GMPLS - Communication of Alarm Information
RFC 4783

Network Working Group                                     L. Berger, Ed.
Request for Comments: 4783                                          LabN
Updates: 3473                                              December 2006
Category: Standards Track

               GMPLS - Communication of Alarm Information

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.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The IETF Trust (2006).

Abstract

   This document describes an extension to Generalized MPLS (Multi-
   Protocol Label Switching) signaling to support communication of alarm
   information.  GMPLS signaling already supports the control of alarm
   reporting, but not the communication of alarm information.  This
   document presents both a functional description and GMPLS-RSVP
   specifics of such an extension.  This document also proposes
   modification of the RSVP ERROR_SPEC object.

   This document updates RFC 3473, "Generalized Multi-Protocol Label
   Switching (GMPLS) Signaling Resource ReserVation Protocol-Traffic
   Engineering (RSVP-TE) Extensions", through the addition of new,
   optional protocol elements.  It does not change, and is fully
   backward compatible with, the procedures specified in RFC 3473.

Berger                      Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 4783       GMPLS - Communication of Alarm Information  December 2006

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................3
      1.1. Background .................................................3
   2. Alarm Information Communication .................................4
   3. GMPLS-RSVP Details ..............................................5
      3.1. ALARM_SPEC Objects .........................................5
           3.1.1. IF_ID ALARM_SPEC (and ERROR_SPEC) TLVs ..............5
           3.1.2. Procedures ..........................................9
           3.1.3. Error Codes and Values .............................10
           3.1.4. Backwards Compatibility ............................11
      3.2. Controlling Alarm Communication ...........................11
           3.2.1. Updated Admin_Status Object ........................11
           3.2.2. Procedures .........................................11
      3.3. Message Formats ...........................................12
      3.4. Relationship to GMPLS UNI .................................13
      3.5. Relationship to GMPLS E-NNI ...............................14
   4. Security Considerations ........................................14
   5. IANA Considerations ............................................15
      5.1. New RSVP Object ...........................................15
      5.2. New Interface ID Types ....................................16
      5.3. New Registry for Admin-Status Object Bit Fields ...........16
      5.4. New RSVP Error Code .......................................16
   6. References .....................................................17
      6.1. Normative References ......................................17
      6.2. Informative References ....................................17
   7. Acknowledgments ................................................18
   8. Contributors ...................................................18

Berger                      Standards Track                     [Page 2]
RFC 4783       GMPLS - Communication of Alarm Information  December 2006

1.  Introduction

   GMPLS signaling provides mechanisms that can be used to control the
   reporting of alarms associated with a label switched path (LSP).
   This support is provided via Administrative Status Information
   [RFC3471] and the Admin_Status object [RFC3473].  These mechanisms
   only control if alarm reporting is inhibited.  No provision is made
   for communication of alarm information within GMPLS.

   The extension described in this document defines how the alarm
   information associated with a GMPLS LSP may be communicated along the
   path of the LSP.  Communication both upstream and downstream is
   supported.  The value in communicating such alarm information is that
   this information is then available at every node along the LSP for
   display and diagnostic purposes.  Alarm information may also be
   useful in certain traffic protection scenarios, but such uses are out
   of the scope of this document.  Alarm communication is supported via
   a new object, new error/alarm information TLVs, and a new