that already exist. + + + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 4] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + + Note that a null Manageability Considerations section may take some + effort to compose. It is important to demonstrate to the reader that + no additional manageability mechanisms are required, and it is often + hard to prove that something is not needed. A null Manageability + Considerations section SHOULD NOT consist only of the simple + statement that there are no new manageability requirements. + + If an Internet-Draft genuinely has no manageability impact, it should + be possible to construct a simple null Manageability Considerations + section that explains why this is the case. + +2.2. Recommended Subsections + + If the Manageability Considerations section is not null, it SHOULD + contain at least the following subsections. Guidance on the content + of these subsections can be found in Section 3 of this document. + + - Control of Function through Configuration and Policy + - Information and Data Models, e.g., MIB modules + - Liveness Detection and Monitoring + - Verifying Correct Operation + - Requirements on Other Protocols and Functional Components + - Impact on Network Operation + + In the event that one or more of these subsections is not relevant, + it SHOULD still be present and SHOULD contain a simple statement + explaining why the subsection is not relevant. That is, null + subsections are allowed, and each should be formed following the + advice in Section 2.1. + +2.3. Optional Subsections + + The list of subsections above is not intended to be prescriptively + limiting. Other subsections can and SHOULD be added according to the + requirements of each individual Internet-Draft. If a topic does not + fit comfortably into any of the subsections listed, the authors + should be relaxed about adding new subsections as necessary. + +2.4. Placement of Manageability Considerations Sections + + The Manageability Considerations section SHOULD be placed immediately + before the Security Considerations section in any Internet-Draft. + + + + + + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 5] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + +3. Guidance on the Content of Subsections + + This section gives guidance on the information to be included in each + of the recommended subsections listed above. Note that, just as + other subsections may be included, so additional information MAY also + be included in these subsections. + +3.1. Control of Function through Configuration and Policy + + This subsection describes the functional elements that may be + controlled through configuration and/or policy. + + For example, many protocol specifications include timers that are + used as part of the operation of the protocol. These timers often + have default values suggested in the protocol specification and do + not need to be configurable. However, it is often the case that the + protocol requires that the timers can be configured by the operator + to ensure specific behavior by the implementation. + + Even if all configurable items have been described within the body of + the document, they SHOULD be identified in this subsection, but a + reference to another section of the document is sufficient if there + is a full description elsewhere. + + Other protocol elements are amenable to control through the + application of local or network-wide policy. It is not the intention + that this subsection should give details of policy implementation + since that is covered by more general policy framework specifications + such as [RFC3060] and [RFC3460]. Additionally, specific frameworks + for policy as applicable within protocol or functional architectures + are also normally covered in separate documents, for example, + [RFC5394]. + + However, this section SHOULD identify which protocol elements are + potentially subject to policy and should give guidance on the + application of policy for successful operation of the protocol. + Where this material is already described within the body of the + document, this subsection SHOULD still identify the issues and + reference the other sections of the document. + +3.2. Information and Data Models + + This subsection SHOULD describe the information and data models + necessary for the protocol or the protocol extensions. This + includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the MIB modules + developed specifically for the protocol functions specified in the + document. + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 6] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + + Where new or extended MIB modules are recommended, it is helpful if + this section can give an overview of the items to be modeled by the + MIB modules. This does not require an object-by-object description + of all of the information that needs to be modeled, but it could + explain the high-level "object groupings" (perhaps to the level of + suggesting the MIB tables) and certainly should explain the major + manageable entities. For example, a protocol specification might + include separate roles for "sender" and "receiver" and might be + broken into a "session" and individual "transactions"; if so, this + section could list these functionalities as separate manageable + entities. + + [RFC3444] may be useful in determining what information to include in + this section. + + The description in this section can be by reference where other + documents already exist. + + It should be noted that the significance of MIB modules may be + decreasing, but there is still a requirement to consider the managed + objects necessary for successful operation of the protocol or + protocol extensions. This means that due consideration should be + given not only to what objects need to be managed but also to what + management model should be used. There are now several options, + including the MIB/SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) model