Internet Draft

Network Working Group                                        Bruce Davie
Internet Draft                                               Paul Doolan
Expiration Date: April 1997                              Jeremy Lawrence
                                                        Keith McCloghrie
                                                           Yakov Rekhter
                                                              Eric Rosen
                                                          George Swallow

                                                     Cisco Systems, Inc.


                                                            October 1996



                     Use of Tag Switching With ATM


                  draft-davie-tag-switching-atm-00.txt

Status of this Memo

   This document is an Internet-Draft.  Internet-Drafts are working
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Abstract



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   A tag switching architecture is described in [1].  Tag Switching
   enables the use of ATM Switches as Tag Switching Routers. The ATM
   Switches run network layer routing algorithms (such as OSPF, IS-IS,
   etc.), and their data forwarding is based on the results of these
   routing algorithms. No ATM-specific routing or addressing is needed.

   This document describes how the tag switching architecture is applied
   to ATM switches.




Contents

    1      Introduction  ...........................................   2
    2      Definitions  ............................................   3
    3      Tag Switching Control Component for ATM  ................   3
    4      Hybrid Switches (Ships in the Night)  ...................   4
    5      Use of  VPI/VCIs  .......................................   4
    6      Tag Allocation and Maintenance Procedures  ..............   5
    7      Encapsulation  ..........................................   6
    8      Security Considerations  ................................   7
    9      Intellectual Property Considerations  ...................   7
   10      References  .............................................   7
   11      Acknowledgments  ........................................   8
   12      Authors' Addresses  .....................................   8




1. Introduction

   A tag switching architecture is described in [1]. It is possible to
   use ATM switches as tag switching routers. Such ATM switches run
   network layer routing algorithms (such as OSPF, IS-IS, etc.), and
   their forwarding is based on the results of these routing algorithms.
   No ATM-specific routing or addressing is needed.

   When an ATM switch is used for tag switching, the tag on which
   forwarding decisions are based is carried in the VCI and/or VPI
   fields. (It is possible to carry multiple tags in the VCI and/or VPI
   fields, but the scope of this document is restricted to the case of a
   single tag.)

   The characteristics of ATM switches require some specialized
   procedures and conventions to support tag switching. This document
   describes those aspects of tag switching which are specific to ATM.




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2. Definitions

   A Tag Switching Router (TSR) is a device which implements the tag
   switching control and forwarding components described in [1].

   A tag switching controlled ATM (TC-ATM) interface is an ATM interface
   controlled by the tag switching control component. Packets traversing
   such an interface carry tags in the VCI and/or VPI field.

   An ATM-TSR is a TSR with a number of TC-ATM interfaces which forwards
   cells between these interfaces using tags carried in the VCI and/or
   VPI field.

   A frame-based TSR is a TSR which forwards complete frames between its
   interfaces. Note that such a TSR may have zero, one or more TC-ATM
   interfaces.

   An ATM-TSR cloud is a set of ATM-TSRs which are mutually
   interconnected by TC-ATM interfaces.

   The Edge Set of an ATM-TSR cloud is the set of frame-based TSRs which
   are connected to the cloud by TC-ATM interfaces.


3. Tag Switching Control Component for ATM

   To support tag switching an ATM switch must implement the control
   component of tag switching. This consists primarily of tag allocation
   and maintenance procedures. Tag binding information is communicated
   through the Tag Distribution Protocol (TDP) [2].

   Since the tag switching control component uses information learned
   directly from network layer routing protocols, this implies that the
   switch must participate as a peer in these protocols (e.g., OSPF,
   IS-IS).

   Support of tag switching on an ATM switch does not require the switch
   to support the ATM control component defined by the ITU and ATM Forum
   (e.g., UNI, PNNI). An ATM-TSR may optionally respond to OAM cells.












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4. Hybrid Switches (Ships in the Night)

   The existence of the tag switching control component on an ATM switch
   does not preclude the ability to support the ATM control component
   defined by the ITU and ATM Forum on the same switch and the same
   interfaces.  The two control components, tag switching and the
   ITU/ATM Forum defined, would operate independently.

   Definition of how such a device operates is beyond the scope of this
   document.  However, only a small amount of information needs to be
   consistent between the two control components, such as the portions
   of the VPI/VCI space which are available to each component.


