Generalized Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) Packet/Message Format
RFC 5444

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Network Working Group                                         T. Clausen
Request for Comments: 5444                      LIX, Ecole Polytechnique
Category: Standards Track                                    C. Dearlove
                                                         BAE Systems ATC
                                                                 J. Dean
                                               Naval Research Laboratory
                                                                C. Adjih
                                                      INRIA Rocquencourt
                                                           February 2009

    Generalized Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) Packet/Message Format

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) 2009 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
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (http://trustee.ietf.org/
   license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document.
   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
   and restrictions with respect to this document.

Abstract

   This document specifies a packet format capable of carrying multiple
   messages that may be used by mobile ad hoc network routing protocols.

Clausen, et al.             Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 5444                  MANET Packet Format              February 2009

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................3
   2. Notation and Terminology ........................................4
      2.1. Notation ...................................................4
           2.1.1. Elements ............................................4
           2.1.2. Variables ...........................................5
      2.2. Terminology ................................................5
   3. Applicability Statement .........................................6
   4. Protocol Overview and Functioning ...............................7
   5. Syntactical Specification .......................................7
      5.1. Packets ....................................................8
      5.2. Messages ...................................................9
      5.3. Address Blocks ............................................11
      5.4. TLVs and TLV Blocks .......................................14
           5.4.1. TLVs ...............................................14
           5.4.2. TLV Usage ..........................................17
      5.5. Malformed Elements ........................................18
   6. IANA Considerations ............................................18
      6.1. Expert Review: Evaluation Guidelines ......................18
      6.2. Message Types .............................................20
           6.2.1. Message-Type-Specific TLV Registry Creation ........20
      6.3. Packet TLV Types ..........................................21
           6.3.1. Packet TLV Type Extension Registry Creation ........21
      6.4. Message TLV Types .........................................21
           6.4.1. Message TLV Type Extension Registry Creation .......22
      6.5. Address Block TLV Types ...................................22
           6.5.1. Address Block TLV Type Extension Registry
                  Creation ...........................................23
   7. Security Considerations ........................................23
      7.1. Authentication and Integrity Suggestions ..................23
      7.2. Confidentiality Suggestions ...............................24
   8. Contributors ...................................................25
   9. Acknowledgments ................................................25
   10. References ....................................................26
      10.1. Normative References .....................................26
      10.2. Informative References ...................................27
   Appendix A. Multiplexing and Demultiplexing .......................28
   Appendix B. Intended Usage ........................................28
   Appendix C. Examples ..............................................30
      C.1. Address Block Examples ....................................30
      C.2. TLV Examples ..............................................32
   Appendix D. Illustrations .........................................34
      D.1. Packet ....................................................34
      D.2. Message ...................................................38