Author Guidelines for Reliable Multicast Transport (RMT) Building Blocks and Protocol Instantiation documents
RFC 3269

Network Working Group                                         R. Kermode
Request for Comments: 3269                                      Motorola
Category: Informational                                      L. Vicisano
                                                                   Cisco
                                                              April 2002

Author Guidelines for Reliable Multicast Transport (RMT) Building Blocks
                  and Protocol Instantiation documents

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document provides general guidelines to assist the authors of
   Reliable Multicast Transport (RMT) building block and protocol
   instantiation definitions.  The purpose of these guidelines is to
   ensure that any building block and protocol instantiation definitions
   produced contain sufficient information to fully explain their
   operation and use.  In addition these guidelines provide directions
   to specify modular and clearly defined RMT building blocks and
   protocol instantiations that can be refined and augmented to safely
   create new protocols for use in new scenarios for which any existing
   protocols were not designed.

Table of Contents

   1 Introduction ...................................................  2
   1.1 Terminology ..................................................  3
   2 The Guidelines .................................................  3
   2.1 Building Block Document Guidelines ...........................  3
   2.1.1 Rationale ..................................................  3
   2.1.2 Functionality ..............................................  4
   2.1.3 Applicability Statement ....................................  4
   2.1.4 Packet-Header Fields .......................................  4
   2.1.5 Requirements from other Building Blocks ....................  5
   2.1.6 Security Considerations ....................................  5
   2.1.7 Codepoint Considerations ...................................  6
   2.1.8 Summary Checklist ..........................................  6
   2.2 Protocol Instantiation Document Guidelines ...................  7

Kermode & Vicisano           Informational                      [Page 1]
RFC 3269                 RMT Author Guidelines                April 2002

   2.2.1 Applicability Statement ....................................  7
   2.2.2 Architecture Definition ....................................  7
   2.2.3 Conformance Statement ......................................  8
   2.2.4 Functionality Definition ...................................  8
   2.2.5 Packet Formats .............................................  9
   2.2.6 Summary Checklist ..........................................  9
   3 IANA Considerations ............................................  9
   4 Acknowledgements ............................................... 10
   5 References ..................................................... 10
   6 Authors' Addresses ............................................. 11
   7 Full Copyright Statement ....................................... 12

1.  Introduction

   Reliable Multicast Transport (RMT) protocols can be constructed in a
   variety of ways, some of which will work better for certain
   situations than others.  It is believed that the requirements space
   for reliable multicast transport is sufficiently diverse that no one
   protocol can meet all the requirements [RFC2887].  However, it is
   also believed that there is sufficient commonality between the
   various approaches that it should be possible to define a number of
   building blocks [RFC3048] from which the various RMT protocols can be
   constructed.

   One key benefit of this approach is that the same building block can
   be used multiple times in different protocol instantiations.  Another
   key benefit is that building blocks may be upgraded as experience and
   understanding is gained.  For this operation to be possible the
   building block needs to be clearly defined in terms of what it does,
   how it interacts with other building blocks, and how it fits into the
   overall architecture of a protocol instantiation.  This description
   should also be sufficiently detailed so that those wishing to improve
   upon a particular building block or protocol instantiation can do so
   with a full understanding of the design decisions and tradeoffs that
   were made earlier.

   The building block approach also presents some dangers that must be
   well understood in order to avoid potential specification flaws.