5. Use of  VPI/VCIs

   Tag switching is accomplished by associating tags with routes and
   using the tag value to forward packets, including determining the
   value of any replacement tag.  See [1] for further details. In an
   ATM-TSR, the tag is carried in the VPI and/or VCI field. Just as in
   ATM, for a cell arriving at an interface, the VPI/VCI is looked up,
   replaced, and the cell is switched.

   ATM-TSRs may be connected by ATM virtual paths to enable
   interconnection of ATM-TSRs over a cloud of conventional ATM
   switches. In this case, the tag is carried in the VCI field.

   For two connected ATM-TSRs, a connection must be available for TDP.
   The default is for this connection to be on VPI 0, VCI 32. For ATM-
   TSRs connected by a VPI of value x, the default for the TDP
   connection is VPI x, VCI 32. Additionally, for all VPI values, VCIs 0
   - 32 are not used as tags.

   With the exception of these reserved values, the VPI/VCI values used
   in the two directions of the link may be treated as independent
   spaces.

   The allowable ranges of VPI/VCIs are always communicated through TDP.
   If more than one VPI is used for tag switching, the allowable range
   of VCIs may be different for each VPI, and each range is communicated
   through TDP.










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6. Tag Allocation and Maintenance Procedures

   ATM-TSRs use the downstream-on-demand allocation mechanism described
   in [1]. The procedures for tag allocation are as follows.

   Consider a member of the Edge Set of an ATM-TSR cloud. Assume that,
   as a result of its routing calculations, it selects an ATM-TSR as the
   next hop of a certain route, and that the next hop is reachable via a
   TC-ATM interface. The Edge TSR uses TDP's BIND_REQUEST to request a
   tag binding from the next hop.  The hop count field in the request is
   set to 1.  Once the Edge TSR receives the tag binding information,
   the tag is used as an outgoing tag.

   When an ATM-TSR receives (via TDP) a tag binding request for a
   certain route from a peer connected to the ATM-TSR over a TC-ATM
   interface, the ATM-TSR allocates a tag, creates a new entry in its
   Tag Information Base (TIB), places that tag in the incoming tag
   component of the entry, and returns (via TDP) a binding containing
   the allocated tag back to the peer that originated the request.  The
   ATM-TSR then requests (via TDP) a tag binding from the next hop for
   that route. The hop count field in the request that the ATM-TSR sends
   (to the next hop TSR) is set to the hop count field in the request
   that the ATM-TSR received (from the upstream TSR) plus one.  Once the
   ATM-TSR receives the binding from the next hop, the ATM-TSR places
   the tag from the binding into the outgoing tag component of the TIB
   entry.

   When a member of the Edge Set of the ATM-TSR cloud receives a tag
   binding request from an ATM-TSR, it allocates a tag, creates a new
   entry in its Tag Information Base (TIB), places that tag in the
   incoming tag component of the entry, and returns (via TDP) a binding
   containing the allocated tag back to the peer that originated the
   request.  It uses the hop count that it received in the tag binding
   request from the previous hop to adjust the TTL of packets that
   arrive from that hop carrying this tag.

   Note that an ATM-TSR, or a member of the edge set of an ATM-TSR
   cloud, may receive multiple binding requests for the same route from
   the same ATM-TSR. It must generate a new binding for each request
   (assuming adequate resources to do so), and retain any existing
   binding(s). For each request received, an ATM-TSR should also
   generate a new binding request toward the next hop for the route.

   When a routing calculation causes an ATM-TSR or a member of the edge
   set of an ATM-TSR cloud to change the next hop for a route, the ATM-
   TSR should notify the former next hop (via TDP) that the tag binding
   associated with the route is no longer needed.




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   When a TSR receives a notification that a particular tag binding is
   no longer needed, the TSR may deallocate the tag associated with the
   binding, and destroy the binding. In the case where an ATM-TSR
   receives such notification and destroys the binding, it should notify
   the next hop for the route that the tag binding is no longer needed.
   If a TSR does not destroy the binding, it may re-use the binding only
   if it receives a request for the same route with the same hop count
   as the request that originally caused the binding to be created.

