Subject: WG Action: RECHARTER: Layer 2 Virtual Private Networks (l2vpn)

From: IESG Secretary <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:21:16 -0700 (PDT)

The Layer 2 Virtual Private Networks (l2vpn) working group in the Internet
Area of the IETF has been rechartered.  For additional information, please
contact the Area Directors or the working group Chairs.

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

Last Modified: 2008-10-29

Current Status: Active Working Group

Chair(s):
 Shane Amante [[email-masked]]
 Vach Kompella [[email-masked]]

 Internet Area Director(s):

Jari Arkko [[email-masked]]
Mark Townsley [[email-masked]] 

 Internet Area Advisor:

Mark Townsley [[email-masked]]   

 Technical Advisor(s):

Alex Zinin [[email-masked]] 

 Mailing Lists: 
     General Discussion:[email-masked]
     To Subscribe:      https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/l2vpn
     Archive:          
http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/l2vpn/index.html

Description of Working Group:

The L2VPN working group is responsible for defining and specifying a
limited number of solutions for supporting provider-provisioned Layer-2 
Virtual Private Networks (L2VPNs).  Layer-2 VPN's comprise the following:

1. Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) -- A Layer-2 service that emulates
   an Ethernet (V)LAN across an IP or an MPLS-enabled IP Packet Switched 
   Network (PSN).

2. Virtual Private Wire Service (VPWS) -- A Layer 2 service that provides
 
   point-to-point connectivity for a variety of link layers, including 
   Frame Relay, ATM, Ethernet, PPP, etc., across an IP or MPLS-enabled IP

   PSN. 

3. Virtual Private Multicast Service (VPMS) -- A Layer 2 service that
   Provides point-to-multipoint connectivity for a variety of link layers,
 
   including Frame Relay, ATM, Ethernet, PPP, etc., across an IP or 
   MPLS-enabled IP PSN.

4. IP-only L2VPN -- A point-to-point or point-to-multipoint "IP-only" 
   service over an IP or MPLS-enabled PSN.  This service is similar to 
   VPWS because it supports a variety of link-layer protocols on the 
   Attachment Circuits, including Frame Relay, ATM, Ethernet, PPP, etc.  
   IP-only L2VPN's are different from both VPLS and VPWS because unicast
   Layer-2 frames containing IP data packets, either IPv4 or IPv6, are de-

   encapsulated leaving only the IP data packet to be transmitted over 
   the PSN.  An IP-only L2VPN service also differs from L3VPN service, 
   since no routing protocol operates between the PE and CE; furthermore,

   connectivity from CE to CE is provided via an emulated Layer-2 service
 
   over the PSN, which results in the CE's appearing to be directly 
   attached to each other at Layer-2.  The WG will address two specific 
   types of IP-only L2VPN:

   a) Those with Attachment Circuits (ACs) that use the same Layer 2 
   framing at all attachment points in the same L2VPN; and,

   b) Those with ACs that use different Layer 2 framing at various 
   attachment points in the same L2VPN. For (b), inter-working between 
   link-layers is strictly out of scope beyond that which is minimally 
   necessary to ensure that IP packets are transported from an AC of one 
   type, across the IP or MPLS-enabled IP PSN, and to an AC of another 
   type in as transparent a manner as possible to the CEs on both sides 
   of the service.

VPLS, VPWS and VPMS operate over Pseudowires (PWs) as defined by the
PWE3 WG.  As with a single PW, an L2VPN emulates a "native" service
over a PSN that is reasonably faithful to, but may not be entirely
indistinguishable from, the native service itself. Further, following
in the "edge-to-edge" nature of the PWs that it uses, the L2VPN WG
will not define any new mechanisms which exert control over the
underlying PSN.  When necessary it may, however, recommend or require
the use of existing PSN QoS and path control mechanisms between PW
endpoints which make up the L2VPN.

L2VPN's will make use of existing IETF specified mechanisms unless there
are technical reasons why the existing mechanisms are insufficient or 
unnecessary.

The L2VPN WG is responsible for specification of the discovery and 
membership of PE's participating in a VPLS, VPWS or IP-only L2VPN as well
as the membership of CE devices to a specific instance of a L2VPN.

The L2VPN WG will provide extensions of existing protocols that will be 
discussed in protocol-specific WG's.  In particular, the L2VPN WG 
may define extensions to pseudowire management mechanisms (including
OAM), specifically Pseudowire Virtual Circuit Connectivity Verification
(VCCV), for VPLS.  Those VCCV extensions will be reviewed by PWE3 to
ensure they are inline with the overall design/architecture of VCCV
and MPLS.

The L2VPN WG will not define new encapsulations, control (set-up, 
configuration, maintenance or tear-down), or resiliency mechanisms
specifically related to pseudowires, because those must be defined by the
PWE3 WG.  Furthermore, the L2VPN WG will not define protocol inter-
working between a VPLS or VPWS and native service-layer control, OAM or 
or resiliency mechanisms, as those will be defined by the PWE3 WG.  On 
the other hand, the L2VPN WG may define how to operate native service-
layer control, IEEE 802.1 OAM or resiliency mechanisms on top of a VPLS 
or VPWS service.

