Subject: WG Action: IPv6 over Low power WPAN (6lowpan)

From: IESG Secretary <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 16:45:20 -0500

A new IETF working group has been formed in the Internet Area. For additional
information, please contact the Area Directors or the WG Chairs. 

+++

IPv6 over Low power WPAN (6lowpan)
-----------------------------------

Current Status: Active Working Group

Chair(s):
Geoffrey Mulligan <[email-masked]>

Internet Area Director(s):
Thomas Narten <[email-masked]>
Margaret Wasserman <[email-masked]>

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

Mailing Lists:
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Archive: https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/6lowpan

Description of Working Group:

Background/Introduction:

Note: Given that there is not much precedent for this type of activity
at the IETF, the text that follows is of an introductory
nature. Hence, its objective is to give a general idea of the
application area and motivations for the work. In particular, this
section is not to be construed as detailing work items for the working
group. That is done in the following section entitled "Scope of the
Working Group."

Well-established fields such as control networks, and burgeoning ones
such as "sensor" (or transducer) networks, are increasingly being
based on wireless technologies. Most (but certainly not all) of these
nodes are amongst the most constrained that have ever been networked
wirelessly. Extreme low power (such that they will run potentially for
years on batteries) and extreme low cost (total device cost in single
digit dollars, and riding Moore's law to continuously reduce that
price point) are seen as essential enablers towards their deployment
in networks with the following characteristics:

* Significantly more devices than current networks

* Severely limited code and ram space (e.g., highly desirable to
fit the required code--MAC, IP and anything else needed to
execute the embedded application-- in, for example, 32K of flash
memory, using 8-bit microprocessors)

* Unobtrusive but very different user interface for configuration
(e.g., using gestures or interactions involving the physical
world)

* Robustness and simplicity in routing or network fabric

A chief component of these devices is wireless communication
technology. In particular, the IEEE 802.15.4 standard is very
promising for the lower (physical and link) layers. As for higher
layer functions, there is considerable interest from non-IETF groups
in using IP technology (the ZigBee alliance, for example, is currently
studying what such a work item might entail). The working group is
expected to coordinate and interact with such groups.

The required work includes items in the following (incomplete) list:

* IP adaptation/Packet Formats and interoperability
* Addressing schemes and address management
* Network management
* Routing in dynamically adaptive topologies
* Security, including set-up and maintenance
* Application programming interface
* Discovery (of devices, of services, etc)
* Implementation considerations

Whereas at least some of the above items are within the purview of the
IETF, at this point it is not clear that all of them are. Accordingly,
the 6LoWPAN working group will address a reduced, more focused set of
objectives.

Scope of 6lowpan:

Produce "Problems Statement, Assumptions and Goals for IPv6 for
LoWPANs" (draft-ietf-lowpan-goals-assumptions-xx.txt) to define the
problem statement and goals of 6lowpan networks.

Produce "Transmission of IPv6 Packets over IEEE 802.15.4 WPAN
Networks" (draft-ietf-lowpan-ipv6-over-802.15.4-xx.txt) to define the
basic packet formats and sub-IP adaptation layer for transmission of
IPv6 packets over IEEE 802.15.4. This includes framing, adaptation,
header compression and address generation. Furthermore, IEEE 802.15.4
devices are expected to be deployed in mesh topologies.

As such, the working group may also work on an informational document
to show how to apply an existing MANET protocol to LoWPANs (e.g.,
AODV, OLSR, DYMO, etc).

The working group will reuse existing specifications whenever
reasonable and possible.

The working group will also serve as a venue for ongoing discussions
on other topics related to the more complete list outlined above.
Additional related milestones may be added in the future via a
rechartering operation.

Note: As may be obvious from its official name above, this particular
working group will not work on IPv4 over IEEE 802.15.4 specifications.
Given the limitations of the target devices, dual-stack deployments
are not practical. Because of its higher potential for header
compression, its support for the huge number of devices expected and
of cleanly built-in features such as address autoconfiguration, IPv6
is the exclusive focus of the working group.

Goals and Milestones:
Mar 05    Working group last call on draft-ietf-lowpan-goals-assumptions-xx.txt
 
Apr 05    Submit draft-ietf-lowpan-goals-assumptions-xx.txt to IESG for
          consideration of publication as Informational  
May 05    Working Group Last Call on draft-ietf-lowpan-ipv6-over-802.15.4-xx.txt
  
Jul 05    Submit draft-ietf-lowpan-ipv6-over-802.15.4-xx.txt to IESG for
          consideration of publication as Proposed Standard  

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