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RE: My comments to the press about OAM for MPLS

2011-03-04 11:32:01
I have been on several design teams over the years, such as one that produced 
the MPLS Architecture (RFC3031), and a different one that produced the L3VPN 
Framework Document (RFC4110). In each case the design team was ended when an 
early draft of the document had been produced and submitted to the working 
group. 

Once an Internet Draft is accepted as a WG document, then the document 
"belongs" to the WG, in the sense that the document gets updated based on WG 
consensus. In fact, in the rare situation that a document author refuses to 
make changes to a WG document in violation of clear WG consensus, then the WG 
chairs have the authority to remove the author and put in different authors. 
This is just normal IETF process. 

Thus closing a design team when its work has been completed (which means that 
an initial draft has been submitted to the WG) is normal IETF process. The work 
continues in the WG (as happened in this case). 

Ross

-----Original Message-----
From: ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org 
[mailto:ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org] On Behalf Of John E Drake
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 10:01 AM
To: Brian E Carpenter; Russ Housley
Cc: IETF
Subject: RE: My comments to the press about OAM for MPLS

Hi,

I think we should be sad, though, that Huub's feelings were hurt when the team 
was disbanded.

Here is the liaison to the ITU describing the disbanding of the design team: 
https://datatracker.ietf.org/liaison/593/.  Interestingly, I can't find a reply 
from the ITU.  This implies they didn't consider it important at the time.

The design team report 
(http://www.ietf.org/proceedings/75/slides/mpls-17/mpls-17_files/frame.htm), 
with Huub's name as an author, details a plan for MPLS-TP OAM which the MPLS WG 
has followed to this day.  I think the report is compelling evidence that the 
claim that a packet transport network is an MPLS application that intrinsically 
requires a different OAM solution is simply a lame ex post facto attempt to 
justify the ITU's abrogation of the agreement with the IETF (TD07 (WP3/SG15) 
from December 2008 sourced by SG15):

"The ITU-T accepts these recommendations and states that any extensions to MPLS 
technology will be progressed via the IETF standards process using the 
procedures defined in RFC 4929 (Change Process for Multiprotocol Label 
Switching (MPLS) and Generalized MPLS (GMPLS) Protocols and Procedures).  
Experts from the ITU-T will assist the IETF in the development of RFCs that 
describe the transport extensions by providing input to and review of the 
drafts as they are progressed via the IETF standards process.. The ITU-T will 
develop new or revised Recommendations that will allow IETF MPLS-TP to be 
integrated into the transport network including integration with the existing 
equipment, and operations infrastructure.  These Recommendations will make 
normative references to the base IETF MPLS-TP technology and will be developed 
with input from and review by experts from the IETF to ensure consistency with 
MPLS-TP...

The ITU-T has accepted the proposals from the JWT and we look forward to 
continuing the cooperative development of IETF MPLS to address the needs of the 
transport network. We also believe that this resolution will fulfil the mutual 
goal of improve the functionality of the internet and transport networks and 
guaranteeing complete interoperability and architectural soundness."

Thanks,

John

Sent from my iPhone

-----Original Message-----
From: ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org 
[mailto:ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org] On Behalf Of
Brian E Carpenter
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2011 12:05 PM
To: Russ Housley
Cc: IETF
Subject: Re: My comments to the press about OAM for MPLS

On 2011-03-04 06:51, Russ Housley wrote:
Nurit:

Not to mention including the canard that the IETF unilaterally
disbanded
"its group assigned to work with ITU" in 2009. Others with more
detailed
knowledge can explain exactly why this is, er, a lie.
Here are some facts:
===================
I was member of the MEAD team.
A meeting of the MEAD team was scheduled to meet in Munich
12-14 October 2009. It was scheduled right after an ITU-T
SG15 plenary meeting (September 28 - October 9) because
MEAD team members attended that meeting too.

On Friday October 2nd an agenda was distributed for the MEAD
team for the meeting in Munich on the MEAD team list 
mead(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org.
On Monday October 5th an email was sent to mead(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
announcing the disbanding of the MEAD team, and that the
meeting in Munich should not be considered a MEAD team meeting.

The decision to disband the MEAD team was liaised to the ITU-T
on the same day (October 5).

Do I need to say more.

It does not sound like the shutdown of the MEAD team was smooth.
However, the closure of a design team when their output is being
handled by a working group is quite normal.

That's the point. A design team is always a short term mechanism and
once it
reports back to the WG, it closes down. Not having been personally
involved, I can't judge whether the process was clear to those
involved,
especially people with more experience in ITU-T than in the IETF.

Just so we are all talking about the same thing, here is the official
description from BCP 25 (RFC 2418):

"6.5. Design teams

   It is often useful, and perhaps inevitable, for a sub-group of a
   working group to develop a proposal to solve a particular problem.
   Such a sub-group is called a design team.  In order for a design
team
   to remain small and agile, it is acceptable to have closed
membership
   and private meetings.  Design teams may range from an informal chat
   between people in a hallway to a formal set of expert volunteers
that
   the WG chair or AD appoints to attack a controversial problem.  The
   output of a design team is always subject to approval, rejection or
   modification by the WG as a whole."

In other words, what counts in the IETF process is the WG consensus,
not the design team consensus. There are cases where the WG refuses or
significantly changes the design team proposal; RFC 3246 and RFC 3248
make a good example.

    Brian


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