Subject: new ID

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 17:37:50 -0400

FYI:

A new draft has been posted at

http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-giacalone-te-optical-next-00.txt

A description is as:

Abstract

This memo defines extensions to OSPFv3 [2] to provide support for Network 
Engineering. This set of extensions is termed Network Engineering 
eXTensions for OSPFv3, or NEXT. The term network engineering was chosen to 
impart NEXT's wide scope of functionality. NEXT is intended to provide 
holistic and extremely rich state information to OSPFv3 routers. Using 
this information, various advanced topological and administrative 
decisions can be made. 

Please send comments to [email-masked].

Overview

This document details extensions to OSPFv3 [2] called NEXT. NEXT can be 
used to add very granular network engineering capabilities to OSPFv3 
networks. To accomplish this, NEXT provides a wealth of interface, link, 
and device capability and state information to OSPFv3, or other protocols. 
The intent of NEXT is to enable the selection of shortest paths through 
networks based on sets of advanced network state criteria. 

Using NEXT, advanced policy decisions can be made, and traffic can be 
routed or switch traffic with varying qualities of service. NEXT can also 
assist in building complex fault tolerant networks. 

NEXT aims to provide a system of unified network state information to 
satisfy the requirements of numerous existing and developmental protocols. 
While NEXT builds on functionality presented in other works, it adds many 
new features, presents new philosophical possibilities, and is intended 
for use with OSPFv3.

NEXT focuses on traffic engineering (TE) [3,4] and Multi Protocol lambda 
Switching (MPLmS) [5,6], and Protection Wavelength Routing, but is 
specifically intended to support changing requirements and technologies in 
the future. 

A core philosophical premise of NEXT is that it may effect the core 
topology building process of OSPFv3, or may be used to build separate 
"shadow" topologies. In the former, NEXT can be used a basis to make 
sophisticated decisions within OSPFv3. In the later, OSPFv3/NEXT can serve 
to build repositories of detailed information to enhance supplementary 
protocols.

NEXT supports advanced intra-area and inter-area routing. 

Since NEXT operates with and depends on OSPFv3, which is essentially 
network protocol independent, NEXT can be used to enable all networks to 
become extensively self aware. 

It is hoped that NEXT will become a focal point for the distribution of 
advanced network information, enhancing OSPFv3 (and other protocols) while 
enabling complex deterministic services to be implemented. 

-spence