Network Working Group                                    F. Templin, Ed.
Internet-Draft                                      Boeing Phantom Works
Intended status: Informational                         February 11, 2008
Expires: August 14, 2008


             Subnetwork Encapsulation and Adaptation Layer
                       draft-templin-seal-00.txt

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   This Internet-Draft will expire on August 14, 2008.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The IETF Trust (2008).

Abstract

   Subnetworks connect routers within a bounded region, and may also
   connect to other networks including the Internet.  These routers
   forward unicast and multicast packets over paths that span multiple
   IP- and/or sub-IP layer forwarding hops which may configure diverse
   Maximum Transmission Units (MTUs) and introduce packet duplication.
   This document specifies a Subnetwork Encapsulation and Adaptation
   Layer (SEAL) that supports simplified duplicate packet detection and
   accommodates links with diverse MTUs.



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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   2.  Terminology and Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   3.  Applicability Statement  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
   4.  SEAL Protocol Specification  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
     4.1.  Model of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
     4.2.  Packetization  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
       4.2.1.  Packet Size Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
       4.2.2.  Inner IPv4 Fragmentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
       4.2.3.  SEAL Segmentation and Encapsulation  . . . . . . . . .  7
       4.2.4.  Sending Packets  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
     4.3.  Reassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
       4.3.1.  Reassembly Buffer Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
       4.3.2.  IPv4 Reassembly  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
       4.3.3.  Inner Packet Reassembly  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
     4.4.  Generating Fragmentation Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
     4.5.  Receiving Fragmentation Reports  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
     4.6.  Probing for Larger S-MSS Values  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
     4.7.  Processing ICMP PTBs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
   5.  Link Requirements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
   6.  End System Requirements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
   7.  IANA Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
   8.  Security Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
   9.  Acknowledgments  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
   10. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
     10.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
     10.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
   Appendix A.  Historic Evolution of PMTUD (written 10/30/2003)  . . 16
   Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
   Intellectual Property and Copyright Statements . . . . . . . . . . 18




















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1.  Introduction

   Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs) and other subnetworks connect routers
   on links with asymmetric reachability characteristics, and may also
   connect to other networks including the Internet.  These routers
   forward unicast and multicast packets over paths that span multiple
   IP- and/or sub-IP layer forwarding hops, which may traverse links
   with diverse Maximum Transmission Units (MTUs) and may also introduce
   packet duplication due to temporal or persistent routing loops.  It
   is also expected that these routers will support operation of the
   Internet protocols [RFC0791][RFC2460].

   The use of IPv4 encapsulation has long been considered as an
   alternative for introducing a well-behaved identification field
   useful for duplicate packet detection, such as required for
   Simplified Multicast Forwarding [I-D.ietf-manet-smf].  However, the
   16-bit ID field in the outer IPv4 header supports only 2^16 distinct
   identification values and therefore does not provide sufficient space
   for robust duplicate packet detection over modern link technologies.

   Additionally, the insertion of an outer IPv4 header reduces the
   effective path MTU as-seen by the IP layer.  This reduced MTU can be
   accommodated through the use of IPv4 fragmentation, but unmitigated
   in-the-network fragmentation has been shown to be harmful through
   operational experience and studies conducted over the course of many
   years [FRAG][RFC2923][RFC4459][RFC4963].

   This document proposes a Subnetwork Encapsulation and Adaptation
   Layer (SEAL) for the operation of IP over subnetworks (such as
   MANETs) that connect Ingress- and Egress Tunnel Endpoints (ITEs/
   ETEs).  SEAL supports simple and robust duplicate packet detection,
   and accommodates links with diverse MTUs.  SEAL additionally supports
   multiprotocol operation and provides extended quality of service for
   the protocols that use it.  The SEAL protocol is specified in the
   following sections.


