Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (vrrp)

Last Modified: 2006-03-24

Chair(s):

  • Radia Perlman <radia.perlman@sun.com>

  • Mukesh Gupta <mukesh.gupta@troposnetworks.com>

    Routing Area Director(s):

  • Ross Callon <rcallon@juniper.net>
  • Bill Fenner <fenner@research.att.com>

    Routing Area Advisor:

  • Bill Fenner <fenner@research.att.com>

    Mailing Lists:

    General Discussion: vrrp@ietf.org
    To Subscribe: vrrp-request@ietf.org
    In Body: subscribe vrrp
    Archive: http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/vrrp/index.html

    Description of Working Group:

    The purpose of this working group is to define and develop a standard
    virtual router redundancy protocol for IPv4 and IPv6.  A virtual
    router redundancy protocol is a protocol which allows several
    routers on a multiaccess link to utilize the same virtual IP address.
    One router will be elected as a master with the other routers acting as
    backups in case of the failure of the master router.  The primary
    motivation to using a virtual router redundancy protocol is that host
    systems may be configured (manually or via DHCP) with a single default
    gateway, rather than running an active routing protocol.  The protocol
    should also support the ability to load share traffic when both routers
    are up.

    The goals of this working group are:

    1. Define and develop a standard virtual router redundancy protocol
        for IPv4 and IPv6.

    2. Develop VRRP MIB(s).

    3. Separate specifications will be developed for IPv4 and IPv6.

    4. Determine whether static (configuration based) load sharing is
        adequate or if some amount of dynamic load sharing is required.

    5. Working group will examine security issues to determine what
        security threats it is appropriate for the VRRP protocol to
        handle and include the appropriate mechanisms in the VRRP protocol.

      6. The internet draft "Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol"
        (draft-hinden-vrrp-00.txt) will be use as the basis of virtual
        router redundancy protocol.  The working group will also consider
        other Internet-Drafts related to this topic allowing for issues
        regarding change control, security, running code, etc.

      7. Intellectual property issues regarding the technology to
          develop a virtual router redundancy protocol will be identified
          and addressed.

    Goals and Milestones:

    Done  Charter Working Group
    Done  Issue new Internet Drafts for IPv4 version of the protocol.
    Done  Review and finalize IPv4 Internet Drafts.
    Done  Issue Internet Draft for IPv6 version of VRRP.
    Done  Submit revised IPv4 Internet Drafts to IESG for proposed standard.
    Done  Issue VRRP MIB drafts.
    Done  Issue revised draft for IPv6 version of VRRP.
    Done  Finalize MIB draft and submit to IESG.
    Done  Resolve open issues with authentication methods
    Done  Issue VRRPv3 (VRRP for IPv6) MIB drafts
    Done  Submit updated version of VRRP (IPv4) for Draft Standard
    Done  Decide on the VRRP MIB draft (unified or separated MIBs)
    Done  Resolve ND vs VMACs issue with VRRPv3
    Oct 2004  Submit MIB for VRRPv3 for Proposed Standard
    Oct 2004  Submit VRRP for IPv6 (VRRPv3) for Proposed Standard
    Nov 2004  Review the WG goals and future potential

    Internet-Drafts:

    Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol for IPv6 (64932 bytes)
    Definitions of Managed Objects for the VRRP over IPv4 and IPv6 (93348 bytes)
    Timer Enhancements to Reduce Failover Times for the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol for IPv4 (35193 bytes)

    Request For Comments:

    Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (RFC 2338) (59871 bytes) obsoleted by RFC 3768
    Definitions of Managed Objects for the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol using SNMPv2 (RFC 2787) (56672 bytes)
    Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (RFC 3768) (59969 bytes) obsoletes RFC 2338
    IETF Secretariat - Please send questions, comments, and/or suggestions to ietf-web@ietf.org.

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