Robust Header Compression (rohc)

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Last Modified: 2003-11-24

Chair(s):

Transport Area Director(s):

Transport Area Advisor:

Technical Advisor(s):

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Description of Working Group:

Another consequence of low bandwidth links is long session setup delays when text-based signaling protocols, such as SIP and SDP, are used. These delays can be significantly reduced by compressing not only the headers, but also the signaling information.

The goal of ROHC is to develop generic header compression schemes that perform well over links with high error rates and long roundtrip times, as well as related signaling compression schemes. The schemes must perform well for cellular links built using technologies such as WCDMA, EDGE, and CDMA-2000. However, the schemes should also be applicable to other future link technologies with high loss and long roundtrip times. Ideally, it should be possible to compress over unidirectional links.

Good performance includes both minimal loss propagation and minimal added delay. In addition to generic TCP and UDP/RTP compression, applications of particular interest are voice and low-bandwidth video.

ROHC may develop multiple compression schemes, for example, some that are particularly suited to specific link layer technologies. Schemes in addition to those listed in the milestones below may be added in consultation with the area directors.

A robust compression scheme must:

* assure that the result after decompression is semantically identical to the uncompressed original;

* perform well when the end-to-end path involves more than one cellular link;

* support IPv4 and IPv6.

* provide benefit in the presence of IPSEC.

Creating more thorough requirements documents will be the first task of the WG for each of its specific areas of work, which are:

* 0-byte improvements to RTP header compression

* TCP header compression

* Signaling compression

* SCTP header compression

In addition, the WG will work on MIBs for its compression schemes, as well as the sheperding of RFC3095 to draft standard.

The working group shall maintain connections with other standardization organizations developing cellular technology for IP, such as 3GPP and 3GPP-2, to ensure that its output fulfills their requirements and will be put to good use.

In addition, the WG should develop a solid understanding of the impact that specific error patterns have on the compression schemes, and document guidelines to Layer 2 designers regarding what Layer 2 features work best to assist Layer 3 and Layer 4 header compression. This work is in coordination with the PILC WG.

Some of the schemes developed in ROHC will be used in wider contexts than just the specific link technologies discussed. The working group will ensure the applicability in particular of the TCP and signaling compression schemes to the general Internet. This includes considering the applicability of the technologies under consideration to open-source implementations.

Finally, working group documents will address interactions with IPSEC and other security implications.

Goals and Milestones:

Internet-Drafts:

Request For Comments:

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