2.  Terminology and Requirements

   The terminology of [RFC3819][RFC2501][I-D.ietf-autoconf-manetarch] is
   used in this document.  The following abbreviations correspond to
   terms used within this document and elsewhere in common
   Internetworking nomenclature:

      MANET - Mobile Ad-hoc Network

      Subnetwork - a MANET or other network that connects (and is
      bounded by) ITEs and ETEs



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      SEAL - Subnetwork Encapsulation and Adaptation Layer

      VET - Virtual EThernet

      ITE - Ingress Tunnel Endpoint

      ETE - Egress Tunnel Endpoint

      MTU - Maximum Transmission Unit

      S-MSS - SEAL Maximum Segment Size

      EMTU_R - Effective MTU to Receive

      PTB - an ICMPv6 "Packet Too Big" or an ICMPv4 "fragmentation
      needed" message

      DF - the IPv4 header Don't Fragment flag

      ENCAPS - the size of the outer encapsulating SEAL/*/IPv4 headers

      FRAGREP - a Fragmentation Report message

      SEAL packet - a segment of an inner packet encapsulated in outer
      SEAL/*/IPv4 headers

   The keywords MUST, MUST NOT, REQUIRED, SHALL, SHALL NOT, SHOULD,
   SHOULD NOT, RECOMMENDED, MAY, and OPTIONAL, when they appear in this
   document, are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119].


3.  Applicability Statement

   SEAL inserts an additional mid-layer encapsulation when IP/*/IPv4
   encapsulation is used, and appears as a subnetwork encapsulation as
   seen by inner layers.

   While the SEAL approach was motivated by the specific use case of
   duplicate packet detection in MANETs, the domain of applicability is
   not limited to the MANET problem space and extends to other
   subnetwork uses such as tunneling across enterprise networks, the
   interdomain routing core, etc.

   For further study, SEAL may also be useful for "transport-mode"
   applications, e.g., when the inner packet encapsulates ordinary
   protocol data rather than an IP packet.





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4.  SEAL Protocol Specification

4.1.  Model of Operation

   Ingres Tunnel Endpoints (ITEs) insert a SEAL header in the IP/*/
   IPv4-encapsulated packets they inject into a subnetwork, where the
   outermost IPv4 header contains the source and destination addresses
   of the ITR/ETR subnetwork entry/exit points, respectively.  SEAL
   defines a new IP protocol type and a new mid-layer encapsulation for
   both unicast and multicast inner packets.  The ITE inserts a SEAL
   header during encapsulation as shown in Figure 1:

                                      +-------------------------+
                                      |                         |
                                      ~   Outer */IPv4 headers  ~
                                      |                         |
                                      +-------------------------+
                                      +--     SEAL Header     --+
   +-------------------------+        +-------------------------+
   |                         |        |                         |
   ~ Any mid-layer * headers ~        ~ Any mid-layer * headers ~
   |                         |        |                         |
   +-------------------------+        +-------------------------+
   |                         |        |                         |
   ~        Inner IP         ~  --->  ~        Inner IP         ~
   ~         Packet          ~  --->  ~         Packet          ~
   |                         |        |                         |
   +-------------------------+        +-------------------------+
   |  Any mid-layer trailers |        |  Any mid-layer trailers |
   +-------------------------+        +-------------------------+
                                      |    Any outer trailers   |
                                      +-------------------------+

                       Figure 1: SEAL Encapsulation

   where the SEAL header is inserted as follows:

   o  For simple IP/IPv4 encapsulations (e.g.,
      [RFC2003][RFC2004][RFC4213]), the SEAL header is inserted between
      the inner IP and outer IPv4 headers as: IP/SEAL/IPv4.

   o  For tunnel-mode IPsec/ESP encapsulations over IPv4,
      [RFC4301][RFC4303], the SEAL header is inserted between the ESP
      and outer IPv4 headers as: IP/*/ESP/SEAL/IPv4.

   o  For IP encapsulations over transports such as UDP (e.g.,
      [RFC4380][I-D.farinacci-lisp]), the SEAL header is embedded in any
      middle- and outer-'*' encapsulations within the transport layer,



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      e.g., as IP/*/SEAL/*/UDP/IPv4.

   Encapsulation and tunneling establishes a virtual point-to-multipoint
   interface abstraction of the subnetwork.  From a logical viewpoint,
   this interface appears as a Virtual EThernet (VET)
   [I-D.templin-autoconf-dhcp] that connects the ITE to all ETEs in the
   subnetwork as single-hop neighbors.  From a physical perspective,
   however, packets sent over the VET interface may be forwarded across
   many IPv4 and/or sub-IPv4 layer subnetwork hops.

