FEC Framework
charter-ietf-fecframe-05

The object of this group is to develop specifications for using forward 
  error correction (FEC) codes with applications in the Internet to  
  provide protection against packet loss. The group will develop a  
  protocol framework for application of FEC codes to arbitrary packet  
  flows over unreliable transport protocols over both IP multicast and  
  unicast. The application of the FEC codec on an aggregate of multiple  
  packet flows may be investigated and considered to be included in the  
  solution.  
   
  The FECFrame working group will use the building block approach (RFC  
  3269), especially the FEC Building Block (RFC 3452), developed by the  
  RMT working group. The FEC Building Block was developed to ensure that  
  the RMT framework developed can support multiple FEC codes and maintain 
  independence between FEC codes and protocols based on the framework. 
  The FECFrame WG may develop new FEC schemes if necessary to provide  
  substantial performance gains for the intended applications. However  
  the acceptance of any FEC scheme will require multiple, prior, detailed 
  reviews of the FEC code by independent experts from both the IETF and  
  the broader community, since it is likely that the IETF working group  
  will not include a large enough number of suitable experts in its  
  working set. If these reviews are positive, then Working Group  
  acceptance of an FEC scheme work item still needs the approval of the  
  responsible Area Director.  
   
  A primary objective of this framework is to support FEC for real-time  
  media applications using RTP over UDP, such as on demand streaming and  
  audio/video broadcast. Other potential usages of the framework may be  
  brought to the working group for consideration during the development 
  of the requirements, to enable future support of those usages. The 
  group will coordinate closely with the AVT and MMUSIC working groups to 
  ensure that the streaming use-case is fully specified both in terms of  
  interactions with RTP/RTCP and application layer signalling. The group  
  will also coordinate with the DCCP working group, at least to consider  
  that transport protocol's role in streaming media. The interactions of  
  the framework with existing and used security mechanisms must also be  
  considered.  
   
  The group will work with the RMT working group to ensure that the FEC  
  Building Block defined in RMT supports both the RMT use-cases (object  
  delivery over multicast) and the more general FEC protection of  
  flow(s) over unreliable unicast and multicast transport.  
   
  Specification of hybrid schemes involving both retransmission and  
  forward error correction is out of scope of the group.