Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) N. Akiya
Request for Comments: 7737 Big Switch Networks
Updates: 7110 G. Swallow
Category: Standards Track C. Pignataro
ISSN: 2070-1721 Cisco Systems
L. Andersson
M. Chen
Huawei
January 2016
Label Switched Path (LSP) Ping and Traceroute Reply Mode Simplification
Abstract
The Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Label Switched Path (LSP)
Ping and Traceroute use the Reply Mode field to signal the method to
be used in the MPLS echo reply. This document updates the procedures
for the "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode. The value of this
Reply Mode is 5. The update creates a simple way to indicate that
the reverse LSP should be used as the return path. This document
also adds an optional TLV that can carry an ordered list of Reply
Mode values.
This document updates RFC 7110.
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/rfc7737.
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 1]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2016 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
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described in the Simplified BSD License.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1. Requirements Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Problem Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.1. "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode Update . . . . . . 5
3.2. Reply Mode Order TLV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4. Relationships to Other LSP Ping and Traceroute Features . . . 8
4.1. Backwards Compatibility with "Reply via Specified Path"
Reply Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.2. Reply Path TLV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.2.1. Example 1: Reply Mode Order TLV Usage with Reply Path
TLV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.2.2. Example 2: Reply Mode Order TLV Usage with Reply Path
TLV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.3. Proxy LSP Ping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.3.1. Proxy LSR Sending an MPLS Echo Request . . . . . . . 10
4.3.2. Proxy LSR Sending an MPLS Proxy Ping Reply . . . . . 11
5. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
6. Manageability Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
7. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7.1. New Reply Mode Order TLV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Appendix A. Reply Mode Order TLV Beneficial Scenarios . . . . . 14
A.1. Incorrect Forwarding Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A.2. Non-Co-Routed Bidirectional LSP Scenario . . . . . . . . 15
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 2]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
1. Introduction
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Label Switched Path (LSP) Ping,
as described in [RFC4379], allows an initiator Label Switching Router
(LSR) to encode instructions (Reply Mode) on how a responder LSR
should send the response back to the initiator LSR. [RFC7110] also
allows the initiator LSR to encode a TLV (Reply Path TLV) that can
instruct the responder LSR to use a specific LSP to send the response
back to the initiator LSR. Both approaches are powerful, as they
provide the ability for the initiator LSR to control the return path.
However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for an initiator LSR
to select a valid return path to encode in the MPLS LSP echo request
packets. If the initiator LSR does not select a valid return path,
the MPLS LSP echo reply will not get back to the initiator LSR. This
results in a false failure of MPLS LSP Ping and Traceroute
operations. In an effort to minimize such false failures, different
implementations have chosen different default return path encoding
for different LSP types and LSP operations. The problem with
implementations having different default return path encoding is that
the MPLS echo reply will not work in many cases, and the default
value may not be the preferred choice of the operators.
This document describes the following:
o In Section 2, further description of the problems;
o In Section 3, a solution to minimize false failures while
accommodating operator preferences;
o In Section 4, relationships to other LSP Ping and Traceroute
features;
o In Appendix A, examples of scenarios where the mechanism described
in this document provides benefits.
This document updates [RFC7110] by allowing the usage of the "Reply
via Specified Path" (value=5) Reply Mode without including the Reply
Path TLV. The update creates a simple way to indicate that the
reverse LSP should be used as the return path.
1.1. Requirements Language
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 RFC 2119 [RFC2119].
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 3]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
2. Problem Statements
It is becoming increasingly difficult for implementations to
automatically supply a workable return path encoding for all MPLS LSP
Ping and Traceroute operations across all LSP types. There are
several factors that contribute to this complication.
o Some LSPs have a control channel, and some do not. Some LSPs have
a reverse LSP, and some do not. Some LSPs have IP reachability in
the reverse direction, and some do not.
o LSRs on some LSPs can have different available return path(s).
Available return path(s) can depend on whether the responder LSR
is a transit LSR or an egress LSR. In the case of a bidirectional
LSP, available return path(s) on transit LSRs can also depend on
whether the LSP is completely co-routed, partially co-routed, or
associated (i.e., the LSPs in the two directions are not
co-routed).
o MPLS echo request packets may incorrectly terminate on an
unintended target that can have different available return path(s)
than the intended target.
o The MPLS LSP Ping operation is expected to terminate on an egress
LSR. However, MPLS LSP Ping operations with specific TTL values
and MPLS LSP Traceroute operations can terminate on both transit
LSR(s) and the egress LSR.
