Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) L. Berger

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) L. Berger
Request for Comments: 6510 LabN
Updates: 4875, 5420 G. Swallow
Category: Standards Track Cisco
ISSN: 2070-1721 February 2012

Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) Message Formats for
Label Switched Path (LSP) Attributes Objects

Abstract

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Label Switched Paths (LSPs)
established using the Resource Reservation Protocol Traffic
Engineering (RSVP-TE) extensions may be signaled with a set of LSP-
specific attributes. These attributes may be carried in both Path
and Resv messages. This document specifies how LSP attributes are to
be carried in RSVP Path and Resv messages using the Routing Backus-
Naur Form and clarifies related Resv message formats. This document
updates RFC 4875 and RFC 5420.

Status of This Memo

This is an Internet Standards Track document.

This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has
received public review and has been approved for publication by the
Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on
Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 5741.

Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6510.

Copyright Notice

Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
document authors. All rights reserved.

This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
(http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
publication of this document. Please review these documents
carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must

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RFC 6510 RSVP Message Formats for LSP Attributes February 2012

include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ....................................................2
1.1. Conventions Used in This Document ..........................3
2. Path Messages ...................................................3
2.1. Path Message Format ........................................3
3. Resv Messages ...................................................4
3.1. Resv Message Format -- Per LSP Operational Status ..........5
3.2. Resv Message Format -- Per S2L Operational Status ..........6
3.2.1. Compatibility .......................................6
4. Security Considerations .........................................6
5. Acknowledgments .................................................7
6. References ......................................................7
6.1. Normative References .......................................7
6.2. Informative References .....................................7

1. Introduction

Signaling in support of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and
Generalized MPLS (GMPLS) point-to-point Label Switched Paths (LSPs)
is defined in [RFC3209] and [RFC3473]. [RFC4875] defines signaling
support for point-to-multipoint (P2MP) Traffic Engineering (TE) LSPs.

Two LSP Attributes objects are defined in [RFC5420]. These objects
may be used to provide additional information related to how an LSP
should be set up when carried in a Path message and, when carried in
a Resv message, how an LSP has been established. The definition of
the objects includes a narrative description of related message
formats (see Section 9 of [RFC5420]). This definition does not
provide the related Routing Backus-Naur Form (BNF) [RFC5511] that is
typically used to define how messages are to be constructed using
RSVP objects. The current message format description has led to the
open question of how the LSP Attributes objects are to be processed
in Resv messages of P2MP LSPs (which are defined in [RFC4875]).

This document provides the BNF for Path and Resv messages carrying
the LSP Attributes object. The definition clarifies how the objects
are to be carried for all LSP types. Both Path and Resv message BNF
is provided for completeness.

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RFC 6510 RSVP Message Formats for LSP Attributes February 2012

This document presents the related RSVP message formats as modified
by [RFC5420]. This document modifies formats defined in [RFC3209],
[RFC3473], and [RFC4875]. See [RFC5511] for the syntax used by RSVP.
Unmodified formats are not listed. An example of a case where the
modified formats are applicable is described in [RFC6511].

1.1. Conventions Used in This Document

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119].

2. Path Messages

This section updates [RFC4875]. Path message formatting is
unmodified from the narrative description provided in Section 9 of
[RFC5420]:

The LSP_ATTRIBUTES object and the LSP_REQUIRED_ATTRIBUTES object
MAY be carried in a Path message....

The order of objects in RSVP-TE messages is recommended, but
implementations must be capable of receiving the objects in any
meaningful order.

On a Path message, the LSP_ATTRIBUTES object and
LSP_REQUIRED_ATTRIBUTES objects are RECOMMENDED to be placed
immediately after the SESSION_ATTRIBUTE object if it is present,
or otherwise immediately after the LABEL_REQUEST object.

If both the LSP_ATTRIBUTES object and the LSP_REQUIRED_ATTRIBUTES
object are present, the LSP_REQUIRED_ATTRIBUTES object is
RECOMMENDED to be placed first.

LSRs MUST be prepared to receive these objects in any order in any
position within a Path message. Subsequent instances of these
objects within a Path message SHOULD be ignored and MUST be
forwarded unchanged.

2.1. Path Message Format

This section presents the Path message format as modified by
[RFC5420]. Unmodified formats are not listed.