   SEAL-encapsulated packets include a 16-bit ID in the outer IPv4
   header and a separate 30-bit ID in the SEAL header.  Together, the
   two ID values are used for both duplicate packet detection within the
   subnetwork and also for multi-level segmentation and reassembly of
   large packets.

   SEAL enables a multi-level segmentation and reassembly capability.
   First, the ITE can use inner IPv4 fragmentation for fragmentable
   inner IPv4 packets before encapsulation to avoid lower-level
   segmentation and reassembly.  Secondly, the SEAL layer itself
   provides a simple mid-layer cutting-and-pasting of inner packets
   without incurring IPv4 fragmentation on the outer packet.  Finally,
   ordinary IPv4 fragmentation for the outer IPv4 packet after SEAL
   encapsulation is also permitted under certain limited and carefully
   managed circumstances, and useful for probing the path MTU.

4.2.  Packetization

4.2.1.  Packet Size Considerations

   Due to the ubiquitous deployment of standard Ethernet and similar
   networking gear, the nominal Internet cell size has become 1500
   bytes; this is the de facto size that end systems have come to expect
   will be delivered by the network without loss due to an MTU
   restriction on the path, or a suitable ICMP PTB message returned.
   However, PTB messages are not delivered reliably, and any PTBs coming
   from within the subnetwork could be erroneous or maliciously
   fabricated.  The ITE therefore requires a means for conveying 1500
   byte (or smaller) original packets over the VET interface without
   loss due to link MTU restrictions and/or triggering PTB messages from
   within the subnetwork.

   In common deployments, there may be many forwarding hops between the
   source and the ITE.  Within those hops, there may be additional
   encapsulations (IPSec, L2TP, etc.) such that a 1500 byte original
   packet might grow to a larger size by the time it reaches the ITE.
   In order to preserve the end system expectation of delivery for 1500
   byte and smaller packets, the ITE therefore requires a means for



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   conveying this larger packet over the VET interface even though there
   may be subnetwork links that configure a smaller MTU.

   The ITE upholds the 1500-byte-and-smaller packet delivery expectation
   by instituting a SEAL Maximum Segment Size (S-MSS) variable (set to
   1KB by default) and a (S-MSS - 2KB] segmentation region such that all
   inner packets within this size range are segmented into multiple SEAL
   packets.  For 1500 byte and smaller inner packets/fragments, the 2KB
   upper bound allows for ~500 bytes of additional subnetwork
   encapsulation overhead on the path from the original source to the
   ITE.  Similarly, the default 1KB lower bound allows ~500 bytes of
   additional encapsulation on the path between the ITE and ETE to
   accommodate each SEAL packet while avoiding IPv4 fragmentation along
   most paths within subnetwork that deploy 1500 byte links.

   The ITE additionally admits all inner packets larger than 2KB into
   the VET interface as single-segment SEAL packets under the assumption
   that original sources that send packets larger than 1500 bytes are
   using an end-to-end MTU determination capability such as specified in
   [RFC4821].

4.2.2.  Inner IPv4 Fragmentation

   The IP layer fragments inner IPv4 packets larger than 2KB and with
   the IPv4 Don't Fragment (DF) bit set to 0 into IPv4 fragments no
   larger than 2KB before any mid-layer '*' encapsulations.  The IP
   layer then submits each inner IPv4 fragment to the ITE as an
   independent IP packet for encapsulation.  Note that inner
   fragmentation may not be available for certain ITE types, e.g., for
   tunnel-mode IPsec.

   Any inner IPv4 fragments created in this fashion will be reassembled
   by the final destination.

4.2.3.  SEAL Segmentation and Encapsulation

   After inner IPv4 fragmentation, the ITE adds any mid-layer '*'
   encapsulations to the packet/fragment, then uses SEAL segmentation
   based on a segment size that is likely to avoid IPv4 fragmentation
   within the subnetwork.  The ITE maintains a SEAL Maximum Segment Size
   (S-MSS) variable for each ETR as per-ETR IPv4 destination cache soft
   state, including IPv4 multicast destinations.  S-MSS SHOULD be
   initialized to 1KB by default, and MAY change to different values
   based on static configuration and/or dynamic segment size probing.