Except for the case where the responder LSR does not have an IP route
back to the initiator LSR, it is possible to use the "Reply via an
IPv4/IPv6 UDP packet" (value=2) Reply Mode value in all cases.
However, some operators prefer the control channel and a reverse LSP
as the default return path if they are both available, although this
is not always the case.
When specific return path encoding is supplied by users or
applications, then there are no issues in choosing the return path
encoding. When specific return path encoding is not supplied by
users or applications, then implementations use extra logic to
compute, and sometimes guess, the default return path encodings. If
a responder LSR receives an MPLS echo request containing return path
instructions that cannot be accommodated due to unavailability, then
the responder LSR often drops such packets. This failure mode
results in the initiator LSR not receiving the intended MPLS LSP echo
reply packets. The scenario described here is a potentially
acceptable result in some failure cases, like a broken LSP, where the
MPLS echo request terminated on an unintended target. However, if
the initiator LSR does not receive an MPLS echo reply even after the
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 4]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
responder LSR receives the MPLS echo request and is able to verify
the request, information is still sent back to the user(s); this is
considered a false failure.
Many operators prefer particular return path(s) over other return
path(s) for specific LSP types. To accommodate operator-preferred
paths, implementations may default to operator-preferred return paths
for particular operations or allow a default return path to be
configured. It would not be considered beneficial to use a preferred
return path for an intended target LSR if there is previous knowledge
at the initiator LSR that the return path is not available. Using an
unavailable preferred return path would undesirably result in the
initiator LSR not receiving the MPLS echo return packets. It would
be considered beneficial, for given operations, if the sender of the
MPLS echo request would be able to determine return path availability
before the operation is initiated.
This document (1) updates the procedures for the "Reply via Specified
Path" Reply Mode to easily indicate the reverse LSP and (2) adds one
optional TLV to describe an ordered list of Reply Modes. Based on
operational needs, the TLV can list multiple Reply Mode values in a
preferred order to allow the responder LSR to use the first available
Reply Mode from the list. This eliminates the need for the initiator
LSR to compute, or sometimes guess, the default return path encoding.
This new mode of operation would result in simplified implementations
across the various vendors and improve both usability and operational
needs.
3. Solution
This document updates the procedures for the "Reply via Specified
Path" Reply Mode to easily indicate the reverse LSP. This document
also adds an optional TLV that can carry an ordered list of Reply
Modes.
3.1. "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode Update
Some LSP types are capable of having a related LSP in the reverse
direction, through signaling or other association mechanisms.
Examples of such LSP types are bidirectional Resource Reservation
Protocol-Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE) LSPs [RFC3473] and MPLS
Transport Profile (MPLS-TP) LSPs [RFC5960]. This document uses the
term "reverse LSP" to refer to the LSP in the reverse direction of
such LSP types. Note that this document restricts the scope of
"reverse LSP" applicability to those reverse LSPs that are capable
and allowed to carry the IP encapsulated MPLS echo reply.
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 5]
RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
[RFC7110] has defined the Reply Mode "Reply via Specified Path",
which allows the initiator LSR to instruct the responder LSR to send
the MPLS echo reply message on the reverse LSP. However, the
instruction also requires the initiator LSR to include the Reply Path
TLV with the B bit (Bidirectional bit) set in the Flags field.
Additionally, [RFC7110] specifies that if the "Reply via Specified
Path" Reply Mode is used the Reply Path TLV MUST be present.
This document updates the procedures for the "Reply via Specified
Path" Reply Mode as follows:
o The "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode MAY be used without
including a Reply Path TLV.
o The usage of the "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode without the
inclusion of a Reply Path TLV implies the reverse LSP. In other
words, the usage of the "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode
without the inclusion of a Reply Path TLV has the same semantics
as the usage of the "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode with the
inclusion of a Reply Path TLV with the B bit set in the Flags
field.
