Hi Shane,
A few comments. It is difficult for me to know what it is that needs
to be solved here and what it is that needs to be solved in the IETF.
And since the real work of this group is going on behind the curtain,
it is difficult to judge which tasks this group is actually taking on
and what the status on them is.
In general I think that both the configuration and routing policies,
multi-homing and other issues you mention as well as the convergence
issue all need to be covered by a research group. And I am sure that
there are other issues, e.g. some of my favorites are the hierarchical
structure of areas, ASs etc., and the capability for IPv4, IPv6, IPvn
and MPLS nets to truly peer in an Internet.
As I see it, the IETF is involved in stepwise patching and fixing
of the protocols in order to keep things working. It is a monumental
task and one which occupies so much effort that it does not seem to
allow the time for people to think about how to actually evolve (if
evolution and not revolution is goal) the Internet routing
architecture to the point where all the necessary issues are resolved,
not though patches and fixes, but though a coherent system design that
takes these issue into account in as simple and elegant a manner as
possible. This will, in my opinion, require some radical rethinking.
And finding ways to evolve to this radical new view without flag days
and other impossible events will be quite a challenge both for the IRTF
and eventually for the IETF.
I guess all we can do now is be confident that the co-chairs and
their closed group cohorts will do the right thing. Other then
that the rest of us can work on our own to come with our own
notions and try to gather support for them in the IRTF and the IETF.
a.
--Avri Doria +1 401 663 5024
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Aug 04 2003 - 04:10:04 EDT