On Sun, 6 Mar 2011 11:40:12 +0100 (CET)
Mikael Abrahamsson <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sun, 6 Mar 2011, Mark Smith wrote:
> 
> > I don't think I said an on-link prefix was required. All I have ever
> > said is that, as per the RFC5942, if you want to have an on-link
> > prefix, you must announce it in a PIO (without the A bit if you don't
> > want it to be used for SLAAC).
> 
> You said:
> 
> > I don't think that will always work. The PIO is needed to indicate to
> > end-nodes what the onlink prefix(es) are, as per RFC5942.
> 
> I interpreted your use of "needed" as "required".
> 

As always context matters.

I was stating it in the common and usually unstated conext of the most
common case. Usually people want optimal traffic forwarding paths,
which on a multi-access, peer-to-peer layer 2 segment (e.g. an
Ethernet), means traffic is sent directly between attached nodes,
rather than "hair-pinned" or "trumbonned" through a default router. In
this common case, you'll need a PIO option with the L bit switched on,
to indicate the on-link prefix(es), regardless of the addressing
information and address prefix length that DHCPv6 supplies.

In the less common cases of "non-link-local prefix-free" unnumbered
links, you don't need a PIO. In the less common case of DHCPv6 only
(M+O in RA) with hair-pinned traffic paths via a router on a
multi-access, peer-to-peer layer 2 segent, you don't need a PIO. In the
less common case of SLAAC only (-M -O in RA), with hair-pinned traffic
paths via a router on a multi-access, peer-to-peer layer 2 segment,
you'll need a PIO, with the A bit on, and the L bit switched off.

> > Steinar gave an example which could imply that wasn't the case, but his 
> > example was actually one where an on-link prefix wasn't required. IOW, 
> > his example didn't disprove my statement, it only showed that there are 
> > some situations where no PIO announced prefix has a use case - where all 
> > destinations are required to be considered off-link.
> 
> Well, I interpreted your "I don't think that will always work" as saying 
> that you thought what he said wouldn't work in all sitations. What 
> situations were you thinking of that won't work?
> 
> As far as I can see, not having an on-link prefix means all traffic will 
> be passing via the router, but that's not the same as "not working", it 
> might just be suboptimal in some deployment scenarios and highly desired 
> in others.
> 
> -- 
> Mikael Abrahamsson    email: [email protected]
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