This document updates the first sentence of Section 5.1 of [RFC7110]
as follows:
o When sending an echo request, in addition to the rules and
procedures defined in Section 4.3 of [RFC4379], the Reply Mode of
the echo request MUST be set to "Reply via Specified Path", and a
Reply Path TLV SHOULD be carried in the echo request message
correspondingly; if the Reply Path TLV is not carried in the
message, then it indicates the reverse LSP as the reply path.
Note that the reverse LSP is in relation to the last Forwarding
Equivalence Class (FEC) specified in the Target FEC Stack TLV.
3.2. Reply Mode Order TLV
This document also introduces a new optional TLV to describe a list
of Reply Mode values. The new TLV will contain one or more Reply
Mode values in preferred order. The first Reply Mode value is the
most preferred, and the last Reply Mode value is the least preferred.
The following rules apply when using the Reply Mode Order TLV:
1. The Reply Mode Order TLV MUST NOT be included in any MPLS echo
reply. If the initiator LSR receives an MPLS echo reply with the
Reply Mode Order TLV, the initiator LSR MUST ignore the whole
Reply Mode Order TLV and MUST only use the value from the Reply
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 6]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
Mode field of the received MPLS echo reply. It may be beneficial
for implementations to provide counters and/or logs, with
appropriate log dampening, to record this error case.
2. The Reply Mode Order TLV MAY be included in MPLS echo requests.
3. The Reply Mode field of an MPLS echo request MUST be set to a
valid value even when supplying the Reply Mode Order TLV. The
initiator LSR SHOULD set the Reply Mode field of an MPLS echo
request to a value that corresponds to a return path that is most
likely to be available, in case the responder LSR does not
understand the Reply Mode Order TLV.
4. If a responder LSR understands the Reply Mode Order TLV but the
TLV is not valid (due to the conditions described in items 6, 7,
8, and 9 below), then the responder LSR MUST ignore the whole
Reply Mode Order TLV and MUST only use the value from the Reply
Mode field of the received MPLS echo request. It may be
beneficial for implementations to provide counters and/or logs,
with appropriate log dampening, to record this error case.
5. If a responder LSR understands the Reply Mode Order TLV and the
TLV is valid, then the responder LSR MUST consider the Reply Mode
values specified in the TLV and MUST NOT use the value specified
in the Reply Mode field of the received MPLS echo request. In
other words, a valid Reply Mode Order TLV overrides the value
specified in the Reply Mode field of the received MPLS echo
request.
6. The Reply Mode Order TLV MUST contain at least one Reply Mode
value.
7. A Reply Mode value, except for Reply Mode value 5 (Reply via
Specified Path), MUST NOT be repeated (i.e., MUST NOT appear
multiple times) in the Reply Mode Order TLV.
8. Reply Mode value 5 (Reply via Specified Path) MAY be included
more than once in the Reply Mode Order TLV. However, in such a
case, a Reply Path TLV MUST be included for all instances of
Reply Mode value 5 that are included in the Reply Mode Order TLV.
In other words, three instances of Reply Mode value 5 in the
Reply Mode Order TLV will each require a Reply Path TLV.
9. The Reply Mode value 1 (Do not reply) MUST NOT be used in the
Reply Mode Order TLV.
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 7]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
The responder LSR SHOULD select the first available return path in
this TLV. The Reply Mode value corresponding to the selected return
path MUST be set in the Reply Mode field of the MPLS echo reply to
communicate back to the initiator LSR which return path was chosen.
The format of the TLV is as follows:
0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Reply Mode Order TLV Type | Length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
~ Reply Mode 1 | Reply Mode 2 | Reply Mode 3 | Reply Mode 4 ~
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Figure 1: Reply Mode Order TLV
This is a variable-length optional TLV. The Reply Mode Order TLV
Type is 32770.
The Length field is 2 octets in length. It defines the length, in
octets, of the list of Reply Mode values.
Each Reply Mode field is 1 octet, and there is no padding.
4. Relationships to Other LSP Ping and Traceroute Features
4.1. Backwards Compatibility with "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode
[RFC7110] introduces the "Reply via Specified Path" (value=5) Reply
Mode. [RFC7110] also specifies that if this Reply Mode is used the
Reply Path TLV MUST be included. This document relaxes the semantics
and specifies that this Reply Mode MAY be used without the Reply Path
TLV. This MAY be done to indicate that the reverse LSP SHALL be used
as the return path.
