Multipath TCP (MPTCP) Application Interface Considerations
RFC 6897
| Document | Type |
RFC - Informational
(March 2013; No errata)
Was draft-ietf-mptcp-api (mptcp WG)
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Last updated | 2015-10-14 | ||
| Replaces | draft-scharf-mptcp-api | ||
| Stream | IETF | ||
| Formats | plain text pdf html bibtex | ||
| Reviews | |||
| Stream | WG state | WG Document | |
| Document shepherd | No shepherd assigned | ||
| IESG | IESG state | RFC 6897 (Informational) | |
| Consensus Boilerplate | Unknown | ||
| Telechat date | |||
| Responsible AD | Martin Stiemerling | ||
| Send notices to | (None) | ||
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) M. Scharf
Request for Comments: 6897 Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs
Category: Informational A. Ford
ISSN: 2070-1721 Cisco
March 2013
Multipath TCP (MPTCP) Application Interface Considerations
Abstract
Multipath TCP (MPTCP) adds the capability of using multiple paths to
a regular TCP session. Even though it is designed to be totally
backward compatible to applications, the data transport differs
compared to regular TCP, and there are several additional degrees of
freedom that applications may wish to exploit. This document
summarizes the impact that MPTCP may have on applications, such as
changes in performance. Furthermore, it discusses compatibility
issues of MPTCP in combination with non-MPTCP-aware applications.
Finally, the document describes a basic application interface that is
a simple extension of TCP's interface for MPTCP-aware applications.
Status of This Memo
This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is
published for informational purposes.
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). Not all documents
approved by the IESG are a candidate for any level of Internet
Standard; see 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/rfc6897.
Scharf & Ford Informational [Page 1]
RFC 6897 MPTCP API March 2013
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2013 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.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ....................................................3
2. Terminology .....................................................4
3. Comparison of MPTCP and Regular TCP .............................5
3.1. Effect on Performance ......................................5
3.1.1. Throughput ..........................................5
3.1.2. Delay ...............................................6
3.1.3. Resilience ..........................................7
3.2. Potential Problems .........................................8
3.2.1. Impact of Middleboxes ...............................8
3.2.2. Dealing with Multiple Addresses inside
Applications ........................................9
3.2.3. Security Implications ..............................10
4. Operation of MPTCP with Legacy Applications ....................10
4.1. Overview of the MPTCP Network Stack .......................10
4.2. Address Issues ............................................11
4.2.1. Specification of Addresses by Applications .........11
4.2.2. Querying of Addresses by Applications ..............12
4.3. MPTCP Connection Management ...............................13
4.3.1. Reaction to Close Call by Application ..............13
4.3.2. Other Connection Management Functions ..............13
4.4. Socket Option Issues ......................................13
4.4.1. General Guideline ..................................13
4.4.2. Disabling of the Nagle Algorithm ...................13
4.4.3. Buffer Sizing ......................................14
4.4.4. Other Socket Options ...............................14
4.5. Default Enabling of MPTCP .................................14
4.6. Summary of Advice to Application Developers ...............15
Scharf & Ford Informational [Page 2]
RFC 6897 MPTCP API March 2013
5. Basic API for MPTCP-Aware Applications .........................15
5.1. Design Considerations .....................................15
5.2. Requirements on the Basic MPTCP API .......................16
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