   The ITE MUST NOT break inner packets larger than 2KB into smaller
   segments, but rather MUST encapsulate them as a single segment SEAL
   packet.  The ITE breaks inner packets no larger than 2KB into N



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   segments (N <= 16) that are no larger than S-MSS bytes each.  Each
   segment except the final one MUST be of equal length, while the final
   segment MAY be of different length.  The first byte of each segment
   MUST begin immediately after the final byte of the segment that
   preceded it, i.e., the segments MUST NOT overlap.

   For each segment, the ITE inserts a SEAL header formatted according
   to the following figure:

       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
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
      |                       Identification                      |M|R|
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
      |Segment|               Flow Label              |  Next Header  |
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

                       Figure 2: SEAL Header Format

   where the header fields are defined as follows:

   Identification (30)
      a 30-bit ID value that identifies the segments of the same packet.

   M (1)
      the "More Segments" bit.  If set, this is a non-final segment of a
      segmented packet.

   R (1)
      the "Report Fragmentation" bit.  If set, the ETE must report any
      fragmentation experienced by this SEAL packet.

   Segment (4)
      a 4-bit Segment number.

   Flow Label (20)  a 20-bit flow label field.  Contains a 20-bit value
      corresponding to the inner packet during SEAL encapsulation.

   Next Header (8)  an 8-bit field that encodes an IP protocol number
      the same as for the IPv4 protocol and IPv6 next header fields.

   For N-segment inner packets (N <= 16), the ITE encapsulates each
   segment in a SEAL header with (M=1; Segment=0) for the first segment,
   (M=1; Segment=1) for the second segment, etc., with the final segment
   setting (M=0; Segment=N-1).  Note that single-segment inner packets
   instead set (M=0; Segment=0).

   During encapsulation, the ITE also sets R=0 in the SEAL header of



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   each segment if *no* segments are longer than 128 bytes.  If *any*
   segments are longer than 128 bytes, the ITE instead sets R=1 in the
   SEAL header of each segment.

   The ITE next writes the IP protocol number corresponding to the inner
   packet in 'Next Header' in the SEAL header of each segment and writes
   a 20-bit flow label value corresponding to the inner packet into the
   Flow Label field.  The ITE then encapsulates the segment in the
   requisite */IPv4 outer headers.

   The ITE maintains a 30-bit monotonically-increasing SEAL ID value
   initialized to 0 for the first inner packet and incremented by 1
   (modulo 2^30) for each successive inner packet; the ITE also
   maintains a 16-bit randomly-initialized IPv4 value ID value that is
   randomly modulated for each successive SEAL packet.  The ITE writes
   the same SEAL ID value in each SEAL packet belonging to the same
   inner packet, and writes a different modulated IPv4 ID value in the
   ID field in the outer IPv4 header of each SEAL packet.  The ITE
   finally sets other fields in the outer */IPv4 headers according to
   the specific encapsulation format (e.g., [RFC2003], [RFC4213], etc.).

4.2.4.  Sending Packets

   For inner packets larger than 2KB, the ITE determines whether the
   size of the packet plus the size of the SEAL/*/IPv4 encapsulation
   headers is larger than the MTU of the underlying interface over which
   the tunnel is configured.  If the packet is too large, the ITE
   discards it and sends an ICMP PTB message back to the original source
   with an MTU value taken from the underlying interface minus the size
   of the encapsulation headers.  Otherwise, the ITE sets DF=1 in the
   outer IPv4 header and sends the packet into the VET interface.

   For inner packets which were no larger than 2KB before segmentation,
   the ITE sets the Don't Fragment (DF) in the outer IPv4 header of each
   segment to 0 and sends the segment into the VET interface.

   The ITE should send all SEAL packets that encapsulate segments of the
   same inner packet in canonical order, i.e., Segment 0 first, then
   Segment 1, etc.