If an initiator LSR that sent an MPLS echo request message with the
"Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode but without including the Reply
Path TLV receives back an MPLS echo reply message with a return code
of "Malformed echo request received", then the initiator LSR SHOULD
assume that the responder LSR does not support the mechanism defined
in this document.
4.2. Reply Path TLV
A Reply Path TLV [RFC7110] is defined to identify a single return
path. When the initiator LSR wants to use the Reply Mode Order TLV
to specify multiple return paths, then the initiator LSR SHOULD
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 8]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
include multiple "Reply via Specified Path" (value=5) Reply Mode
values and multiple corresponding Reply Path TLV objects (one Reply
Path TLV corresponding to a "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode and
one Reply Path TLV identifying a return path).
As described in Section 3.1, it is valid to use the "Reply via
Specified Path" Reply Mode without inclusion in a Reply Path TLV.
For the Reply Mode Order TLV, it is also valid to include a "Reply
via Specified Path" Reply Mode value without a corresponding Reply
Path TLV; this implies that the reverse LSP is the preferred return
path. When multiple consecutive "Reply via Specified Path" Reply
Mode values are included but fewer corresponding Reply Path TLV
objects exist, the responder LSR SHOULD think that the former "Reply
via Specified Path" Reply Mode values have corresponding Reply Path
TLVs. The latter "Reply via Specified Path" Reply Mode values have
no corresponding Reply Path TLVs. For example, if the Reply Mode
Order TLV carries Reply Modes {5, 5, 5} and only two Reply Path TLVs
carry FEC X and FEC Y, respectively, then the reply path order is as
follows:
1. Reply via Specified Path (FEC X)
2. Reply via Specified Path (FEC Y)
3. Reply via Specified Path (reverse LSP)
4.2.1. Example 1: Reply Mode Order TLV Usage with Reply Path TLV
If the initiator LSR was interested in encoding the following return
paths:
1. Reply via application level control channel
2. FEC X
3. FEC Y
4. Reply via an IPv4/IPv6 UDP packet
Then the MPLS echo request message is to carry:
o The Reply Mode Order TLV carrying Reply Modes {4, 5, 5, 2}
o One Reply Path TLV carrying FEC X
o One Reply Path TLV carrying FEC Y
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 9]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
The encoding specified by the Reply Mode Order TLV and the Reply Path
TLV in the MPLS echo request message will cause the responder LSR to
prefer "Reply via application level control channel (4)", followed by
FEC X, FEC Y, and then "Reply via an IPv4/IPv6 UDP packet (2)".
4.2.2. Example 2: Reply Mode Order TLV Usage with Reply Path TLV
If the initiator LSR was interested in encoding the following return
paths:
1. Reverse LSP
2. Reply via an IPv4/IPv6 UDP packet
3. FEC X
4. FEC Y
Then the MPLS echo request message is to carry:
o The Reply Mode Order TLV carrying Reply Modes {5, 2, 5, 5}
o One Reply Path TLV with the B bit set
o One Reply Path TLV carrying FEC X
o One Reply Path TLV carrying FEC Y
The encoding specified by the Reply Mode Order TLV and the Reply Path
TLV in the MPLS echo request message will cause the responder LSR to
prefer the reverse LSP, followed by "Reply via an IPv4/IPv6 UDP
packet (2)", FEC X, and then FEC Y.
4.3. Proxy LSP Ping
The mechanism defined in this document will work with Proxy LSP Ping
as defined by [RFC7555]. The MPLS proxy ping request message can
carry a Reply Mode value in the header and one or more Reply Mode
values in the Reply Mode Order TLV. It is RECOMMENDED that Reply
Mode 2 (Reply via an IPv4/IPv6 UDP packet) be used in the Reply Mode
field of the MPLS proxy ping request message.
4.3.1. Proxy LSR Sending an MPLS Echo Request
If the proxy LSR is sending an MPLS echo request, then the proxy LSR
MUST copy the following elements from the MPLS proxy ping request
message to the MPLS echo request message:
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 10]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
o The Reply Mode field.
o The Reply Mode Order TLV.
o The Reply Path TLV(s). If there is more than one Reply Path TLV,
then the ordering of the TLVs MUST be preserved when copying.
