Subject: WG review: Layer 2 Virtual Private Networks (l2vpn)

From: The IESG <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2003 16:26:06 -0400

A new IETF working group has been proposed in the Internet Area.
The IESG has not made any determination as yet. The following description
was submitted, and is provided for informational purposes only:

 Layer 2 Virtual Private Networks (l2vpn)
 -----------------------------------------

 Current Status: Proposed Working Group

 Chairs: <under discussion>

 Area Director(s):
       Thomas Narten <[email-masked]>
       Erik Nordmark <[email-masked]>

 Area Advisor:
       Thomas Narten <[email-masked]>

 Technical Advisor:
       Alex Zinin <[email-masked]>
       Russ Housley <[email-masked]>

 Mailing Lists:

       General Discussion: [email-masked]
       To Subscribe: https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/l2vpn
       Archive: https://www1.ietf.org/mail-archive/working-groups/l2vpn/current/maillist.html

 Description of Working Group:

 Alex is the routing advisor.
 Russ is the security advisor.

 This working group is responsible for defining and specifying a
 limited number of solutions for supporting provider-provisioned
 layer-2 virtual private networks (L2VPNs).

 The WG is responsible for standardization of the following solutions:

 1. Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS)--L2 service that emulates LAN
       across an IP and an MPLS-enabled IP network, allowing standard
       Ethernet devices communicate with each other as if they were
       connected to a common LAN segment.
   
 2. Virtual Private Wire Service (VPWS)--L2 service that provides L2
       point-to-point connectivity (e.g. Frame Relay DLCI, ATM VPI/VCI,
       point-to-point Ethernet) across an IP and an MPLS-enabled IP network.

 3. IP-only L2 VPNs--L2 service across an IP and an MPLS-enabled
       IP network, allowing standard IP devices to communicate with each
       other as if they were connected to a common LAN segment or a point-
       to-point circuit.

 The WG will address intra-AS scenarios only at this point (other
 scenarios will be considered for inclusion in the updated charter when 
 the current one is completed.)
       
 As a general rule, the WG will not create new protocols, but will 
 provide functional requirements for extensions of the existing 
 protocols that will be discussed in the protocol-specific WGs.
 As a specific example, this WG will not define new encapsulation
 mechanism, but will use those defined in the PWE3 WG.
 L2VPN WG will review proposed protocol extensions for L2VPNs before 
 they are recommended to appropriate protocol-specific WGs.

 The WG will work on the following items. Adding new work items 
 will require rechartering.

 1. Discovery of PEs participating in L2 service, and
       topology of required connectivity

 2. Signaling of l2vpn related information for the purpose of 
       setup and maintenance of l2vpn circuits. As much as possible
       PWE3 signaling procedures should be used

 3. Solution documents (providing the framework for a specific
       solution, should include info on how discovery, signaling,
       and encaps work together, include security, AS as a separate
       document)

 4. MIBs
       
 5. L2VPN-specific OAM extensions--extensions to existing OAM
       solutions for VPLS, VPWS, and IP-only L2VPNs.

 Where necessary, the WG will coordinate its activities with IEEE 802.1