FCAST: Object Delivery for the Asynchronous Layered Coding (ALC) and NACK-Oriented Reliable Multicast (NORM) Protocols
RFC 6968

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)                           V. Roca
Request for Comments: 6968                                         INRIA
Category: Experimental                                        B. Adamson
ISSN: 2070-1721                                Naval Research Laboratory
                                                               July 2013

  FCAST: Object Delivery for the Asynchronous Layered Coding (ALC) and
           NACK-Oriented Reliable Multicast (NORM) Protocols

Abstract

   This document introduces the FCAST reliable object (e.g., file)
   delivery application.  It is designed to operate either on top of the
   underlying Asynchronous Layered Coding (ALC) / Layered Coding
   Transport (LCT) reliable multicast transport protocol or the NACK-
   Oriented Reliable Multicast (NORM) transport protocol.

Status of This Memo

   This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is
   published for examination, experimental implementation, and
   evaluation.

   This document defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet
   community.  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/rfc6968.

Roca & Adamson                Experimental                      [Page 1]
RFC 6968                  FCAST Object Delivery                July 2013

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   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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   described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................3
      1.1. Requirements Notation ......................................4
      1.2. Definitions, Notations, and Abbreviations ..................5
   2. FCAST Data Formats ..............................................6
      2.1. Compound Object Format .....................................6
      2.2. Carousel Instance Descriptor Format ........................9
   3. FCAST Principles ...............................................12
      3.1. FCAST Content Delivery Service ............................12
      3.2. Compound Object and Metadata Transmission .................13
      3.3. Metadata Content ..........................................13
      3.4. Carousel Transmission .....................................15
      3.5. Carousel Instance Descriptor Special Object ...............15
      3.6. Compound Object Identification ............................17
      3.7. FCAST Sender Behavior .....................................18
      3.8. FCAST Receiver Behavior ...................................19
   4. Requirements for Compliant Implementations .....................20
      4.1. Requirements Related to the Object Metadata ...............20
      4.2. Requirements Related to the Carousel Instance Descriptor ..21
   5. Security Considerations ........................................22
      5.1. Problem Statement .........................................22
      5.2. Attacks against the Data Flow .............................22
           5.2.1. Attacks Meant to Gain Access to
                  Confidential Objects ...............................23
           5.2.2. Attacks Meant to Corrupt Objects ...................23
      5.3. Attacks against the Session Control Parameters and
           Associated Building Blocks ................................24
           5.3.1. Attacks against the Session Description ............25
           5.3.2. Attacks against the FCAST CID ......................25
           5.3.3. Attacks against the Object Metadata ................25
           5.3.4. Attacks against the ALC/LCT and NORM Parameters ....26
           5.3.5. Attacks against the Associated Building Blocks .....26

Roca & Adamson                Experimental                      [Page 2]