4.3.  Reassembly

4.3.1.  Reassembly Buffer Requirements

   ETEs MUST be capable of using IPv4 reassembly to reassemble SEAL
   packets of at least (2KB+ENCAPS) bytes, i.e., ETEs MUST configure an
   Effective MTU to Receive (EMTU_R) of at least (2KB+ENCAPS).  ETEs
   MUST also support a minimum 2KB reassembly size for reassembling the



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   decapsulated segments of inner packets.

4.3.2.  IPv4 Reassembly

   The ETE may receive IPv4 fragments of a fragmented SEAL packet.  The
   receipt of a first IPv4 fragment of a fragmented SEAL packet (i.e.,
   one with MF=1 and Offset=0) that encapsulates an inner packet segment
   with R=1 in the SEAL header serves as indication to the ETE that
   excessive IPv4 fragmentation is occurring in the subnetwork.

   The ETE maintains a conservative high- and low-water mark for the
   number of outstanding reassemblies pending for each ITE.  When the
   size of the reassembly buffer exceeds this high-water mark, the ETE
   actively discards incomplete reassemblies (e.g., using an Active
   Queue Management (AQM) strategy such as drop-eldest, Random Early
   Drop (RED), etc.) until the size falls below the low-water mark.  The
   ETE otherwise performs IPv4 reassembly as-normal.

   Note that in the limiting case the ETE may choose to discard all
   reassemblies for packets that set R=1 in the SEAL header and only
   perform reassembly for packets that set R=0 in the SEAL header.

   For each IPv4 first fragment that sets R=1 in the SEAL header, the
   ETE also sends a Fragmentation Report message (see: Section 4.4) to
   the ITE to report the size of the largest fragment received, subject
   to rate limiting.

4.3.3.  Inner Packet Reassembly

   The ETE reassembles inner packets through simple in-order
   concatenation of the encapsulated segments from SEAL packets that
   contain the same ID value.  That is, for all SEAL packets of an
   N-segment inner packet that include the same SEAL ID value, inner
   packet reassembly entails the concatenation of Segment 0 followed by
   Segment 1 followed by ... followed by Segment N-1.  This requires the
   ETE to maintain a cache of recently received SEAL packets for a hold
   time that would allow for reasonable inter-segment delays.

   Rather than set an absolute hold time, the ETE must actively discard
   any pending reassemblies that appear to have no opportunity for
   completion, e.g., when a considerable number of SEAL packets have
   been received before a packet that completes the pending reassembly
   has arrived.  This assumes that any packet reordering within the
   subnetwork will be on the order of a small number of positions and
   that any gross reordering will be short-lived in nature.






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4.4.  Generating Fragmentation Reports

   When the ETE receives an IPv4 first fragment of a fragmented SEAL
   packet with (R=1; Next Header != 0) in the SEAL header, it prepares a
   Fragmentation Report (FRAGREP) message to send back over the VET
   interface to the original source.  The FRAGREP message consists of an
   outer SEAL/*/IPv4 header with (R=0; Next Header=0) in the SEAL
   header.  The message body contains the first N bytes of the IPv4
   first fragment, where ENCAPS <= N <= 128 bytes.

   The ETE sets the destination address of the FRAGREP to the source
   address that was included in the IPv4 first fragment, and sets the
   source address of the FRAGREP to the destination address that was
   included in the first fragment.  If the destination address in the
   first fragment was multicast, the ETE instead sets the source address
   of the FRAGREP to an address assigned to the outgoing interface.  The
   ETE sets DF=0 in the outer IPv4 header.

   The FRAGREP message has the following format:

                                      +-------------------------+
                                      |                         |
                                      ~   Outer */IPv4 headers  ~
                                      |                         |
                                      +-------------------------+
                                      |       SEAL Header       |
                                      |  (R=0; Next Header=0)   |
   +-------------------------+        +-------------------------+
   |                         |        |                         |
   ~   IPv4 first fragment   ~  --->  ~ Leading N bytes of IPv4 ~
   ~  (R=1; Next Header!=0)  ~  --->  ~      first fragment     ~
   |                         |        |                         |
   +-------------------------+        +-------------------------+

             Figure 3: Fragmentation Report (FRAGREP) Message

   The ETE additionally generates a FRAGREP in response to an ITE's
   explicit probe whether or not the probe was fragmented by IPv4
   fragmentation.  In particular, when the SEAL header in the first
   fragment of an (un)fragmented SEAL packet includes (M=1, R=1,
   Segment=16), the ETE generates a FRAGREP message exactly as specified
   above (see also: Section 4.6).