<Path Message> ::= <Common Header> [ <INTEGRITY> ]
[ [<MESSAGE_ID_ACK> | <MESSAGE_ID_NACK>] ...]
[ <MESSAGE_ID> ]
<SESSION> <RSVP_HOP>

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RFC 6510 RSVP Message Formats for LSP Attributes February 2012

<TIME_VALUES>
[ <EXPLICIT_ROUTE> ]
<LABEL_REQUEST>
[ <PROTECTION> ]
[ <LABEL_SET> ... ]
[ <SESSION_ATTRIBUTE> ]
[ <LSP_REQUIRED_ATTRIBUTES> ... ]
[ <LSP_ATTRIBUTES> ... ]
[ <NOTIFY_REQUEST> ]
[ <ADMIN_STATUS> ]
[ <POLICY_DATA> ... ]
<sender descriptor>
[<S2L sub-LSP descriptor list>]

Note that PathErr and PathTear messages are not impacted by the
introduction of the LSP Attributes objects.

3. Resv Messages

This section updates [RFC4875] and [RFC5420]. Section 9 of [RFC5420]
contains the following text regarding Resv messages:

The LSP_ATTRIBUTES object MAY be carried in a Resv message.

The order of objects in RSVP-TE messages is recommended, but
implementations must be capable of receiving the objects in any
meaningful order.

...

On a Resv message, the LSP_ATTRIBUTES object is placed in the flow
descriptor and is associated with the FILTER_SPEC object that
precedes it. It is RECOMMENDED that the LSP_ATTRIBUTES object be
placed immediately after the LABEL object.

LSRs MUST be prepared to receive this object in any order in any
position within a Resv message, subject to the previous note.
Only one instance of the LSP_ATTRIBUTES object is meaningful
within the context of a FILTER_SPEC object. Subsequent instances
of the object SHOULD be ignored and MUST be forwarded unchanged.

This means that LSP attributes may be present per sender (LSP) and
allows for the LSP Attributes object to be modified using make-
before-break (see [RFC3209]). This definition is sufficient for
point-to-point ([RFC3209] and [RFC3473]) LSPs and the special case
where all point-to-multipoint source-to-leaf (S2L) sub-LSPs
([RFC4875]) report the same operational status (as used in
[RFC5420]). However, this definition does not allow for different

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egress Label Switching Routers (LSRs) to report different operational
statuses. In order to allow such reporting, this document adds the
following definition:

An LSR that wishes to report the operational status of a (point-
to-multipoint) S2L sub-LSP may include the LSP Attributes object
in a Resv message or update the object that is already carried in
a Resv message. LSP Attributes objects representing S2L sub-LSP
status MUST follow a S2L_SUB_LSP object. Only the first instance
of the LSP Attributes object is meaningful within the context of a
S2L_SUB_LSP object. Subsequent instances of the object SHOULD be
ignored and MUST be forwarded unchanged.

When an LSP Attributes object is present before the first
S2L_SUB_LSP object, the LSP Attributes object represents the
operational status of all S2L sub-LSPs identified in the message.
Subsequent instances of the object (e.g., in the filter spec or
the S2L sub-LSP flow descriptor) SHOULD be ignored and MUST be
forwarded unchanged. When a branch node is combining Resv state
from multiple receivers into a single Resv message and an LSP
Attributes object is present before the first S2L_SUB_LSP object
in a received Resv message, the received LSP Attributes object
SHOULD be moved to follow the first received S2L_SUB_LSP object
and then SHOULD be duplicated for, and placed after, each
subsequent S2L_SUB_LSP object.

3.1. Resv Message Format -- Per LSP Operational Status

This section presents the Resv message format for LSPs as modified by
[RFC5420] and can be used to report operational status per LSP.
Unmodified formats are not listed. The following is based on
[RFC4875].

