Curtis,

Please see comments inline. 

Thanks for the detailed responses.

Iftekhar

-----Original Message-----
From: Curtis Villamizar [mailto:[email protected]] 
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 7:10 PM
To: Iftekhar Hussain
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Ref: Composite link drafts update and request


Iftekhar,

Responses inline.  Some reformating of your email into plain text.

Thanks for the interest and for the comments.

Curtis


In message <d7d7ab44c06a2440b716f1f1f5e70ae5345ca...@sv-exdb-prod1.infinera.com>
Iftekhar Hussain writes:
 
> Hi,
>  
> I have following clarification questions/comments about the
> https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-rtgwg-cl-requirement-05
> document
>  
> a) Section 3. "Examples of a physical link are: Lambda, Ethernet PHY,
>    and OTN".  Should "OTN" be "OTU"?  Furthermore, can a "component
>    link" be formed by set of Lambda?

We are mixing physical and physical plus link layer in the examples.
The distinction is not important in this context but if you feel strongly we 
could clarify.

If we put ODU then others would complain that ODU is carried in OTU and then we 
run into the issue that OTU is a framing on an OPU and perhaps someone would 
argue that OTU is not a physical layer and that even OPU is not truly a 
physical layer.

[Iftekhar] Yes the main confusion was it was specifically referring to physical 
links.  Your suggested change will help it clarify.

It might be best to change this to:

  Examples of a physical link (physical layer plus link layer) are: a
  lambda with any link layer(s), Ethernet, OTN.

Examples of multiple link layers include POS/SONET, 10GbE/ODU2e/ODU4/OTU4/OPU4, 
etc.  In the same way, WDM could be considered an example of multiple physical 
layers (the individual lambda multiplex using WDM).  The problem is that any 
attempt to strictly apply the antiquated ISO 7-layer model falls apart even is 
we apply only the physical layer and link layer.  For WDM we have the physical 
layer subdivided into a layer zero (optical) and a layer one (modulated signal 
aka single lambda).  We have plenty of examples of multiple link layer (layer 
two) protocols.

The important distinction is [CL running over] a physical link plus link layer 
[used as a component link] vs [CL running over] MPLS [used as a component 
link].  Rewritten without the []: The important distinction is a physical link 
plus link layer vs MPLS.

> b) Section 4.1.  In the context of "FR#1" from end-to-end perspective,
>    should there be some sort of network scale related requirement(s)?
>    For example, max number of pair of nodes connected via composite
>    links traversed etc. If this aspect is covered somewhere a
>    reference should be added.

End-to-end in any MPLS context means edge-to-edge (and is not mentioned at all 
in FR#1 or elsewhere).  Existing scaling techniques used in MPLS networks still 
apply.  Scaling is the motivation for DR#5 (IGP extensions disallowed in 
multiple domain case).  Scaling is directly addressed in DR#6 (fast 
convergence) and DR#7 (fast worst case failure convergence).

Scalability and stability are covered in the framework document 
(draft-so-yong-rtgwg-cl-framework).  For example in "3.1.  Scalability 
Motivations" and "3.5.  Avoiding Route Oscillation".  Possible need for further 
work is suggested in "7.2.11.  Performance, Scalability, and Stability" in the 
framework document.

[Iftekhar] Okay. I will take a look at the " draft-so-yong-rtgwg-cl-framework". 
You might consider adding a reference to the framework document.

> c) Section 4.2, "Communication of other performance parameters (e.g.,
>    delay variation) is desirable" seems to contradict "FR#17" in
>    section 4.3.

The statement is:

   [...]  Communication of the latency performance
   parameter is a very important requirement.  Communication of other
   performance parameters (e.g., delay variation) is desirable.

If jitter was described as "undesireable" then it might be a contradiction.  
The point is delay is very important and delay variation would be nice (maybe 
not IMHO).  What is important (ie:
normative) is what the implementation MUST support, and what the operator MAY 
enable or disable.  What is unimportant is subjective verbiage about relative 
importance among parameters.  The operator will decide what is important by 
using or not using a feature.

