Forward Error Correction (FEC) Framework
RFC 6363

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Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)                         M. Watson
Request for Comments: 6363                                 Netflix, Inc.
Category: Standards Track                                       A. Begen
ISSN: 2070-1721                                                    Cisco
                                                                 V. Roca
                                                                   INRIA
                                                            October 2011

                Forward Error Correction (FEC) Framework

Abstract

   This document describes a framework for using Forward Error
   Correction (FEC) codes with applications in public and private IP
   networks to provide protection against packet loss.  The framework
   supports applying FEC to arbitrary packet flows over unreliable
   transport and is primarily intended for real-time, or streaming,
   media.  This framework can be used to define Content Delivery
   Protocols that provide FEC for streaming media delivery or other
   packet flows.  Content Delivery Protocols defined using this
   framework can support any FEC scheme (and associated FEC codes) that
   is compliant with various requirements defined in this document.
   Thus, Content Delivery Protocols can be defined that are not specific
   to a particular FEC scheme, and FEC schemes can be defined that are
   not specific to a particular Content Delivery Protocol.

Status of This Memo

   This is an Internet Standards Track document.

   This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
   (IETF).  It represents the consensus of the IETF community.  It has
   received public review and has been approved for publication by the
   Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG).  Further information on
   Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 5741.

   Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
   and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
   http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6363.

Watson, et al.               Standards Track                    [Page 1]
RFC 6363                      FEC Framework                 October 2011

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2011 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.  Code Components extracted from this document must
   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the Simplified BSD License.

   This document may contain material from IETF Documents or IETF
   Contributions published or made publicly available before November
   10, 2008.  The person(s) controlling the copyright in some of this
   material may not have granted the IETF Trust the right to allow
   modifications of such material outside the IETF Standards Process.
   Without obtaining an adequate license from the person(s) controlling
   the copyright in such materials, this document may not be modified
   outside the IETF Standards Process, and derivative works of it may
   not be created outside the IETF Standards Process, except to format
   it for publication as an RFC or to translate it into languages other
   than English.

Watson, et al.               Standards Track                    [Page 2]
RFC 6363                      FEC Framework                 October 2011

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................3
   2. Definitions and Abbreviations ...................................5
   3. Architecture Overview ...........................................7
   4. Procedural Overview ............................................11
      4.1. General ...................................................11
      4.2. Sender Operation ..........................................13
      4.3. Receiver Operation ........................................15
   5. Protocol Specification .........................................19
      5.1. General ...................................................19
      5.2. Structure of the Source Block .............................19
      5.3. Packet Format for FEC Source Packets ......................19
           5.3.1. Generic Explicit Source FEC Payload ID .............21
      5.4. Packet Format for FEC Repair Packets ......................21
           5.4.1. Packet Format for FEC Repair Packets over RTP ......22
      5.5. FEC Framework Configuration Information ...................22
      5.6. FEC Scheme Requirements ...................................24
   6. Feedback .......................................................26