Subject: WG Action: Ad-Hoc Network Autoconfiguration (autoconf)

From: The IESG <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 15:53:36 -0400

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

+++

Ad-Hoc Network Autoconfiguration (autoconf)
=============================================

Current Status: Active Working Group

Chair(s):
Thomas Clausen <[email-masked]>
Shubhranshu Singh <[email-masked]>

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

Internet Area Advisor:
Margaret Wasserman <[email-masked]>

Mailing Lists:
General Discussion: [email-masked]
To Subscribe: [email-masked]
Archive: 

Description of Working Group:
In order to communicate among themselves, ad hoc nodes (refer to RFC
2501) need to configure their network interface(s) with local
addresses that are valid within an ad hoc network. Ad hoc nodes may
also need to configure globally routable addresses, in order to
communicate with devices on the Internet.

>From the IP layer perspective, a MANET presents itself as a L3
multi-hop network formed over a collection of links. Thus, each ad hoc
node in the MANET is, potentially, acting as a L3 router in order to
provide connectivity to other nodes within the MANET. Each ad hoc node
maintains host routes to other ad hoc nodes
within the MANET - in addition to network routes to destinations
outside the MANET. If connected to the Internet, MANETs are edge
networks, i.e. their boundary is defined by their edge routers. Due to
the nature of the links over which a MANET is formed, ad hoc nodes
within a MANET do not share access to a single multicast-capable link
for signaling. This implies that the usual delivery semantics of
link-local multicast and broadcast are not preserved within a MANET.

The address autoconfiguration related protocol specifications such as
RFCs 2462, 2461, as used in traditional IP networks, assume that
subnet-local signals (e.g. link-local multicast signals) are received
by each of the hosts on the particular subnet without being forwarded
by the routers defining the subnet boundary. Hence, ad hoc networks
(as defined and understood by the IETF MANET WG) cannot use these
protocol specifications as-is.

The main purpose of the AUTOCONF WG is to standardize mechanisms to be
used by ad hoc nodes for configuring unique local and/or globally
routable IPv6 addresses. The ad hoc nodes under consideration are,
once configured, expected to be able to support multi-hop
communication by running MANET routing protocols as developed by the
IETF MANET WG. An AUTOCONF mechanism should not be dependent on any
specific MANET routing protocol, however the routing protocol may
provide for optimizations. With this in mind, the goals of AUTOCONF WG
are to:

- Produce a "MANET architecture" document defining the MANET
architecture as is related to IP networks and the Internet.

- Produce a "terminology and problem statement" document, defining the
problem statement and goals for AUTOCONF.

- Develop an IPv6 address autoconfiguration mechanism to be used by ad
hoc nodes for configuring unique local addresses as well as, in cases
where Internet connectivity exists, globally routable unique
addresses.

- Develop a mechanism to promote configured address uniqueness in the
situation where different ad hoc networks merge.

Issues and requirements related to prefix and/or address providing
entities, such as an Internet gateway, will be addressed within the
group to the extent that they are directly related to the AUTOCONF
mechanisms. Security concerns related to AUTOCONF mechanisms will also
be discussed within the group.

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

Goals and Milestones:
Oct 05    Submit 'MANET architecture' document for WG review  
Nov 05    Submit 'terminology and problem statement' document for WG review  
Apr 06    Submit 'MANET architecture' document to IESG for publication as an
informational RFC  
May 06    Submit 'terminology and problem statement' document to IESG for
publication as an informational RFC  
May 06    Submit initial I-D of 'IPv6 address autoconfiguration mechanism' for
WG review  
May 06    Submit initial -ID of 'configured address uniqueness maintenance' for
WG review  
Sep 06    Revise WG documents and review  
Dec 06    Revise documents based upon implementation experience  
Apr 07    Submit 'IPv6 address autoconfiguration mechanism' specification and
supporting documentation to IESG for publications as Proposed Standard  
Apr 07    Submit 'configured address uniqueness maintenance' specification and
supporting documentation to IESG for publications as Proposed Standard  
Oct 07    Close or recharter the WG  

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