4.5.  Receiving Fragmentation Reports

   When the ITE receives a potential FRAGREP message, it first verifies
   that the message was formatted correctly by the ETE per Section 4.4.
   Next, it confirms that the FRAGREP corresponds to one of the SEAL



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   packets that it actually sent into the VET interface by examining the
   source, destination, IPv4 ID, SEAL ID etc.  The ETE discards any
   invalid FRAGREP messages without further processing.

   Next, if the IPv4 length ('LEN') minus ENCAPS is 128 or larger, the
   ITE sets S-MSS to (LEN-ENCAPS).  Otherwise, the ITE performs S-MSS
   reduction by setting S-MSS = MIN(S-MSS/2, 128).  This limited halving
   procedure accounts for the possibility that the ETE received IPv4
   first fragments that were significantly smaller than the path MTU.
   In that case, convergence to an acceptable S-MSS size may require
   multiple iterations of sending SEAL packets and receiving FRAGREP
   messages, i.e., the same as for classical path MTU discovery
   [RFC1191].  But, the limited halving procedure ensures that
   convergence will occur quickly even in extreme cases, while the
   correct MTU will be determined in a single iteration under normal
   circumstances in which routers produce large first fragments.

   Note that multiple FRAGREP messages may be received for SEAL packets
   that encapsulate segments of the same inner packet.  In that case,
   the ITE should set S-MSS to the minimum length reported in all
   FRAGREP messages.  If multiple FRAGREP messages report an MTU of 128
   bytes or smaller, however, the ITE should only halve the current
   S-MSS once - not multiple times.

4.6.  Probing for Larger S-MSS Values

   The ITE may periodically probe for larger S-MSS values (to a maximum
   of 2KB) by sending one or more large single-segment SEAL packets,
   i.e., by temporarily suspending S-MSS when preparing an inner packet.
   The ITE sets (R=1, M=1, Segment=16) in the SEAL header to indicate to
   the ETE that this is a single-segment probe.

   The ETE will return a FRAGREP message whether fragmentation is
   occurring or not, which the ITE will process exactly as for any
   FRAGREP per Section 4.5.

4.7.  Processing ICMP PTBs

   The ITE may receive ICMP PTB messages in response to any packets that
   were admitted into the VET interface with DF=1.  The ITE may
   optionally ignore, log, or honor the messages according to the
   subnetwork trust basis.  For example, ITEs connected to managed
   subnetworks may be configured to honor ICMP PTBs while ITEs connected
   to the global interdomain routing core may be configured to ignore/
   log them.






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5.  Link Requirements

   Subnetwork designers are strongly encouraged to follow the
   recommendations in [RFC3819] when configuring link MTUs.


6.  End System Requirements

   SEAL is a router-to-router protocol and therefore makes no
   requirements for end systems.  However, end systems that send
   unfragmentable IP packets of 1501 bytes or larger are strongly
   encouraged to use Packetization Layer Path MTU Discovery per
   [RFC4821], since the network may not always be able to return useful
   ICMP PTB messages.


7.  IANA Considerations

   A new IP protocol number for the SEAL protocol is requested.

   A new IPv4 site-scoped ALL_MANET_ROUTERS multicast group is
   requested.


8.  Security Considerations

   Unlike IPv4 fragmentation, overlapping fragment attacks are not
   possible due to the requirement that SEAL segments be non-
   overlapping.

   The SEAL header is sent in-the-clear (outside of any IPsec/ESP
   encapsulations) the same as for the IPv4 header.  As for IPv6
   extension headers, the SEAL header is protected only by L2 integrity
   checks, and is not covered under any L3 integrity checks.


9.  Acknowledgments

   Path MTU determination through the report of fragmentation
   experienced by the final destination was first proposed by Charles
   Lynn of BBN on the TCP-IP mailing list in May 1987.  An historical
   analysis of the evolution of path MTU discovery appears in
   http://www.tools.ietf.org/html/draft-templin-v6v4-ndisc-01 and is
   reproduced in Appendix A of this document.

