Multicast-Address Allocation (malloc)

This Working Group did not meet

NOTE: This charter is a snapshot of the 53rd IETF Meeting in Minneapolis, MN USA. It may now be out-of-date. Last Modified: 29-Aug-01

Chair(s):
Steve Hanna <steve.hanna@sun.com>
Dave Thaler <dthaler@windows.microsoft.com>
Transport Area Director(s):
Scott Bradner <sob@harvard.edu>
Allison Mankin <mankin@isi.edu>
Transport Area Advisor:
Allison Mankin <mankin@isi.edu>
Technical Advisor(s):
Thomas Narten <narten@us.ibm.com>
Mailing Lists:
General Discussion:malloc@catarina.usc.edu
To Subscribe: malloc-request@catarina.usc.edu
Archive: catarina.usc.edu/pub/multicast/malloc/
Description of Working Group:
Note: This Working Group is co-chartered in the Internet Area.

Multicast address allocation is an essential part of using IP multicast. Multicast addresses are an even more limited resource than unicast addresses, and must be allocated dynamically if they are to satisfy expected demand. To this end, the MALLOC WG will define three protocols which work together to form a global dynamic multicast address allocation mechanism. These protocols will be:

- a "host to Address Allocation Server" protocol used by a host to obtain one or more multicast addresses from an address allocation server within its domain.

- an intra-domain server to server protocol that address allocation servers within the same domain can use to ensure that they do not give out conflicting addresses.

- an inter-domain protocol to provide aggregatable multicast address ranges to domains, which the servers in that domain can then allocate individual multicast addresses out of. This protocol will work in conjunction with the IDMR WG's Border Gateway Multicast Protocol to provide a scalable inter-domain multicast routing solution.

Although mechanisms for enforcing policies for multicast address allocation may be considered, setting any such policies is not within the scope of this WG. Alternative multicast models are also out of scope.

Goals and Milestones:
Done   Report on simulation and implementation efforts with existing protocol proposals. Address any problems in the specifications that were found.
Done   Meet at Orlando IETF. Review and finalize the host-server protocol.
Done   Submit the host-server protocol to the IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard.
Done   Repost the updated architecture document as a WG Internet-Draft
Done   Repost the MADCAP scope-nesting option document as a WG Internet-Draft
Done   Review and finalize the inter-domain protocol
Done   Submit the abstract API document(s) to the IESG for consideration as Informational.
Done   Submit the inter-domain protocol to the IESG for consideration as Experimental
Done   Submit the architecture document to the IESG for consideration as Informational
Done   Submit the MADCAP scope-nesting option document to the IESG for consideration as Proposed Standard
Done   Review and finalize the intra-domain protocol
Done   Complete action of withdrawing intra-domain protocol (due to lack of community interest and serious fixes needed)
Aug 01   Submit the MIB to the IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard.
Internet-Drafts:
Request For Comments:
RFCStatusTitle
RFC2730PSMulticast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol (MADCAP)
RFC2771 An Abstract API for Multicast Address Allocation
RFC2907PSMADCAP Multicast Scope Nesting State Option
RFC2908 The Internet Multicast Address Allocation Architecture
RFC2909E The Multicast Address Set Claim (MASC) Protocol

Current Meeting Report

None received.

Slides

None received.