IP Payload Compression Protocol (ippcp)

This Working Group Did Not Meet

NOTE: This charter is a snapshot of the 42nd IETF Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. It may now be out-of-date. Last Modified: 06-Aug-98

Chair(s):

Naganand Doraswamy <naganand@baynetworks.com>

Internet Area Director(s):

Jeffrey Burgan <burgan@home.net>
Thomas Narten <narten@raleigh.ibm.com>

Internet Area Advisor:

Thomas Narten <narten@raleigh.ibm.com>

Mailing Lists:

General Discussion:ippcp@external.cisco.com
To Subscribe: mailer@cisco.com
In Body: subscribe/unsubscribe ippcp [email_addr] in body
Archive: ftp://ftp-eng.cisco.com/ippcp/ippcp

Description of Working Group:

Lossless data compression has commonly been deployed in layers below IP (PPP being one example). However, the anticipated deployment of higher-layer encryption protocols (e.g., IPSec) threatens to reduce the effectiveness of lower-layer compression techniques since encrypted data cannot be compressed. The IP Payload Compression Protocol Working Group will develop protocol specifications that make it possible to perform lossless compression on individual payloads before the payload is processed by a protocol that encrypts it. These specifications will allow for compression operations to be performed prior to the encryption of a payload by such protocols as IPSec.

The Working Group will focus on the compression of independent payloads (i.e., independent datagrams) in a stateless manner. By stateless, we mean that decompression of a received packet does not rely on correct reception or correct ordering of previous packets.

The immediate problem the Working Group will address is the development of a payload compression protocol for use in conjunction with IPSec. The working group will develop its specifications to support both IPv4 and IPv6. Although the primary motivation for this WG is the need to compress packets when IPSec is used, the WG will develop an architecture that does not preclude its use with other potential protocols or the absence of IPSec.

The working group will identify and document the mechanisms that allow two communicating parties to negotiate the use of compression as well as the compression format to be employed. The Working Group will consider defining extensions to ISAKMP to support the negotiation of compression parameters. Use of ISAKMP as the immediate effort shall not preclude compression in the absence of IPsec. Alternate negotiation mechanisms (or even static negotiation), if appropriate, shall be identified and extended as needed to accommodate the use of payload compression functionality. Since compression will be negotiated, existing implementations of IP will interoperate with implementations that support compression.

The output of this WG will consist of a base architectural document that provides the framework for how compression will be done (i.e., defines the compression "shim"), together with one or more documents giving specific compression algorithms and formats. The architectural document will describe how different compression algorithms can be negotiated and supported, but the documenting of specific compression algorithms will be done elsewhere (i.e., in standalone documents). A registration mechanism for various compression formats will be specified as part of the base protocol. If possible, an existing registration mechanism for compression formats shall be used (e.g., Compression Control Protocol options of PPP).

Goals and Milestones:

Jul 97

  

Submit Internet-Draft on Base Architecture for IP Payload Compression Protocol

Jul 97

  

Solicit drafts of compressed data formats from working group

Aug 97

  

Meet in Munich to discuss submitted drafts

Aug 97

  

Revise drafts to reflect working group discussion/inputs

Oct 97

  

Submit IP Payload Compression Protocol architectural document to the IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard.

Oct 97

  

Submit specific compression transform document(s) to the IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard or as Informational RFC.

Oct 97

  

Submit document definining mechanism for using ISAKMP to negotiate compression formats to the IESG for consideration as Proposed Standard.

Dec 97

  

Meet in Washington, DC to discuss implementation issues relating to IP Payload Compression Protocol, compressed data format drafts, and possible future work of the group

Jan 98

  

AD review of WG. Revise charter or close group down.

Internet-Drafts:

No Request For Comments