TSVWG J. Touch
Internet Draft Independent Consultant
Updates: 4727
Intended status: Standards Track March 3, 2022
Expires: September 2022
User Ports for Experiments
draft-touch-tsvwg-usr-exp-00.txt
Abstract
This document defines user ports for experiments using transport
protocols. It describes the use of experiment identifiers to enable
shared use of these user ports, as well as updating the use of
system ports for experiments [RFC4727] in the same manner.
Status of this Memo
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This Internet-Draft will expire on September 3, 2022.
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Copyright (c) 2022 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
document authors. All rights reserved.
This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction...................................................2
2. User Ports for Experiments.....................................2
3. Security Considerations........................................3
4. IANA Considerations............................................3
5. References.....................................................4
5.1. Normative References......................................4
5.2. Informative References....................................4
6. Acknowledgments................................................4
1. Introduction
Various network codepoints have been allocated for experimental use,
including those for IP, ICMP, UDP, and TCP [RFC4727]. These include
transport protocol port numbers 1021 and 1022, using the service
names "EXP1" and "EXP2".
There has always been an expectation that experiments needing
privileged (system) ports use these assignments and unprivileged
ports use those from the dynamic range [RFC7605]. However, dynamic
ports can be difficult to reserve in some systems or blocked from
traversing some firewalls. As a consequence, there is a need for
non-privileged, non-dynamic ports - i.e., user ports - for
experiments.
This document reserves user ports experimentation and describes the
use of experiment identifiers to differentiate shared use of these
ports for concurrent experiments.
2. User Ports for Experiments
The system, user, and dynamic ranges vary in their properties
[RFC7605]. System ports often include privileged access, sometimes
known as 'root'. Dynamic ports are used as client ports when
establishing associations with services on registered ports. User
ports have neither privilege nor the risk of use by other
connections. User ports are also more likely to allow configuration
to pass through firewalls, where system and dynamic ports can be
difficult to 'un-block'.
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This document registers USR-EXP1 and USR-EXP2 for user port
experiments, using port numbers #UPORT1 and #UPORT2. These ports are
assigned from the user range, allowing non-privileged experiments
without the need to use ports from the dynamic range.
This document also creates a registry for port experiment
identifiers (PExIDs), in the same manner as those created for shared
TCP option experiments [RFC6994]. Experimenters are encouraged to
register PExIDs with IANA and to include them in at the beginning of
their transport data, i.e., at the front of each separate message or
byte stream, in network standard byte order. The use of PEdIDs helps
differentiate experiments without the need for additional port
assignments.
This document also encourages the use of these PExIDs for
experiments using existing experiment ports, i.e., system ports EXP1
and EXP2.
PExIDs differentiate experiments but are not intended to be specific
to a given experiment port, whether system or user, so a single
registration is used for all experiment ports. It is the
responsibility of the experimenter to determine which port(s) each
experiment uses.
3. Security Considerations
The creation of new ports for experiment purposes does not create
any new security considerations. At best, it potentially reduces the
use of privileged system ports for such experiments, which avoids
the associated risk of unnecessary privileged access.
Experimenters are encouraged to include security in any new
experiment, regardless of port (per Section 7.4 of [RFC7605]).
4. IANA Considerations
This document hereby requests the assignment of two user ports for
experimental purposes below. IANA is asked to replace instances of
#UPORT1 and #UPORT2 throughout this document based on the actual
allocation.
---
IANA has assigned the following user ports for experiments:
USR-EXP1 #UPORT1 (desired port 1031) all transports
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USR-EXP2 #UPORT2 (desired port 1032) all transports
This document requests IANA create a "Port Experimental Option
Experiment Identifiers (PExIDs)" registry. The registry records 32-
bit PExIDs, consisting of a brief description, document pointer if
available, assignee name, and e-mail contact for each entry. Once
registered, PExIDs can be used with either the system (EXP1, EXP2)
or user (USR-EXP1, USR-EXP2) ports and with any transport protocol.
Entries are assigned on a First Come, First Served (FCFS) basis
[RFC5226]. IANA will also record known duplicate uses to assist the
community in both debugging assigned uses as well as correcting
unauthorized duplicate uses.
IANA should impose no requirements on making a registration request
other than indicating the desired codepoint and providing a point of
contact. A short description or acronym for the use is desired but
not required.
5. References
5.1. Normative References
[RFC4727] Fenner, B., "Experimental Values in IPv4, IPv6, ICMPv4,
ICMPv6, UDP, and TCP Headers," RFC 4727, Nov. 2026.
[RFC5226] Narten, T., H. Alvestrand," Guidelines for Writing an IANA
Considerations Section in RFCs,", RFC 5226, May 2008.
[RFC6994] Touch, J., "Shared Use of Experimental TCP Options," RFC
6994, Aug. 2013.
5.2. Informative References
[RFC7605] Touch, J., "Recommendations on Using Assigned Transport
Port Numbers," RFC 7605, Aug. 2015.
6. Acknowledgments
This document was prepared using 2-Word-v2.0.template.dot.
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Authors' Addresses
Joe Touch
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 USA
Phone: +1 (310) 560-0334
Email: touch@strayalpha.com
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