Subject: Fwd: General Query on GSMP

From: ad <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 08:33:29 -0400 (EDT)

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From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 16:56:35 +0530
Subject: General Query on GSMP

Hi ,

I was going through the General Switch Management Protocol V3
(draft-ietf-gsmp-10.txt). I am not very clear on the concept of GSMP is a
general
purpose   protocol to control a " Label switch."  As far as my understanding of

Label  goes they are a simple indexing mechanism for Packet forwarding .
While reading the document i don't get a very clear picture of GSMP being a
protocol to control a Label switch . Can you pls help me clarify the doubt
......

Rakhi

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From: "Avri Doria" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 18:31:14 -0400

> Label  goes they are a simple indexing mechanism for Packet forwarding .

GSMP has a rather broad definition of label.
it is anything a switch can use to make a decision on.
So a VPI/VCI, DLCI or even a MPLS FEC is considered a label.
And yes, these are all essentially simple indexing mechanisms.

> protocol to control a Label switch . Can you pls help me clarify the doubt

I guess I don't understand your 'doubt'.  Add connection messages
specifies a label pair and indicates that the switch must set
a connection between those labels.

There are also lots of commands for setting and checking other aspects of
the switch.

 From the Intro:
GSMP allows a controller to establish and release connections across the switch; 
add and delete leaves on a multicast connection; manage switch ports; request 
configuration information; request and delete reservation of switch resources; 
and request statistics. It also allows the switch to inform the controller of 
asynchronous events such as a link going down.

-- 

Avri Doria
+1 401 663 5024
===============

    "Security is an illusion.
     Life is either a daring adventure
     or it is nothing at all."
                               Helen Keller

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From: Eric Gray <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 19:31:51 -0400

Avri,

    Small correction: an  MPLS FEC is a description of the packets that
follow a label switched path (FEC = the set of all packets receiving the
same forwarding treatment in an LSP).  I think you meant an MPLS
generic label...

--
Eric Gray