Subject: Protocol Action: 'Label Switched Path (LSP) and Pseudowire (PW) Ping/Trace over MPLS Network using Entropy Labels (EL)' to Proposed Standard (draft-ietf-mpls-entropy-lsp-ping-05.txt)

From: The IESG <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:42:30 -0700

The IESG has approved the following document:
- 'Label Switched Path (LSP) and Pseudowire (PW) Ping/Trace over MPLS
   Network using Entropy Labels (EL)'
  (draft-ietf-mpls-entropy-lsp-ping-05.txt) as Proposed Standard

This document is the product of the Multiprotocol Label Switching Working
Group.

The IESG contact persons are Alvaro Retana, Alia Atlas and Deborah
Brungard.

A URL of this Internet Draft is:
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-mpls-entropy-lsp-ping/

Technical Summary

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Label Switched Path (LSP) Ping and
Traceroute are methods used to test Equal-Cost Multipath (ECMP) paths. 
Ping is known as a connectivity verification method and Traceroute as a
fault isolation method, as described in RFC 4379. When an LSP is signaled
using the Entropy Label (EL) described in RFC 6790, the ability for LSP Ping
and Traceroute operations to discover and exercise ECMP paths is lost for
scenarios where LSRs apply different load balancing techniques.  One such
scenario is when some LSRs apply EL-based load balancing while other LSRs
apply non-EL based load balancing (e.g., IP).  Another scenario is when an
EL-based LSP is stitched with another LSP which can be EL-based or non-EL
based.

This document extends the MPLS LSP Ping and Traceroute multipath mechanisms
in RFC 6424 to allow the ability of exercising LSPs which make use of the EL.  This
document updates RFC 4379, RFC 6424, and RFC 6790.

Working Group Summary

The working group process was smooth, but generated quite a bit of discussion,
all the discussion was focused on how to support the solution specified in the
document.
   
Document Quality

We know of implementations of this draft. An implementation poll has been
started and the shepherd write-up will be updated if and when further
information is received.
 
Personnel

Loa Andersson is the Document Shepherd.
Deborah Brungard is the Responsible Area Director.