FR#17 says:

   FR#17  The solution SHALL provide a means to indicate that a traffic
          flow shall select a component link with a maximum acceptable
          delay variation value as specified by protocol.

There are two differences between the statement in Section 4.2 and the 
statement in FR#17.  First "communication of other performance parameters" and 
"provide a means to indicate that a traffic flow shall select a component link 
with a maximum acceptable delay variation value" are two different things; the 
first is a IGP parameter (link delay or link delay variation), the second is an 
RSVP parameter (maximum allowable delay variation for a given LSP).  Second, 
the wording in Section 4.2 is informative and the wording in FR#17 is normative.

[Iftekhar] Okay. I interpreted jitter as "desirable" meaning it is an objective 
i.e., it is not required. But then saw the requirement FR#17 which I read as a 
requirement to support delay variation.  For example in FR#17 I was expecting 
"MAY" or "SHOULD"  rather than "MUST". 

> d) Section 4.2, FR#8" appears to use "latency" in the end-to-end
>    sense.  While the next requirement "FR#9" appears to refer to this
>    term only between two nodes. I think, it would helpful to clarify
>    the usage of term "latency" e.g., what component of a node transit
>    delay it excludes or includes. Or add a reference to a document if
>    this is covered in some other document.

BTW- I prefer delay over latency, but the term latency is used.  The two mean 
the same thing.  Neither word by itself does not indicate any one type of delay 
(fabric delay, transmit delay, queuing delay, geographic delay).  Neither word 
by itself implies intra-node delay, or delay between adjacent nodes, or 
end-to-end delay.

FR#8 applies to any measurement of delay, whether it is a measurement over a 
single physical link or over a component link carried over a multihop MPLS LSP. 
 Also in FR#9 there is no indication that the nodes are adjacent, and the 
phrase "when the path between these nodes contains one or more pairs of nodes 
connected via a composite link"
clearly indicates that multihop paths are being considered as well as delay 
between adjacent nodes.

There are some hints as to which delays the operators may consider important in 
this context.  FR#8 states that "The precision of latency reporting SHOULD be 
at least 10% of the one way latencies for latency of 1 ms or more."  This 
excludes most equipment latencies which can be expected to be well under 100 
usec (10% of 1 msec).

The intent is to measure the predominant latency in most (well run) service 
provider networks, which is geographic delay on the order of msec or tens of 
msec and in some cases over 100 msec (intercontinental traffic).  In a 
congested network (possibly not so well run network, or maybe a well run 
network with a substantial outage) queuing delay can be quite large.  In a 
congested network measuring the queuing delay for the low priority traffic (the 
only traffic likely to be experiencing congestion, even in an outage) is more 
likely to add to problems by adding routing instability.

The only real question in FR#8 and FR#9 is whether queuing delay is counted in 
the latency figure.  The argument for including queuing delay is that it 
reflects the delay experienced by applications.  The argument against including 
queuing delay is that it if used in routing decisions it can result in routing 
instability.

There are quite a few documents that deal with this tradeoff.  For example, in 
MPLS-TP it is noted that delay measurements should be made using the highest 
priority COS value (which in effect very nearly eliminates any queuing delay 
from the measurement).


For the requirements document, this tradeoff is not discussed, however the 
stability and convergence requirements must be considered when coming up with a 
solution.  Solutions should be described in the framework document and not in 
the requirments document.

In the framework document (draft-so-yong-rtgwg-cl-framework) there is 
discussion of this tradeoff in "3.5.  Avoiding Route Oscillation" and 
elsewhere.  The framework document is a better place for discussion of 
requirements tradeoffs.

[Iftekhar] Okay, will take a look at the framework document. 

