Subject: Re: [tcpm] Working group acceptance of draft-bonaventure-mptcp-converters ?

From: "Scharf, Michael (Nokia - DE/Stuttgart)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2018 19:35:42 +0000

Hi all,

The chairs of the TCPM and MPTCP working groups as well as the AD have discussed how to move forward.

Our understanding is:

1/ The consensus is that there is value on working on this document in the IETF, albeit it is noted that the consensus is rough.

2/ This is experimental work. 

3/ A mechanism like draft-bonaventure-mptcp-converters requires careful review from the IETF transport area community to avoid interactions with existing (or upcoming) TCP extensions and/or to comprehensively document problems or limitations, as well as mitigations. This is one of the benefits of an IETF document.

4/ The mechanism suggested in draft-bonaventure-mptcp-converters seems generic albeit the key use case is currently MPTCP; it therefore makes sense to specify a mechanism that can also be leveraged by other TCP extensions if needed

5/ While there is no perfect answer where to home this document, a generic mechanism can easier be discussed in TCPM. Therefore the decision is to work on the document in TCPM. Of course, the TCPM and the Multipath TCP working group will stay in close sync. A WGLC can be launched in both working groups.

6/ Given the questions on the list, the TCPM chairs and AD have discussed whether the document is within the scope of the TCPM charter, or whether re-chartering would be required. In our understanding, the document is a about mechanism that is useful to "maintain TCP's utility", which is in scope of the existing TCPM charter. It would be possible to add some words to the TCPM charter specifically for this document and perform a formal rechartering. But as the document will anyway have to pass WGLC, IETF last call, and IESG review, rechartering TCPM for a single (experimental) document would make little formal difference. The AD and the chairs believe that rechartering TCPM is not needed for this specific document.

Regarding the next steps:

7/ The chairs will ask to add a new milestone "Dec 2018     Submit document on TCP converters to the IESG for publication as an Experimental RFC" to the TCPM charter.

8/ The chairs ask the authors to present the document in the upcoming TCPM meeting, to enable TCPM (and MPTCP) contributors to raise technical concerns and to discuss them. The TCPM chairs will allocate meeting time for that. TCPM has asked for a 2.5h slot and we assume that there is sufficient time for discussing this topic.

9/ Future revisions of the document shall not be specific to MPTCP only; of course the application of a generic mechanism to MPTCP can (and should) be described in the document.

10/ The document should be resubmitted as draft-ietf-tcpm-*.

We would like to thank for all the feedback, and we hope that this proposal works for the TCPM and MPTCP working groups.

Michael
(TCPM co-chair)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tcpm [mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Scharf, Michael
> (Nokia - DE/Stuttgart)
> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 9:05 PM
> To: [email-masked]
> Cc: [email-masked]
> Subject: [tcpm] Working group acceptance of draft-bonaventure-mptcp-
> converters ?
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> The chairs would like to understand if there is interest in draft-bonaventure-
> mptcp-converters within the TCPM working group.
> 
> In principle, draft-bonaventure-mptcp-converters could be applicable to
> several TCP options, not only MPTCP. The assumption is that a document
> published by TCPM would be generic and apply not only to MPTCP. It is
> understood that a MPTCP-specific document could be handled in the MPTCP
> working group instead (which is CCed).
> 
> The TCPM charter states that the "WG mostly focuses on maintenance issues
> (e.g., bug fixes) and modest changes to the protocol, algorithms, and
> interfaces that maintain TCP's utility". Assisting the deployment of new TCP
> extensions could be understood as one way to ensure TCP's utility.
> 
> The chairs therefore ask for community feedback on whether to add a new
> milestone to the TCPM charter .
> 
>    Dec 2018     Submit document on TCP converters to the IESG for publication
> as an Experimental RFC
> 
> . and adopt draft-bonaventure-mptcp-converters as a starting point.
> 
> Please reply to this e-mail within the next three weeks if you are interested
> in working on this document in the TCPM working group (e.g., by
> contributing, reviewing) and if you support its acceptance in the TCPM
> working group.
> 
> Please also speak up if you have any concerns regarding accepting this
> document in TCPM.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Michael
> (on behalf of the TCPM chairs)
> 
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