Internet DRAFT - draft-du-apn6-data-driven-accounting
draft-du-apn6-data-driven-accounting
Network Working Group Z. Du
Internet-Draft P. Liu
Intended status: Standards Track L. Geng
Expires: May 6, 2021 China Mobile
November 2, 2020
Data-driven Accounting in Application-aware IPv6 Networking
draft-du-apn6-data-driven-accounting-00
Abstract
This document introduces a new usecase of Application-aware IPv6
Networking to enable data-driven accounting.
Requirements Language
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].
Status of This Memo
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This Internet-Draft will expire on May 6, 2021.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Current Mechanism in APN6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3. Data-driven Accounting Usecase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4. General Process of the Data-driven Accounting . . . . . . . . 4
5. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
7. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
8. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
8.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
8.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1. Introduction
Application-aware IPv6 Networking is a kind of self-identified
mechanism per packet. In the mechanism of APN6
[I-D.li-apn6-problem-statement-usecases], an IPv6 packet can carry
the APP ID information and SLA requirements of the traffic in its
Extension Headers. Therefore, the network equipment can analyze them
in each packet and handle the packet accordingly.
In this mechanism, different user traffic can get different
treatments so that the network resource can be used more efficiently.
As the emergence of various new services with various requirements,
the same treatment for all traffic cannot continue to be sustainable
in future.
Current usecases in APN6 only mention different treatments of the
traffic, but do not mention the way to account, which is essential
for the operator. If the operators can charge for APN services
properly, the APN technologies will be adopted more quickly.
This document introduces the usecase and the general process about
the data-driven accounting in APN6.
2. Current Mechanism in APN6
As shown in Figure 1, the APN framework [I-D.li-apn-framework]
includes App (Client and Server), App-aware Edge, App-aware-process
Head-End, App-aware-process Mid-Point, and App-aware-process End-
Point.
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Client Server
+-----+ +-----+
|App x|-\ /->|App x|
+-----+ | +-----+ +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ | +-----+
\->|App- | |App-aware|-A-|App-aware|-A-|App-aware|-/
User side |aware|-|process |-B-|process |-B-|process |
/->|Edge | |Head-End |-C-|Mid-Point|-C-|End-Point|-\
+-----+ | +-----+ +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ | +-----+
|App y|-/ \->|App y|
+-----+ --------- Uplink ----------> +-----+
Figure 1: Framework and Key Components in APN6
The data-driven process of APN6 is described below.
The APP or the APP-aware Edge will generate an APN packet which
carries the application characteristic information in the
encapsulation. The information may include application-aware
identification, such as SLA level, application ID, user ID, flow ID,
etc., and network performance requirements, such as bandwidth,
latency, jitter, packet loss ratio, etc. The former is recorded in
the Application-aware ID Options, and the latter is recorded in the
Service-Para Options defined in the [I-D.li-apn-framework].
App-aware-process Head-End can read that information and steer the
packet into a given policy which satisfies the application
requirements. It is supposed that a set of paths, tunnels or SR
policies, exist between the App-aware-process Head-End and the App-
aware-process End-Point. App-aware-process Head-End can find one
existing path or establish a new one for the traffic.
3. Data-driven Accounting Usecase
In the APN architecture, a client can send both normal IPv6 packets
and APN encapsulated packets simultaneously, which may trigger
complicated accounting/charging mechanisms.
As the treatment of the APN packets may be various according to
multiple factors, such as the time of accessing the network, the
network conditions, etc., a flexible accounting mechanism is needed.
In addition, it is better that the accounting mechanism can support
negotiations between the client and the accounting point.
For example, a user occasionally needs to transfer an import file or
attend an important meeting, they can use this APN-based data-driven
mechanism to trigger a better network service and pay a reasonable
amount of money.
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4. General Process of the Data-driven Accounting
The general process of data-driven accounting is described as below.
Firstly, the client inform the the accounting point, which is
normally also the gateway of the client, about the requirement of the
traffic, and optionally including the cost the user can offer.
Secondly, the network provide the service accordingly.
Thirdly, the client can do the accounting itself, and occasionally
send a specific APN packet to the accounting point to align the
accounting information.
Fourthly, the network confirm the accounting information received
from the client, and make a decision about further treatment of the
traffic.
Finally, the client may terminate the service and the accounting.
As the client and the accounting point can negotiate by using this
APN mechanism, a more flexible accounting mechanism is enabled. In
this mechanism, the client can participate the accounting, and the
accounting point needs to confirm the legality of the APN accounting
packets. Therefore, the APN accounting packet should include
accounting information of the flow and the signature of the client
for the packet.
The accounting point can notify the client about an SRv6 Accounting
Function before the service accessing. In this case, the accounting
information and the signature can be carried in the SRv6 SID list or
some other places of the SRH.
5. IANA Considerations
TBD.
6. Security Considerations
TBD.
7. Acknowledgements
TBD.
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8. References
8.1. Normative References
[I-D.li-apn-framework]
Li, Z., Peng, S., Voyer, D., Li, C., Geng, L., Cao, C.,
Ebisawa, K., Previdi, S., and J. Guichard, "Application-
aware Networking (APN) Framework", draft-li-apn-
framework-01 (work in progress), September 2020.
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
8.2. Informative References
[I-D.li-apn6-problem-statement-usecases]
Li, Z., Peng, S., Voyer, D., Xie, C., Liu, P., Liu, C.,
Ebisawa, K., Previdi, S., and J. Guichard, "Problem
Statement and Use Cases of Application-aware IPv6
Networking (APN6)", draft-li-apn6-problem-statement-
usecases-01 (work in progress), November 2019.
Authors' Addresses
Zongpeng Du
China Mobile
No.32 XuanWuMen West Street
Beijing 100053
China
Email: duzongpeng@foxmail.com
Peng Liu
China Mobile
No.32 XuanWuMen West Street
Beijing 100053
China
Email: liupengyjy@chinamobile.com
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Liang Geng
China Mobile
No.32 XuanWuMen West Street
Beijing 100053
China
Email: gengliang@chinamobile.com
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