Paul,
Alternatively, we can own up that it is OUR problem, i.e., the IETF, and if
we want a solution, we will create one here.
If we decide that "the problem" is one in our realm, I fully agree.
But transporting layer 2 stuff over IP is not a problem that affects
the Internet. It is a problem for the service providers marketing
departments. The past three yeas have proven that service providers
can satisfy their customers needs with L3VPNs, with
somewhat-interoperable L2VPNs, with non-interoperable L2VPNs, and
with just plain layer 2 circuits.
I certainly agree with you that there are enough examples that
clearly show that service providers can satisfy their customers
needs with *multi-vendor* *interoperable* implementations based on
the *open* specs, where the spec is an Internet Draft, rather than
an IETF standard. In other words, an Internet Draft + working code
is both necessary *and* sufficient.
Yakov.