   This work was inspired in part by discussions on the IETF MANET and
   IRTF RRG mailing lists in the 12/07 -01/08 timeframe, and the author
   acknowledges those who participated in the discussions.  The work



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   also draws on the earlier investigations of [I-D.templin-inetmtu]
   which acknowledges many who contributed to the effort.


10.  References

10.1.  Normative References

   [RFC0791]  Postel, J., "Internet Protocol", STD 5, RFC 791,
              September 1981.

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.

   [RFC2460]  Deering, S. and R. Hinden, "Internet Protocol, Version 6
              (IPv6) Specification", RFC 2460, December 1998.

10.2.  Informative References

   [FOLK]     C, C., D, D., and k. k, "Beyond Folklore: Observations on
              Fragmented Traffic", December 2002.

   [FRAG]     Kent, C. and J. Mogul, "Fragmentation Considered Harmful",
              October 1987.

   [I-D.farinacci-lisp]
              Farinacci, D., "Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP)",
              draft-farinacci-lisp-05 (work in progress), November 2007.

   [I-D.ietf-autoconf-manetarch]
              Chakeres, I., Macker, J., and T. Clausen, "Mobile Ad hoc
              Network Architecture", draft-ietf-autoconf-manetarch-07
              (work in progress), November 2007.

   [I-D.ietf-manet-smf]
              Macker, J. and S. Team, "Simplified Multicast Forwarding
              for MANET", draft-ietf-manet-smf-06 (work in progress),
              November 2007.

   [I-D.templin-autoconf-dhcp]
              Templin, F., Russert, S., and S. Yi, "MANET
              Autoconfiguration", draft-templin-autoconf-dhcp-11 (work
              in progress), February 2008.

   [I-D.templin-inetmtu]
              Templin, F., "Simple Protocol for Robust IP/*/IP Tunnel
              Endpoint MTU Determination  (sprite-mtu)",
              draft-templin-inetmtu-06 (work in progress),



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              November 2007.

   [MTUDWG]   "IETF MTU Discovery Working Group mailing list,
              gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/DEC/WRL/mogul/mtudwg-log, November
              1989 - February 1995.".

   [RFC1063]  Mogul, J., Kent, C., Partridge, C., and K. McCloghrie, "IP
              MTU discovery options", RFC 1063, July 1988.

   [RFC1191]  Mogul, J. and S. Deering, "Path MTU discovery", RFC 1191,
              November 1990.

   [RFC1981]  McCann, J., Deering, S., and J. Mogul, "Path MTU Discovery
              for IP version 6", RFC 1981, August 1996.

   [RFC2003]  Perkins, C., "IP Encapsulation within IP", RFC 2003,
              October 1996.

   [RFC2004]  Perkins, C., "Minimal Encapsulation within IP", RFC 2004,
              October 1996.

   [RFC2501]  Corson, M. and J. Macker, "Mobile Ad hoc Networking
              (MANET): Routing Protocol Performance Issues and
              Evaluation Considerations", RFC 2501, January 1999.

   [RFC2923]  Lahey, K., "TCP Problems with Path MTU Discovery",
              RFC 2923, September 2000.

   [RFC3819]  Karn, P., Bormann, C., Fairhurst, G., Grossman, D.,
              Ludwig, R., Mahdavi, J., Montenegro, G., Touch, J., and L.
              Wood, "Advice for Internet Subnetwork Designers", BCP 89,
              RFC 3819, July 2004.

   [RFC4213]  Nordmark, E. and R. Gilligan, "Basic Transition Mechanisms
              for IPv6 Hosts and Routers", RFC 4213, October 2005.

   [RFC4301]  Kent, S. and K. Seo, "Security Architecture for the
              Internet Protocol", RFC 4301, December 2005.

   [RFC4303]  Kent, S., "IP Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP)",
              RFC 4303, December 2005.

   [RFC4380]  Huitema, C., "Teredo: Tunneling IPv6 over UDP through
              Network Address Translations (NATs)", RFC 4380,
              February 2006.

