RPSLng task force outline

[Florent Parent <]

(same email, but with a subject ;-)

Hello all,

First, thanks for joining in for this new RIPE task force.

Here's a first cut at the work ahead of us. Thanks to Joachim for
providing the outline done some time ago. Much of the following is based
on that.

Please, take a look at the following task force TODO list and send
comments/additions to the list. We need to properly define the scope of
our work.

Thanks
Florent.


RPSLng task force

Introduction
------------

RPSL (RFC2622) is commonly used today to define IPv4 routing
policies. The current limitation on RPSL is that it can be used for
BGP4 IPv4 unicast policies only.

There is a growing demand to extend RPSL to allow for IPv6 routing
policies. This work is about defining the necessary extensions to the
current RPSL object to be able to specify an IPv6 routing policy.

Since RPSL is tightly coupled with BGP, extending RPSL to support
multiple address families (ipv4, ipv4-multicast, ipv6, ipv6-multicast)
is worth investigating. A framework should be defined for a
multiprotocol RPSL.  Specific extensions can then defined for each new
protocols (IPv6, IPv4 multicast,...)

In summary, the following extensions should be investigated further:
IPv6 unicast extensions to RPSL
IPv6 multicast extensions to RPSL
IPv4 multicast extensions to RPSL


Outline of the work to do
-------------------------

- Summarize the current RPSL classes, keywords, and attributes

- Identify the requirements for defining the necessary routing
  information for IPv6 unicast.

- Identify the requirements for defining the necessary routing
  information for IPv6 multicast.

- Identify the requirements for defining the necessary routing
  information for IPv4 multicast.

- From the collected requirements above, identify the possible groups
  of items which are needed to define the necessary RPSL extensions.

-- Which of the items are already covered by existing RPSL definitions
-- Which new items are needed (new class, new attributes, new keywords)

- Check items and groups for completeness and consistency

The new development must fit into the existing schemes of
authorization, authentication, and distribution. If required, proposal
should be developed how these schemes are to be extended as well.

This work is the first step required to create a multiprotocol
IRR. Other important work will need to be carried out once the RPSL
extensions are defined:

- expanding the RIPE database software to handle the RPSL extensions
- expanding the RAToolSet or related software to automatically generate
  configurations from the data stored in the database


-- 
Florent Parent
Viagénie inc.  http://www.viagenie.qc.ca
+1.418.656.9254 x 227