Classical IP and ARP over ATM
RFC 1577

Network Working Group                                         M. Laubach
Request for Comments: 1577                  Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
Category: Standards Track                                   January 1994

                     Classical IP and ARP over ATM

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   This memo defines an initial application of classical IP and ARP in
   an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network environment configured as
   a Logical IP Subnetwork (LIS) as described in Section 3.  This memo
   does not preclude the subsequent development of ATM technology into
   areas other than a LIS; specifically, as single ATM networks grow to
   replace many ethernet local LAN segments and as these networks become
   globally connected, the application of IP and ARP will be treated
   differently.  This memo considers only the application of ATM as a
   direct replacement for the "wires" and local LAN segments connecting
   IP end-stations ("members") and routers operating in the "classical"
   LAN-based paradigm. Issues raised by MAC level bridging and LAN
   emulation are beyond the scope of this paper.

   This memo introduces general ATM technology and nomenclature.
   Readers are encouraged to review the ATM Forum and ITU-TS (formerly
   CCITT) references for more detailed information about ATM
   implementation agreements and standards.

Acknowledgments

   This memo could not have come into being without the critical review
   from Jim Forster of Cisco Systems, Drew Perkins of FORE Systems, and
   Bryan Lyles, Steve Deering, and Berry Kercheval of XEROX PARC.  The
   concepts and models presented in [1], written by Dave Piscitello and
   Joseph Lawrence, laid the structural groundwork for this work. ARP
   [3] written by Dave Plummer and Inverse ARP [12] written by Terry
   Bradley and Caralyn Brown are the foundation of ATMARP presented in
   this memo.  This document could have not been completed without the
   expertise of the IP over ATM Working Group of the IETF and the ad hoc
   PVC committee at the Amsterdam IETF meeting.

Laubach                                                         [Page 1]
RFC 1577             Classical IP and ARP over ATM          January 1993

1. Conventions

   The following language conventions are used in the items of
   specification in this document:

   o   MUST, SHALL, or MANDATORY -- the item is an absolute requirement
       of the specification.

   o   SHOULD or RECOMMEND -- this item should generally be followed for
       all but exceptional circumstances.

   o   MAY or OPTIONAL -- the item is truly optional and may be followed
       or ignored according to the needs of the implementor.

2.  Introduction

   The goal of this specification is to allow compatible and
   interoperable implementations for transmitting IP datagrams and ATM
   Address Resolution Protocol (ATMARP) requests and replies over ATM
   Adaptation Layer 5 (AAL5)[2,6].

   Note: this memo defines only the operation of IP and address
   resolution over ATM, and is not meant to describe the operation of
   ATM networks. Any reference to virtual connections, permanent virtual
   connections, or switched virtual connections applies only to virtual
   channel connections used to support IP and address resolution over
   ATM, and thus are assumed to be using AAL5.  This memo places no
   restrictions or requirements on virtual connections used for other
   purposes.

   Initial deployment of ATM provides a LAN segment replacement for:

      1)  Local area networks (e.g., Ethernets, Token Rings and FDDI).

      2)  Local-area backbones between existing (non-ATM) LANs.

      3)  Dedicated circuits or frame relay PVCs between IP routers.

   Note: In 1), local IP routers with one or more ATM interfaces will be
   able to connect islands of ATM networks.  In 3), public or private
   ATM Wide Area networks will be used to connect IP routers, which in
   turn may or may not connect to local ATM networks.  ATM WANs and LANs
   may be interconnected.

   Private ATM networks (local or wide area) will use the private ATM
   address structure specified in the ATM Forum UNI specification [9].
   This structure is modeled after the format of an OSI Network Service
   Access Point Address.  A private ATM address uniquely identifies an

Laubach                                                         [Page 2]