   [RFC4459]  Savola, P., "MTU and Fragmentation Issues with In-the-
              Network Tunneling", RFC 4459, April 2006.



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   [RFC4821]  Mathis, M. and J. Heffner, "Packetization Layer Path MTU
              Discovery", RFC 4821, March 2007.

   [RFC4963]  Heffner, J., Mathis, M., and B. Chandler, "IPv4 Reassembly
              Errors at High Data Rates", RFC 4963, July 2007.

   [TCP-IP]   "TCP-IP mailing list archives,
              http://www-mice.cs.ucl.ac.uk/multimedia/mist/tcpip, May
              1987 - May 1990.".


Appendix A.  Historic Evolution of PMTUD (written 10/30/2003)

   The topic of Path MTU discovery (PMTUD) saw a flurry of discussion
   and numerous proposals in the late 1980's through early 1990.  The
   initial problem was posed by Art Berggreen on May 22, 1987 in a
   message to the TCP-IP discussion group [TCP-IP].  The discussion that
   followed provided significant reference material for [FRAG].  An IETF
   Path MTU Discovery Working Group [MTUDWG] was formed in late 1989
   with charter to produce an RFC.  Several variations on a very few
   basic proposals were entertained, including:

   1.  Routers record the PMTUD estimate in ICMP-like path probe
       messages (proposed in [FRAG] and later [RFC1063])

   2.  The destination reports any fragmentation that occurs for packets
       received with the "RF" (Report Fragmentation) bit set (Steve
       Deering's 1989 adaptation of Charles Lynn's Nov. 1987 proposal)

   3.  A hybrid combination of 1) and Charles Lynn's Nov. 1987 proposal
       (straw RFC draft by McCloughrie, Fox and Mogul on Jan 12, 1990)

   4.  Combination of the Lynn proposal with TCP (Fred Bohle, Jan 30,
       1990)

   5.  Fragmentation avoidance by setting "IP_DF" flag on all packets
       and retransmitting if ICMPv4 "fragmentation needed" messages
       occur (Geof Cooper's 1987 proposal; later adapted into [RFC1191]
       by Mogul and Deering).

   Option 1) seemed attractive to the group at the time, since it was
   believed that routers would migrate more quickly than hosts.  Option
   2) was a strong contender, but repeated attempts to secure an "RF"
   bit in the IPv4 header from the IESG failed and the proponents became
   discouraged. 3) was abandoned because it was perceived as too
   complicated, and 4) never received any apparent serious
   consideration.  Proposal 5) was a late entry into the discussion from
   Steve Deering on Feb. 24th, 1990.  The discussion group soon



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   thereafter seemingly lost track of all other proposals and adopted
   5), which eventually evolved into [RFC1191] and later [RFC1981].

   In retrospect, the "RF" bit postulated in 2) is not needed if a
   "contract" is first established between the peers, as in proposal 4)
   and a message to the MTUDWG mailing list from jrd@PTT.LCS.MIT.EDU on
   Feb 19. 1990.  These proposals saw little discussion or rebuttal, and
   were dismissed based on the following the assertions:

   o  routers upgrade their software faster than hosts

   o  PCs could not reassemble fragmented packets

   o  Proteon and Wellfleet routers did not reproduce the "RF" bit
      properly in fragmented packets

   o  Ethernet-FDDI bridges would need to perform fragmentation (i.e.,
      "translucent" not "transparent" bridging)

   o  the 16-bit IP_ID field could wrap around and disrupt reassembly at
      high packet arrival rates

   The first four assertions, although perhaps valid at the time, have
   been overcome by historical events leaving only the final to
   consider.  But, [FOLK] has shown that IP_ID wraparound simply does
   not occur within several orders of magnitude the reassembly timeout
   window on high-bandwidth networks.

   (Authors 2/11/08 note: this final point was based on a loose
   interpretation of [FOLK], and is more accurately addressed in
   [RFC4963].)


Author's Address

   Fred L. Templin (editor)
   Boeing Phantom Works
   P.O. Box 3707
   Seattle, WA  98124
   USA

   Email: fltemplin@acm.org









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