<FF flow descriptor list> ::= <FF flow descriptor>
[ <FF flow descriptor list> ]

<FF flow descriptor> ::= [ <FLOWSPEC> ] <FILTER_SPEC> <LABEL>
[ <LSP_ATTRIBUTES> ... ]
[ <RECORD_ROUTE> ]
[ <S2L sub-LSP flow descriptor list> ]

<SE flow descriptor> ::= <FLOWSPEC> <SE filter spec list>

<SE filter spec list> ::= <SE filter spec>
[ <SE filter spec list> ]

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<SE filter spec> ::= <FILTER_SPEC> <LABEL>
[ <LSP_ATTRIBUTES> ... ]
[ <RECORD_ROUTE> ]
[ <S2L sub-LSP flow descriptor list> ]

3.2. Resv Message Format -- Per S2L Operational Status

This section presents the Resv message format for LSPs as modified by
this document and [RFC5420], and can be used to report operational
status per S2L sub-LSP. Unmodified formats are not listed. The
following is based on [RFC4875].

<FF flow descriptor> ::= [ <FLOWSPEC> ] <FILTER_SPEC> <LABEL>
[ <RECORD_ROUTE> ]
[ <S2L sub-LSP flow descriptor list> ]

<SE filter spec> ::= <FILTER_SPEC> <LABEL> [ <RECORD_ROUTE> ]
[ <S2L sub-LSP flow descriptor list> ]

<S2L sub-LSP flow descriptor list> ::=
<S2L sub-LSP flow descriptor>
[ <S2L sub-LSP flow descriptor list> ]

<S2L sub-LSP flow descriptor> ::= <S2L_SUB_LSP>
[ <LSP_ATTRIBUTES> ... ]
[ <P2MP_SECONDARY_RECORD_ROUTE> ]

3.2.1. Compatibility

A node that supports [RFC4875] and [RFC5420], but not this document,
will interpret the first LSP Attributes object present in a received
message, which is formatted as described in this document, as
representing LSP operational status rather than S2L sub-LSP status.
It is unclear if this is a significant issue as the LSP Attributes
object is currently considered to be an unsuitable mechanism for
reporting operational status of P2MP LSPs, for example, see Section
2.1 of [RFC6511]. The intent of this document is to correct this
limitation; it is expected that networks that wish to make use of
such operational reporting will deploy this extension.

4. Security Considerations

This document clarifies usage of objects defined in [RFC5420]. No
new information is conveyed; therefore, no additional security
considerations are included here. For a general discussion on MPLS-
and GMPLS-related security issues, see the MPLS/GMPLS security
framework [RFC5920].

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RFC 6510 RSVP Message Formats for LSP Attributes February 2012

5. Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Adrian
Farrel.

6. References

6.1. Normative References

[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.

[RFC3209] Awduche, D., Berger, L., Gan, D., Li, T., Srinivasan, V.,
and G. Swallow, "RSVP-TE: Extensions to RSVP for LSP
Tunnels", RFC 3209, December 2001.

[RFC3473] Berger, L., Ed., "Generalized Multi-Protocol Label
Switching (GMPLS) Signaling Resource ReserVation Protocol-
Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE) Extensions", RFC 3473,
January 2003.

[RFC4875] Aggarwal, R., Ed., Papadimitriou, D., Ed., and S.
Yasukawa, Ed., "Extensions to Resource Reservation
Protocol - Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE) for Point-to-
Multipoint TE Label Switched Paths (LSPs)", RFC 4875, May
2007.

[RFC5420] Farrel, A., Ed., Papadimitriou, D., Vasseur, JP., and A.
Ayyangarps, "Encoding of Attributes for MPLS LSP
Establishment Using Resource Reservation Protocol Traffic
Engineering (RSVP-TE)", RFC 5420, February 2009.

[RFC5511] Farrel, A., "Routing Backus-Naur Form (RBNF): A Syntax
Used to Form Encoding Rules in Various Routing Protocol
Specifications", RFC 5511, April 2009.

6.2. Informative References

[RFC5920] Fang, L., Ed., "Security Framework for MPLS and GMPLS
Networks", RFC 5920, July 2010.

[RFC6511] Ali, Z., Swallow, G., and R. Aggarwal, "Non-Penultimate
Hop Popping Behavior and Out-of-Band Mapping for RSVP-TE
Label Switched Paths", RFC 6511, February 2012.

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RFC 6510 RSVP Message Formats for LSP Attributes February 2012

Authors' Addresses

Lou Berger
LabN Consulting, L.L.C.
Phone: +1-301-468-9228
EMail: [email protected]

George Swallow
Cisco Systems, Inc.
EMail: [email protected]

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