Subject: Last Call: <draft-ietf-alto-protocol-25.txt> (ALTO Protocol) to Proposed Standard

From: The IESG <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2014 04:34:22 -0800

The IESG has received a request from the Application-Layer Traffic
Optimization WG (alto) to consider the following document:
- 'ALTO Protocol'
  <draft-ietf-alto-protocol-25.txt> as Proposed Standard

The IESG plans to make a decision in the next few weeks, and solicits
final comments on this action. Please send substantive comments to the
[email-masked] mailing lists by 2014-02-04. Exceptionally, comments may be
sent to [email-masked] instead. In either case, please retain the
beginning of the Subject line to allow automated sorting.

Abstract

   Applications using the Internet already have access to some topology
   information of Internet Service Provider (ISP) networks.  For
   example, views to Internet routing tables at looking glass servers
   are available and can be practically downloaded to many network
   application clients.  What is missing is knowledge of the underlying
   network topologies from the point of view of ISPs.  In other words,
   what an ISP prefers in terms of traffic optimization -- and a way to
   distribute it.

   The Application-Layer Traffic Optimization (ALTO) Service provides
   network information (e.g., basic network location structure and
   preferences of network paths) with the goal of modifying network
   resource consumption patterns while maintaining or improving
   application performance.  The basic information of ALTO is based on
   abstract maps of a network.  These maps provide a simplified view,
   yet enough information about a network for applications to
   effectively utilize them.  Additional services are built on top of
   the maps.

   This document describes a protocol implementing the ALTO Service.
   Although the ALTO Service would primarily be provided by ISPs, other
   entities such as content service providers could also operate an ALTO
   Service.  Applications that could use this service are those that
   have a choice to which end points to connect.  Examples of such
   applications are peer-to-peer (P2P) and content delivery networks.

The file can be obtained via
http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-alto-protocol/

IESG discussion can be tracked via
http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-alto-protocol/ballot/

No IPR declarations have been submitted directly on this I-D.