4.3.2. Proxy LSR Sending an MPLS Proxy Ping Reply
If the proxy LSR is sending an MPLS proxy ping reply, then it is
RECOMMENDED that the Reply Mode Order TLV be ignored and the Reply
Mode field in the MPLS proxy ping request message be used.
5. Security Considerations
The security considerations specified in [RFC4379] and [RFC7110] also
apply for this document.
In addition, this document introduces the Reply Mode Order TLV. It
provides a new way for an unauthorized source to gather more network
information, especially information regarding the potential return
path(s) of an LSP. To protect against unauthorized sources using
MPLS echo request messages with the Reply Mode Order TLV to obtain
network information, as also specified in [RFC4379], it is
RECOMMENDED that implementations provide a means of checking the
source addresses of MPLS echo request messages against an access list
before accepting the message.
Another potential security issue is that the MPLS echo request and
reply messages are not encrypted; the contents of the MPLS echo
request and reply messages may therefore be potentially exposed.
Although the exposure is within the MPLS domain, if such exposure is
a concern, some encryption mechanisms [MPLS-OPP-ENCR] may be
employed.
6. Manageability Considerations
Section 2 described problems that increase complexity with respect to
operations and implementations. In order to simplify operations and
to allow LSP Ping and Traceroute to function efficiently whilst
preserving code simplicity, it is RECOMMENDED that implementations
allow devices to have configuration options to set operator-preferred
Reply Modes. For example:
o For those operators who are more interested in MPLS echo reply
packets reaching the initiator LSR:
1. Reply via an IPv4/IPv6 UDP packet (2)
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 11]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
2. Reply via application level control channel (4)
3. Reply via Specified Path (5)
o For those operators who are more interested in MPLS echo reply
packets testing the paths related to the forward LSP:
1. Reply via Specified Path (5)
2. Reply via application level control channel (4)
3. Reply via an IPv4/IPv6 UDP packet (2)
7. IANA Considerations
7.1. New Reply Mode Order TLV
IANA has assigned a new TLV type value from the "TLVs" sub-registry
within the "Multiprotocol Label Switching Architecture (MPLS) Label
Switched Paths (LSPs) Ping Parameters" registry, for the Reply Mode
Order TLV.
The new TLV Type value has been assigned from the range 32768-49161,
as specified in Sections 3 and 7.2 of [RFC4379]; this range is for
optional TLVs that can be silently dropped if not recognized.
Type Meaning Reference
----- ------- ---------
32770 Reply Mode Order TLV RFC 7737
8. References
8.1. Normative References
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
[RFC4379] Kompella, K. and G. Swallow, "Detecting Multi-Protocol
Label Switched (MPLS) Data Plane Failures", RFC 4379,
DOI 10.17487/RFC4379, February 2006,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4379>.
[RFC7110] Chen, M., Cao, W., Ning, S., Jounay, F., and S. Delord,
"Return Path Specified Label Switched Path (LSP) Ping",
RFC 7110, DOI 10.17487/RFC7110, January 2014,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7110>.
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 12]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
8.2. Informative References
[MPLS-OPP-ENCR]
Farrel, A. and S. Farrell, "Opportunistic Security in MPLS
Networks", Work in Progress, draft-ietf-mpls-
opportunistic-encrypt-00, July 2015.
[RFC3473] Berger, L., Ed., "Generalized Multi-Protocol Label
Switching (GMPLS) Signaling Resource ReserVation Protocol-
Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE) Extensions", RFC 3473,
DOI 10.17487/RFC3473, January 2003,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3473>.
[RFC5960] Frost, D., Ed., Bryant, S., Ed., and M. Bocci, Ed., "MPLS
Transport Profile Data Plane Architecture", RFC 5960,
DOI 10.17487/RFC5960, August 2010,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5960>.
[RFC7555] Swallow, G., Lim, V., and S. Aldrin, "Proxy MPLS Echo
Request", RFC 7555, DOI 10.17487/RFC7555, June 2015,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7555>.
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 13]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
Appendix A. Reply Mode Order TLV Beneficial Scenarios
This section lists examples of how the Reply Mode Order TLV can be
beneficial.
A.1. Incorrect Forwarding Scenario
As shown in Figure 2, a network has an LSP with the forwarding path
A-B-C-D-E. The LSP has a control channel.