> e) General comment section 4.3. "Many techniques have been developed
>    to balance the distribution of flows across component links that
>    connect the same pair of nodes" and "...via composite links, other
>    techniques have been developed." It would good to add a
>    reference(s) for each.

There are a few RFCs on the topic.  Inverse multiplexing, various forms of 
ECMP, and Ethernet Link Aggregation are all well known.  The statement would 
certainly not be controversial without references.

If you are looking for further information on this, the Use Cases draft 
(draft-symmvo-rtgwg-cl-use-cases) has references.  "Appendix B.
Existing Multipath Standards and Techniques" was moved from the requirements 
document to the Use Cases draft.

We could add a reference to the use cases draft in the requirements draft if 
you think that would help.

[Iftekhar] I believe the requirement document would read better and easier to 
follow if the references are added.

> f) Section 4.3, "FR#12" is about latency while the example "...a user
>    experience objective (e.g. jitter buffer under/overrun)" appears to
>    refer to delay variation. I think, the example should be consistent
>    with the requirement.

The requirement in FR#12 is in the first paragraph.

   FR#12  When a traffic flow is moved from one component link to
          another in the same composite link between a set of nodes (or
          sites), it MUST be done so in a minimally disruptive manner.

The rest is discussion.

          When a flow is moved from a current link to a target link with
          different latency, reordering can occur if the target link
          latency is less than that of the current or clumping can occur
          if target link latency is greater than that of the current.
          Therefore, some flows (e.g., timing distribution, PW circuit
          emulation) are quite sensitive to these effects, which may be
          specified in an NPO or are needed to meet a user experience
          objective (e.g. jitter buffer under/overrun).

The discussion exists primarily for the reader who might otherwise not realize 
why there would be a disruption at all (and therefore might not understand why 
we have to say "minimally disruptive" instead of "completely non-disruptive").  
Perhaps the entire paragraph needs to start with "For example, [...]".

In any case it is not inconsistent.  When delay changes on the current 
big-bad-Internet (such as in VOIP), the change is often absorbed by a jitter 
buffer as long as the change is small.  If a delay change of many milliseconds 
occurs, then it is unlikely that the typical relatively small jitter buffer can 
hide the delay change.

[Iftekhar] Thanks for detailed response. To me then the requirement then is 
about change in latency (i.e., delay variation).

> g) Section 4.3, "FR#17". It is not clear why the delay variation is
>    considered in this context. Reading this requirement, one gets the
>    impression as if the composite link delay has two components (delay
>    and delay variation). I had understood that delay variation
>    (contributed through the nodal switching/queuing delays) is not
>    considered in this document.

FR#16 is about delay.  FR#17 is about delay variation.  The wording "The 
solution SHALL provide a means" doesn't require the operator to use that 
feature.  Therefore it is better to keep the two in separate requirements as it 
is more clear that one could be enabled and the other disabled.

[Iftekhar] I think it would be clear if somehow the meaning of the above 
sentence "i.e., doesn't require the operator...." is included in the text.


> h) DR#6, a minor typo "Solution" should be "solution"?

Thanks for pointing this out.

> Thanks,
> Iftekhar
>  
> > As was discussed in yesterday's rtgwg meeting, there are three 
> > composite link drafts:
> >  
> > https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-rtgwg-cl-requirement-05
> >  
> > https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-so-yong-rtgwg-cl-framework-05
> >  
> > https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-symmvo-rtgwg-cl-use-cases-00
> >  
> > You can read the slides I presented on these drafts at 
> > https://tools.ietf.org/agenda/83/slides/slides-83-rtgwg-3.pdf (it's 
> > a quick read!).
> >  
> > As Alia said, you are all requested to read and comment on these 
> > drafts. In about a month's time, we will be requesting WG adoption 
> > of draft-so and draft-symmvo, and it'll be great to have an informed 
> > discussion at that time.
> >  
> > Thanks much,
> > Andy
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