The L2VPN WG scope includes the following:

1. Discovery of PE's participating in a Layer-2 VPN and the associated
   topology required for connectivity of the VPLS or VPWS service.

2. Signaling of information related to the discovery and membership of 
   PE's within a L2VPN.  These procedures must use PWE3 control and 
   management procedures, or define requirements for extensions of PWE3 
   protocols to suit the needs of an L2VPN.  Once those requirements are 
   reviewed by the L2VPN WG, they should be provided to the PWE3 WG to 
   derive solutions.

3. MIB's for Layer-2 VPN solutions.

4. Specification of requirements and framework that will define
Operations
   Administration and Management (OAM) procedures for VPLS and VPWS VPN's,

   related to the operation of VPLS and VPWS VPN's over IP/MPLS PSN's.  
   In addition, the L2VPN WG will define OAM solutions for VPLS and VPWS
   VPN's.

5. Mechanisms to permit optimization of multicast data traffic within
   a VPLS or VPWS VPN over an IP/MPLS PSN. 

6. Improved service convergence for multi-homed CE's to VPLS PE's.  
   Specifically, upon failure of a primary path from a CE to VPLS PE, 
   initiate a rapid switch-over to an alternate path.  If required, 
   interactions with native service-layer resiliency mechanisms will be 
   provided via solutions from other IETF WG's such as PWE3.

7. Enhancements to increase the scalability of the Control Plane and
   Data Plane (e.g.: number of PW's and MAC Forwarding Database, 
   respectively) of VPLS PE nodes.

8. Define requirements and solutions for Auto-Discovery and Signaling
   of Inter-AS VPLS and VPWS L2VPN's, in addition to Inter-AS solutions
   for multicast-optimized VPLS and VPMS Layer-2 VPN's.

The L2VPN WG currently works on the following tasks:

- Define MIB's appropriate for each type of Layer-2 VPN.

- Specification of Operations Administration and Management (OAM)
  mechanisms for VPLS, VPWS and IP-only VPN's.

- Specification of procedures to permit optimization of L2VPN multicast 
  data traffic within the PSN.

- Define enhancements to increase scalability of VPLS PE nodes, to
  provide aggregation of learned customer MAC addresses at VPLS PE's.

- Identify requirements for multi-homing of CE's to VPLS PE's. 
  elements.  Based on these requirements, define solutions for achieving
  fast convergence after a switchover to an alternate path, for example
  through optimized MAC flushing within a VPLS domain.

- Identify requirements for Inter-AS VPLS and VPWS services.  Define
  Inter-AS enhancements to VPLS and VPWS based on these requirements.

- Include extensions to L2VPN protocols and RFC's necessary to create an
  MPLS Transport Profile (MPLS-TP).  The work on the MPLS TP needs to be
  coordinated between four primary working groups (MPLS, PWE3, L2VPN and
  CCAMP) that are chartered to do MPLS TP work.

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

Goals and Milestones:

Done   Submit L2 requirements to IESG for publication as Informational
RFC
Done   Identify VPLS and VPWS solutions for the WG
Done   Submit L2 framework to IESG for publication as Informational RFC
Done   Submit VPLS solution documents to IESG
Done   Submit VPWS solution documents to IESG
Done   Submit an I-D on OAM requirements for VPLS
Done   Submit an I-D on OAM requirements for VPWS
Done   Submit an I-D describing MIB for VPLS
Done   Submit an I-D describing MIB for VPWS
Done   Submit Auto-Discovery and Signaling for Intra-AS and Inter-AS
          VPLS and VPWS Layer-2 VPN's
Nov 2008    Submit IP-only L2VPN solution documents to IESG
Mar 2009    Submit signaling solution for multicast-optimized VPLS to IESG
Mar 2009    Submit I-D on Virtual Private Multicast Service (VPMS)
            requirements to IESG
Mar 2009    Submit PIM snooping solution for VPLS to IESG
Mar 2009    Submit OAM solutions for VPWS to IESG
Mar 2009    Submit OAM solutions for VPLS to IESG
Mar 2009    Submit OAM solutions for IP-only L2VPN to IESG
Jul 2009    Submit MIB for VPLS to IESG
Jul 2009    Submit MIB for VPWS to IESG
Jul 2009    Submit MIB for IP-only L2VPN to IESG
Nov 2009    Submit scalability solutions for VPLS Control-Plane to IESG
Nov 2009    Submit scalability solutions for VPLS Data-Plane to IESG
Nov 2009    Submit Auto-Discovery solution for VPMS to IESG
Jul 2010    Submit VPLS service convergence improvement solutions to IESG
Jul 2010    Submit VPLS multi-homing solutions to IESG
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