   When a route changes, the tag bindings are re-established from the
   point where the route diverges from the previous route.  TSRs
   upstream of that point are oblivious to the change.  Whenever a TSR
   changes its next hop for a particular route, if the new next hop is
   an ATM-TSR or a member of the edge set reachable via a TC-ATM
   interface, then for each entry in its TIB associated with the route
   the TSR should request (via TDP) a binding from the new next hop.

   Whenever an ATM-TSR originates a tag binding request to its next hop
   TSR as a result of receiving a tag binding request from another
   (upstream) TSR, and the request to the next hop TSR is not satisfied,
   the ATM-TSR should destroy the binding created in response to the
   received request, and notify the requester (via TDP).

   If an ATM-TSR receives a binding request containing a hop count that
   equals MAX_HOP_COUNT, no binding should be established and an error
   message should be returned to the requester.

   When a TSR determines that it has lost its TDP session with another
   TSR, the following actions are taken.  Any binding information
   learned via this connection must be discarded.  For any tag bindings
   that were created as a result of receiving tag binding requests from
   the peer, the ATM-TSR may destroy these bindings (and deallocate tags
   associated with these binding).


7. Encapsulation

   By default, all tagged packets should be transmitted with the generic
   tag encapsulation, as defined in [3]. Since the value at the top of
   the tag stack is determined from the VCI and/or VPI fields, the
   generic encapsulation contains n-1 tags for a tag stack of depth n.
   This means that for one level of tags the generic encapsulation
   consists of a tag leader only.

   For systems which are using only one level of tagging, TDP may be
   used to negotiate null encapsulation.  This negotiation is done once
   at TDP open and applies to all VPI/VCI values used as tags. In this
   case, IP packets are carried directly inside AAL5 frames, as in the



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   null encapsulation of RFC 1483.

   The initial TDP connection, described in Section 5, uses the LLC/SNAP
   encapsulation, as defined in Section 4.1 of RFC1483. This same VCI
   (with the LLC/SNAP encapsulation) may be used to exchange Network
   Layer routing information as well.

   TDP may be used to advertise additional VPI/VCIs to carry control
   information or non-tagged packets. These may use either the null
   encapsulation, as defined in Section 5.1 of RFC1483, or the LLC/SNAP
   encapsulation, as defined in Section 4.1 of RFC1483.


8. Security Considerations

   Security considerations are not addressed in this document.


9. Intellectual Property Considerations

   Cisco Systems may seek patent or other intellectual property
   protection for some or all of the technologies disclosed in this
   document. If any standards arising from this document are or become
   protected by one or more patents assigned to Cisco Systems, Cisco
   intends to disclose those patents and license them on reasonable and
   non-discriminatory terms.


10. References

   [1] Rekhter, Y. et al. Tag Switching Architecture Overview, Internet
   Draft, draft-rfced-info-rekhter-00.txt, Sept. 1996.

   [2] Doolan, P. et al. Tag Distribution Protocol, Internet Draft,
   draft-doolan-tdp-spec-00.txt, Sept. 1996.

   [3] Rosen, E. et al. Tag Switching: Tag Stack Encodings, Internet
   Draft, Oct. 1996.













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11. Acknowledgments

   Significant contributions to this work have been made by Anthony
   Alles, Fred Baker, Dino Farinacci, Guy Fedorkow,  Arthur Lin, Morgan
   Littlewood and Dan Tappan.


12. Authors' Addresses


   Bruce Davie
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   250 Apollo Drive
   Chelmsford, MA, 01824

   E-mail: bsd@cisco.com


   Paul Doolan
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   250 Apollo Drive
   Chelmsford, MA, 01824

   E-mail: pdoolan@cisco.com


   Jeremy Lawrence
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   1400 Parkmoor Ave.
   San Jose, CA, 95126

   E-mail: jlawrenc@cisco.com


   Keith McCloghrie
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   170 Tasman Drive
   San Jose, CA, 95134

   E-mail: kzm@cisco.com


   Yakov Rekhter
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   170 Tasman Drive
   San Jose, CA, 95134

   E-mail: yakov@cisco.com



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   Eric Rosen
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   250 Apollo Drive
   Chelmsford, MA, 01824

   E-mail: erosen@cisco.com


   George Swallow
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   250 Apollo Drive
   Chelmsford, MA, 01824

   E-mail: swallow@cisco.com




































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