and + the Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) model, being developed + by the NETCONF Data Modeling Language (NETMOD) Working Group [YANG]. + +3.3. Liveness Detection and Monitoring + + Liveness detection and monitoring apply both to the control plane and + the data plane. + + Mechanisms for detecting faults in the control plane or for + monitoring its liveness are usually built into the control plane + protocols or inherited from underlying data plane or forwarding plane + protocols. These mechanisms do not typically require additional + management capabilities but are essential features for the protocol + to be usable and manageable. Therefore, this section SHOULD + highlight the mechanisms in the new protocol or protocol extensions + that are required in order to ensure liveness detection and + monitoring within the protocol. + + Further, when a control plane fault is detected, there is often a + requirement to coordinate recovery action through management + applications or at least to record the fact in an event log. This + section SHOULD identify the management actions expected when the + protocol detects a control plane fault. + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 7] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + + Where the protocol is responsible for establishing data or user plane + connectivity, liveness detection and monitoring usually need to be + achieved through other mechanisms. In some cases, these mechanisms + already exist within other protocols responsible for maintaining + lower layer connectivity, but it will often be the case that new + procedures are required so that failures in the data path can be + detected and reported rapidly, allowing remedial action to be taken. + This section SHOULD refer to other mechanisms that are assumed to + provide monitoring of data plane liveness and SHOULD identify + requirements for new mechanisms as appropriate. + + This section SHOULD describe the need for liveness and detection + monitoring, SHOULD highlight existing tools, SHOULD identify + requirements and specifications for new tools (as appropriate for the + level of the document being written), and SHOULD describe the + coordination of tools with each other, with management applications, + and with the base protocol being specified. + +3.4. Verifying Correct Operation + + An important function that Operations and Management (OAM) can + provide is a toolset for verifying the correct operation of a + protocol. To some extent, this may be achieved through access to + information and data models that report the status of the protocol + and the state installed on network devices. However, it may also be + valuable to provide techniques for testing the effect that the + protocol has had on the network by sending data through the network + and observing its behavior. + + Thus, this section SHOULD include details of how the correct + operation of the protocols described by the Internet-Draft can be + tested, and, in as far as the Internet-Draft impacts on the operation + of the network, this section SHOULD include a discussion about how + the correct end-to-end operation of the network can be tested and how + the correct data or forwarding plane function of each network element + can be verified. + + There may be some overlap between this section and that describing + liveness detection and monitoring since the same tools may be used in + some cases. + +3.5. Requirements on Other Protocols and Functional Components + + The text in this section SHOULD describe the requirements that the + new protocol puts on other protocols and functional components as + well as requirements from other protocols that have been considered + + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 8] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + + in designing the new protocol. This is pertinent to manageability + because those other protocols may already be deployed and operational + and because those other protocols also need to be managed. + + It is not appropriate to consider the interaction between the new + protocol and all other protocols in this section, but it is important + to identify the specific interactions that are assumed for the + correct functioning of the new protocol or protocol extensions. + +3.6. Impact on Network Operation + + The introduction of a new protocol or extensions to an existing + protocol may have an impact on the operation of existing networks. + This section SHOULD outline such impacts (which may be positive), + including scaling concerns and interactions with other protocols. + + For example, a new protocol that doubles the number of active, + reachable addresses in use within a network might need to be + considered in the light of the impact on the scalability of the IGPs + operating within the network. + + A very important feature that SHOULD be addressed in this section is + backward compatibility. If protocol extensions are being introduced, + what impact will this have on a network that has an earlier version + of the protocol deployed? Will it be necessary to upgrade all nodes + in the network? Can the protocol versions operate side by side? Can + the new version of the protocol be tunneled through the old version? + Can existing services be migrated without causing a traffic hit or is + a "maintenance period" required to perform the upgrade? What are the + configuration implications for the new and old protocol variants? + + Where a new protocol is introduced, issues similar to backward + compatibility may exist and SHOULD be described. How is migration + from an old protocol to the new protocol achieved? Do existing + protocols need to be interfaced to the new protocol? + +3.7. Other Considerations + + Anything that is not covered in one of the recommended subsections + described above but is needed to understand the manageability + situation SHOULD be covered in an additional section. This may be a + catch-all