Internet DRAFT - draft-ietf-dvmrp-unidirectional-link

draft-ietf-dvmrp-unidirectional-link



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Network Working Group                                     Emmanuel Duros
Internet-Draft                                             Walid Dabbous
                                                  INRIA Sophia-Antipolis
                                                              March 1996



              Handling of unidirectional links with DVMRP

             <draft-ietf-dvmrp-unidirectional-link-00.txt>


Status of this Memo

   This document is an Internet-Draft. Internet-Drafts are working
   documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its areas,
   and its working groups. Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
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   To learn the current status of any Internet-Draft, please check the
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   ftp.isi.edu (US West Coast).


Abstract

   This document defines the modifications which can be applied to DVMRP
   [rfc1075] which make the communication over asymmetric links
   feasible.


1. Introduction

   DVMRP is a distance-vector-style routing protocol for routing
   multicast datagrams through the internet. It was designed to work on
   networks where adjacent gateways routing multicast datagrams
   communicate using the same link in both directions. In case links are
   unidirectional, DVMRP can not be used without modifications.


2. Overcoming DVMRP restrictions



Duros & Dabbous                                                 [Page 1]

Internet Draft       Unidirectional links and DVMRP           March 1996


   A satellite network comprises two sets of stations, feeds that can
   both send and receive multicast packets, and receivers that can only
   receive packets.

   Feeds must be allowed to forward over the satellite links the
   multicast packets which are bound to subnets accessible through other
   feeds or through receivers.

   Receivers will never send any packet via the satellite link. They
   must however send routing messages to the feeds to supply routing
   information, recently changed routes or responses to requests.

   If the network included only feeds, DVMRP could be used unchanged.
   Usage by a mix of receivers and feeds requires some extensions.


3. Proposed solution

   In our example we assume that G1 and G2 (Gateways) are connected to
   symmetric and asymmetric networks (See Figure 1) and support
   multicast routing. G3 and G4 also support multicast routing and are
   connected to symmetric networks.


                         route N1                       ----
     N2       ----                      ----<==========>|G3|<==---
    ---======>|G1| ===================> |G2|     ----   ----
              ----      update msg      ----<===>|G4|<==--
               /\                        /\      ----
               ||   ------------------   ||
                ====|  regular       |====
                 N3 |    connections |  N4
                    ------------------

                          Figure 1


   G1 will send routing messages to G2 multicast to address 224.0.0.4..
   G1 will never receive messages from G2 via route N1, DVMRP must be
   modified to take into account that asymmetry.


3.1. Adding information to DVMRP datagrams

   DVMRP datagrams are composed of two portions: a small, fixed length
   IGMP header, and a stream of tagged data. The stream is composed of
   commands. We suggest to modify a command in order to provide a way to
   authenticate a route taken by a datagram as part of the satellite



Duros & Dabbous                                                 [Page 2]

Internet Draft       Unidirectional links and DVMRP           March 1996


   network.

   The Flag0 command provides a way to set a number of flags.

   Format:  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
           +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
           |        5      |  |     value     |
           +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+


   Meaning of bits in value:

      Bit 7: Destination is unreachable.
      Bit 6: Split Horizon concealed route.

   Default: All bits zero.

   Bits 0 to 5 are unused, for our needs we propose to set the bit 5,
   this specifying that the link is unidirectional. By default bit 5
   would be unset.

   Any DVMRP datagram sent by multicast feeds over the satellite network
   will be authenticated.

   Any multicast router connected to the satellite network (feeds and
   receivers) have to support that functionality when they process
   routing datagrams. Other multicast routers will simply ignore this
   extra flag and the process of DVMRP datagram will not be affected.


3.2. Handling by receivers

   Upon reception of a DVMRP packet, receivers examine the flag0 command
   and note that this packet was sent by a satellite feed (bit 5 set).
   They add the packet address [IP source] to a list of "potential
   feeds".

   Receivers behave "as if" their virtual interface connected to the
   satellite network can transmit packets. This way, the shortest
   reverse path tree can be computed by the receivers with the metric
   associated to the satellite link.

   At pseudo-regular intervals, receivers will send to the feeds a DVMRP
   packet. This packet, however, will not be sent to the multicast
   address of the feed. A copy of this packet will be sent to the
   unicast address of each feed found in the list of "potential feeds"
   through regular connections.




Duros & Dabbous                                                 [Page 3]

Internet Draft       Unidirectional links and DVMRP           March 1996


   Every FULL_UPDATE_RATE seconds routers normally send out DVMRP
   messages to all of their virtual interfaces with all of their routing
   information.  Receivers will propagate routing information about the
   destination addresses "reachable" via the virtual interfaces
   connected to the satellite network. Thus, routers (i.e. G3 and G4,
   see Figure 1) can compute the shortest reverse path tree to the
   source address of a multicast packet even if there is no real path.

   This procedure assumes that there is another route, beside the
   satellite link, by which the receiver can send packets to the feed
   (See Figure 1).


3.3. Processing by feeds

   Any routing message sent over the multicast link (satellite network)
   is authenticated adding the Flag0 command and setting the bit 5.

   All incoming unicast packets are processed even if they were not
   tunneled or sent to a multicast address.


References

   [rfc1075] S. Deering, C. Partridge, D. Waitzman, "Distance Vector
             Multicast Routing Protocol", November 1988.


Author's address

   Emmanuel Duros
   INRIA Sophia Antipolis
   2004, Route des Lucioles BP 93
   06902 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX France

   Email : Emmanuel.Duros@sophia.inria.fr
   Phone : +33 93 65 78 15


   Walid Dabbous
   INRIA Sophia Antipolis
   2004, Route des Lucioles BP 93
   06902 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX France

   Email : Walid.Dabbous@sophia.inria.fr
   Phone : +33 93 65 77 18





Duros & Dabbous                                                 [Page 4]