STORage Maintenance (storm) Charter

STORage Maintenance (storm)

NOTE: This charter is a snapshot of the . It may now be out-of-date.

Last Modified: 2009-10-16

Chair(s):

Tom Talpey <ttalpey@microsoft.com>
David Black <black_david@emc.com>

Transport Area Director(s):

Magnus Westerlund <magnus.westerlund@ericsson.com>
Lars Eggert <lars.eggert@nokia.com>

Transport Area Advisor:

Lars Eggert <lars.eggert@nokia.com>

Mailing Lists:

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

Description of Working Group:

The IETF IPS (IP Storage) and RDDP (Remote Direct Data Placement)
working groups have produced a significant number of storage protocols
(e.g., iSCSI, iSER and FCIP) for which there is significant usage. The
time has come to reflect feedback from implementation and usage into
updated RFCs; this work may include:

- Implementation-driven revisions and updates to existing protocols
(i.e., updated RFCs that match the "running code").

- Interoperability reports as needed for the resulting revised protocols
that are appropriate for Draft Standard RFC status.

- Minor protocol changes or additions. Backwards compatibility is required.

Significant changes to the existing protocol standards are out of scope,
including any work on version 2 of any of these protocols. Security for
these protocols is based on the functionality specified in RFC 3723
(Securing Block Storage Protocols over IP); the working group does not
intend to make major changes or updates to that RFC.

Stability is critical to the usage of these protocols, so backwards
compatibility with existing implementations will be a requirement
imposed on for all protocol changes and additions. Note that this is a
requirement for implementation compatibility - if it is the case that
all implementations of a protocol have done something different than
what the RFC specifies, it is appropriate for a new RFC to document what
the "running code" actually does and deprecate the unused original behavior.

Initial list of work items:

(1) iSCSI: Combine RFCs 3720 (iSCSI), 3980 (NAA names), 4850 (node
architecture key) and 5048 (corrections/clarifications) into one draft
(3720bis), removing features that are not implemented in practice. This
draft should be prepared so that it could become a Draft Standard RFC,
but it is up to the Working Group to decide whether to advance it to
Draft Standard.

(2) iSCSI: Add features to support at least SAM-4 (4th version of the
SCSI architecture) in a backwards-compatible fashion, as iSCSI is
currently based on SAM-2. This will be a separate draft from the iSCSI
update in the previous item. The Working Group may add additional minor
useful iSCSI features to this draft, including features from draft
versions of SAM-5. The iSCSI MIB (RFC 4544) should be updated to provide
SNMP support for new features as appropriate.

(3) FCIP: IP Protocol number 133 was allocated to a precursor of the
FCIP protocol in 2000, but this allocated number is not used by FCIP.
The Working Group will consider whether this allocated number should be
returned to IANA for future reallocation.

(4) iFCP: The Address Translation mode of iFCP needs to be deprecated
(SHOULD NOT implement or use), as there are significant technical
problems with its specification, and moreover, only the Address
Transparent mode of iFCP is in use. This will be done via a short draft
that updates RFC 4172, and not via a complete rewrite of RFC 4172. A
combined draft is expected that encompasses items (3) and (4); this
draft should also update the iFCP MIB (RFC 4369) to deprecate support
for iFCP Address Translation mode.

(5) RDDP MPA: Good support for MPI applications requires a small update
to the startup functionality to allow either end of the connection to
initiate. In addition, a couple of minor changes to RDDP connection
setup are needed based on implementation experience.

(6) iSER: Experience with Infiniband implementations suggest a few minor
updates to reflect what has been done in practice.

The Working Group is expected to maintain good working relationships
with INCITS Technical Committee T10 (SCSI standards) and INCITS
Technical Committee T11 (Fibre Channel standards) via overlaps in
membership as opposed to appointment of formal liaisons. The liaison
process (including IAB appointment of a liaison or liaisons) remains
available for use if needed.

Recent changes in INCITS rules have removed public access to some T10
and T11 standards documents that are expected to be needed for the WG's
program of work. Arrangements have been made with T10 and T11 for IETF
participants to obtain copies of specific standards their personal use
in IETF work as needed; contact the WG chair(s) for details.

Goals and Milestones:

Nov 2009		First version of combined iSCSI draft (3720bis)
Nov 2009		First version of iSCSI SAM-4 (and other) new features draft
Nov 2009		First version of RDDP MPA startup change draft
Nov 2009		First version of FCIP protocol number and iFCP Address Translation mode draft
Dec 2009		First version of iSER update draft
Jan 2010		Working Group Last Call on FCIP protocol number and iFCP address change draft
Feb 2010		Working Group Last Call on RDDP MPA startup change draft
Apr 2010		Working Group Last Call on iSER update draft
May 2010		Functionally complete iSCSI SAM-4 (and other) new features draft, plus iSCSI MIB update draft
Jul 2010		Working Group decision on whether to seek Draft Standard RFC status for the combined iSCSI draft (3720bis). [Note: decision may be made significantly before this date.]
Sep 2010		Working Group Last Call on iSCSI SAM-4 (and other) new features draft
Oct 2010		Working Group Last Call on combined iSCSI draft (3720bis)
Dec 2010		Working Group Last Call on iSCSI MIB update draft