section named "Other Considerations" or may be one or more + additional optional sections as described in Section 2.3. + + + + + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 9] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + +4. IANA Considerations + + This document does not introduce any new codepoints or name spaces + for registration with IANA. It makes no request to IANA for action. + + Internet-Drafts SHOULD NOT introduce new codepoints, name spaces, or + requests for IANA action within the Manageability Considerations + section. + +5. Manageability Considerations + + This document defines Manageability Considerations sections + recommended for inclusion in all PCE Working Group Internet-Drafts. + As such, the whole document is relevant to manageability. + + Note that the impact of the application of this document to Internet- + Drafts produced within the PCE Working Group should be that PCE + protocols and associated protocols are designed and extended with + manageability in mind. This should result in more robust and more + easily deployed protocols. + + However, since this document does not describe any specific protocol, + protocol extensions, or protocol usage, no manageability + considerations need to be discussed here. + + (This is an example of a null Manageability Considerations section). + +6. Security Considerations + + This document is Historic and describes the format and content of + Internet-Drafts. As such, it introduces no new security concerns. + + However, there is a clear overlap between security, operations, and + management. The manageability aspects of security SHOULD be covered + within the mandatory Security Considerations of each Internet-Draft. + New security considerations introduced by the Manageability + Considerations section MUST be covered in the Security Considerations + section. + + Note that fully designing a protocol before it is implemented + (including designing the manageability aspects) is likely to result + in a more robust protocol. That is a benefit to network security. + Retrofitting manageability to a protocol can make the protocol more + vulnerable to security attacks, including attacks through the new + manageability facilities. Therefore, the use of this document is + RECOMMENDED in order to help ensure the security of all protocols to + which it is applied. + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 10] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + +7. Acknowledgements + + This document is based on earlier work exploring the need for + Manageability Considerations sections in all Internet-Drafts produced + within the Routing Area of the IETF. That document was produced by + Avri Doria and Loa Andersson working with the current author. Their + input was both sensible and constructive. + + Peka Savola provided valuable feedback on an early versions of the + original document. Thanks to Bert Wijnen, Dan Romascanu, David + Harrington, Lou Berger, Spender Dawkins, Tom Petch, Matthew Meyer, + Dimitri Papdimitriou, Stewart Bryant, and Jamal Hadi Salim for their + comments. + + Thanks to the PCE Working Group for adopting the ideas contained in + this document and for including Manageability Considerations sections + in their Internet-Drafts and RFCs. + +8. References + +8.1. Normative References + + [RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate + Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997. + +8.2. Informative References + + [RFC3060] Moore, B., Ellesson, E., Strassner, J., and A. Westerinen, + "Policy Core Information Model -- Version 1 Specification", + RFC 3060, February 2001. + + [RFC3460] Moore, B., Ed., "Policy Core Information Model (PCIM) + Extensions", RFC 3460, January 2003. + + [RFC3444] Pras, A. and J. Schoenwaelder, "On the Difference between + Information Models and Data Models", RFC 3444, January + 2003. + + [RFC5394] Bryskin, I., Papadimitriou, D., Berger, L., and J. Ash, + "Policy-Enabled Path Computation Framework", RFC 5394, + December 2008. + + [RFC5706] Harrington, D., "Guidelines for Considering Operations and + Management of New Protocols and Protocol Extensions", RFC + 5706, November 2009. + + [X.700] CCITT Recommendation X.700 (1992), Management framework for + Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) for CCITT applications. + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 11] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + + [YANG] Bjorklund, M., Ed., "YANG - A Data Modeling Language for + the Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF)", RFC 6020, + October 2010. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 12] + +RFC 6123 Manageability Sections in PCE Drafts February 2011 + + +Appendix A. Example Manageability Considerations Sections + + Readers are referred to the following documents for example + Manageability Considerations sections that received positive comments + during IESG review: + + Farrel, A., Vasseur, J.-P., and J. Ash, "A Path Computation Element + (PCE)-Based Architecture", RFC 4655, August 2006. + + Le Roux, J., Ed., "Requirements for Path Computation Element (PCE) + Discovery", RFC 4674, October 2006. + + Le Roux, JL., Ed., Vasseur, JP., Ed., Ikejiri, Y., and R. Zhang, + "OSPF Protocol Extensions for Path Computation Element (PCE) + Discovery", RFC 5088, January 2008. + + Vasseur, JP., Ed., and JL. Le Roux, Ed., "Path Computation Element + (PCE) Communication Protocol (PCEP)", RFC 5440, March 2009. + + Bradford, R., Ed., Vasseur, JP., and A. Farrel, "Preserving Topology + Confidentiality in Inter-Domain Path Computation Using a Path-Key- + Based Mechanism", RFC 5520, April 2009. + + Oki, E., Takeda, T., Le Roux, JL., and A. Farrel, "Framework for PCE- + Based Inter-Layer MPLS and GMPLS Traffic Engineering", RFC 5623, + September 2009. + +Author's Address + + Adrian Farrel + Old Dog Consulting + EMail: adrian@olddog.co.uk + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Farrel Historic [Page 13] + |