A------B------C------D------E
|
|
F
Forward Path: A-B-C-D-E
Figure 2: Incorrect Forwarding
If D is incorrectly label switching to F (instead of E), then LSP
Traceroute with "Reply via application level control channel (4)"
will result in the following:
Success (Reply from B)
Success (Reply from C)
Success (Reply from D)
Timeout...
Complete
This is because F does not have a control channel on which to send
the MPLS echo reply message. With the extensions described in this
document, the same procedures can be performed with the Reply Mode
Order TLV carrying {4, 2}. When LSP Traceroute is issued, then the
following output may be displayed without any unnecessary timeout:
Success (Reply from B, Reply Mode: 4)
Success (Reply from C, Reply Mode: 4)
Success (Reply from D, Reply Mode: 4)
FEC Mismatch (Reply from F, Reply Mode: 2)
Complete
The result provides more diagnostic information to the initiator LSR,
and without any delay (i.e., timeout from one or more downstream
LSRs).
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 14]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
A.2. Non-Co-Routed Bidirectional LSP Scenario
As shown in Figure 3, a network has a bidirectional LSP where the
forward LSP and the reverse LSP are not fully co-routed.
+----C------D----+
/ \
A------B G------H
\ /
+----E------F----+
Forward Path: A-B-C-D-G-H (upper path)
Reverse Path: H-G-F-E-B-A (lower path)
Figure 3: Non-Co-Routed Bidirectional LSP
Some operators may prefer and configure "Reply via Specified Path" as
the default Reply Mode but without including the Reply Path TLV, to
indicate that the reverse LSP is used as the return path when MPLS
echo request messages are sent on bidirectional LSPs. Without the
extensions described in this document, the following behaviors will
be seen:
o When LSP Ping is issued from A, the reply will come back on the
reverse LSP from H.
o When LSP Traceroute is issued from A, the replies will come back
on the reverse LSP from B, G, and H but will encounter a timeout
from C and D, as there are no reverse LSPs on those nodes.
o When LSP Ping with a specific TTL value is issued from A, whether
a timeout will be encountered depends on the value of the TTL used
(i.e., whether or not the MPLS echo request terminates on a node
that has a reverse LSP).
One can argue that the initiator LSR can automatically generate the
same MPLS echo request with a different Reply Mode value to those
nodes that time out. However, such a mechanism will result in an
extended time for the entire operation to complete (i.e., multiple
seconds to multiple minutes). This is undesirable, and perhaps
unacceptable if the "user" is an application.
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 15]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
With the extensions described in this document, the same procedures
can be performed with the Reply Mode Order TLV carrying {5, 2}. When
LSP Traceroute is issued, then the following output may be displayed
without any unnecessary timeout:
Success (Reply Mode: 5)
Success (Reply Mode: 2)
Success (Reply Mode: 2)
Success (Reply Mode: 5)
Success (Reply Mode: 5)
Complete
Acknowledgements
The authors especially thank Tom Taylor, who passed away close to the
time of publication of this RFC. Tom did a careful review of the
document and provided useful comments.
The authors would also like to thank Santiago Alvarez and Faisal
Iqbal for discussions that motivated the creation of this document;
Sam Aldrin, Curtis Villamizar, Ross Callon, Jeffrey Zhang, Jeremy
Whittaker, Mustapha Alissaoui, Qin Wu, Jie Dong, and Adrian Farrel
for providing valuable comments that influenced the content of the
document; and Dan Frost, Victor Kuarsingh, and Deborah Brungard for
reviewing the document and providing useful comments.
Contributors
Shaleen Saxena
Brocade
Email: ssaxena@brocade.com
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 16]RFC 7737 LSP Ping Reply Mode Simplification January 2016
Authors' Addresses
Nobo Akiya
Big Switch Networks
Email: nobo.akiya.dev@gmail.com
George Swallow
Cisco Systems
Email: swallow@cisco.com
Carlos Pignataro
Cisco Systems
Email: cpignata@cisco.com
Loa Andersson
Huawei
Email: loa@mail01.huawei.com
Mach(Guoyi) Chen
Huawei
Email: mach.chen@huawei.com
Akiya, et al. Standards Track [Page 17]
