Last Call Review of draft-ietf-mpls-mldp-in-band-signaling-07
review-ietf-mpls-mldp-in-band-signaling-07-secdir-lc-meadows-2012-11-08-00

I have reviewed this document as part of the security directorate's

ongoing effort to review all IETF documents being processed by the

IESG.  These comments were written primarily for the benefit of the

security area directors.  Document editors and WG chairs should treat

these comments just like any other last call comments.

This document describes procedures for splicing IP multicast trees, constructed
by Protocol

Independent Multicast, together with multipoint Labeled Switched Paths (LSPs)
 in MPLS domains in Multipoint LDP (mLDP)

these can be created.   In particular,

it describes a way of transmitting the necessary information about which
end-user packets are associated with

which LSPs in the "opaque value" field of an mLDP Forwarding Equivalence Class
(FEC) element.  Previously, such

information had been sent in out-of-band protocols such as  PIM and BGP.

This document mainly concerns ways of representing the different kinds of maps
between end-user packets and LSPs

in FECs.  Thus, the only security considerations are inherited from the base
LDP specification, as the authors point out.

I believe that this use of mLDP FECs is  appropriate from a security point of
view, because the information being transmitted is for use by mLDP.

Indeed, I would argue that reducing complexity by no longer using an
out-of-band protocol improves security.

Catherine Meadows

Naval Research Laboratory

Code 5543

4555 Overlook Ave., S.W.

Washington DC, 20375

phone: 202-767-3490

fax: 202-404-7942

email:

catherine.meadows at nrl.navy.mil