Subject: DLSw SIG - Minutes of AIW meeting Sep 28, 1993

From: "Paul Wood" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 93 11:23:10

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                           Data Link Switch SIG
     
                        APPN Implementors Workshop     
     
                      Meeting Minutes, Sept 28, 1993
     
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     Chairman:      Louise Herndon Wells
     Present:       About 70 members
     
     Mail Exploder Information
     
          Tim Hefel of IBM described the mail exploder for the DLSw SIG
          and for the 7 SIGlets. Tim distributed an "AIW Information
          Exchange" document containing this information.

     SIG Charter Taskforce
     
          Louise Herndon Wells proposed that the details of the SIG
          charter be discussed offline by a subcommittee consisting
          of:
               Lee Rafalow              IBM
               Wayne Clark              Cisco
               Bill Bergman             IBM
               Himanshu Shah            Proteon
               Louise Herndon Wells     Internetwork Technology Inst.
     
          Issues to be discussed are:
     
               Name
               Purpose
               Deliverables
               Milestones
               AIW Relationships
               Cost

     DLSw Milestones
     
          The following milestones were proposed and agreed by
          consensus:
     
               Feb 94    AIW4      AD        All written proposals
               June 94   AIW5      AP        Final Proposal
               Oct 94    AIW6      CP        Final Agreement
     
          Lee Rafalow amplified the meaning of AD (Approved Direction),
          AP (Approved Pages) and CP (Closed Pages), as described in the
          AIW Procedures Manual.

     Methods to achieve progress before AIW4 in Feb 94.
     
          Louise Herndon Wells, noting that the next AIW is 20 weeks
          away, proposed that teleconferences and a video conference be
          held on the following schedule:
     
               Nov 1-5   1 hr teleconference
               Dec 6-10  2 hrs videoconference, nodes in RTP, Silcon
                         Valley and Boston.
               Jan 10-14 Teleconference.
     
          Jim Cobban of BNR and Lee Rafalow of IBM agreed to investigate
          the possibility of arranging/sponsoring the videoconference.

     DLSw SIG Editor.
     
          The appointment of a document editor for the DLSw SIG was
          discussed. The role is to incorporate working group proposals
          that are approved by the SIG into the current informational
          RFC 1434, to generate a new RFC.
     
          The following people were nominated for the position of
          editor:
     
               Alan Bartky         Sync Research
               Roy Dixon           IBM
               Wayne Clark         Cisco
               John Pickens        Mayfield
     
          All except Alan declined the nomination, and Alan was
          appointed. As a consequence, Alan relinquished the position as
          Connect/Disconnect SIGlet co-ordinator, and Steve Klein of IBM
          was appointed his replacement.

     SIGlet Working Groups
     
          Co-ordinators of the 7 working groups presented the status of
          their group activities. Four of the groups held breakout
          meetings, and the minutes that follow reflect the status of
          those meetings (as gleaned from the foils presented at the
          DLSw SIG wrapup meeting).
     
     Capabilities SIGLet - Wayne Clark - Cisco
     
          As a preliminary item relating to the use of multiple SAPs,
          there was discussion on the separation of the
          CANUREACH/ICANREACH protocol into two separate functions,
          based on information from Gene Cox of IBM. The first exchange
          is solely a toplogy discovery sequence, while the second
          exchange (with a different format) uses a "directed" search
          and is used to setup the circuit. The first exchange is
          triggered by an incoming TEST, whle the second exchange is
          triggered by an incoming XID. This gives the technical basis
          for the use of different SAPs at each end of the circuit.
     
          Consensus was reached on the following items:
     
          1.   DLSw should be broken into a base set and an option set.
     
          2.   The base set comprises:
                    Current RFC1434
                    +    Capabilities negotiation
                    -    NETBIOS
                    +    Base Flow control as determined by the Flow
                         Control SIGlet
                    +    Items from the Connect SIGLET
                    +    RFC1434 Cleanup for Multiple SAPs and split
                         CANUREACH
     
          3.   The otion set comprises:
                    .    NETBIOS
                    .    Loop Prevention
                    .    Priority/COS
                    .    Advanced Flow Control, as determined by the
                         Flow Control SIGLet
                    .    CANUREACH List for node
                         a.   none
                         b.   MAC and mask
                         c.   Sysdef MAC list
     
          4.   A Vendor ID (the OUI) will be included in the
               capabilities exchange to allow vendor specific features,
               in addition to the DLSw specified features.
     
          5.   The capabilities exchanged should be carried over TCP,
               not UDP.
     
          6.   It was not judged necessary to have a full directory name
               server, given the option set CANUREACH list.
     
          7.   In light of the split of the CANUREACH into two topology
               discovery and circuit setup, then CANUREACH is a
               mandatory function of DLSw.
     
          8.   The capabilities exchange used GDS variables and
               structured subfields.
     
          9.   A initial proposal for a capabilities exchange will be
               made by IBM, and reviewed/refined by the SIGlet.

     Flow Control SIGlet - Shannon Nix - Netlink
     
          Contributions were received from three people:
               .    Adaptive Pacing Flow Control  Peter Gayek - IBM
               .    Out of Bank Pacing Response   Paul Gacek - Novell
               .    Buffer Management Policy      Shannon Nix - Netlink
     
          Issues discussed were:
     
          1.   Circuit level Flow control mechanism
               a.   EnterBusy / ExitBusy
               b.   Fixed Pacing
          2.   Transport Flow Control Mechanism
          3.   Transport Connection
               a.   IPM Channel
                    i.   Shared with data
                    ii.  Dedicated Channels
               b.   Multiple data connections
                    .    COS, Connect, Capabilities Exchange SIGlets
          4.   Adaptive Pacing Patent
               .    IBM position in one month
     
          Consensus was reached on the following:
          1.   Base DLSw should have circuit level flow control, either
               EnterBusy/Exitbusy or fixed pacing. Which method for
               further study.
          2.   Base should have explicit Transport level flow control.
          3.   Scope of SIGlet work restricted to interaction between
               DLSw nodes.
          4.   Adaptive pacing should be included as an option, with
               initial window negotiated in capabilities exchange.
               Patent issues to be resolved.

     Connect/Disconnect SIGlet - Alan Bartky - Sync Research
     
          Contribution received on the need for multiple SAPs.
     
          Consensus reached on the following items as the scope of
          connectivity:
          1.   SNA/SDLC and SNA/LLC considered in all combinations of
               endpoints. QLLC and other links not explicitly
               considered, but not designed out.
          2.   PUs 1, 2, 2.1 only
          3.   Multiple SAPs, and different SAPs at each endpoint.
          4.   Dial and leased lines supported, requiring flows between
               switch and end systems.
          5.   NETBIOS-NETBIOS
          6.   Complete connections state machines and flow diagrams
               should be included in updated RFC1434.
     
          Discussion was held on:
          1.   PU 2.1 and XID3 handling
          2.   Multiple SAPs
          3.   SDLC use of a psuedo MAC/SAP
          4.   New two pahse startup (covered in Capabilities SIGlet)
          5.   Delta between 6611 and RFC 1434

     Loop Prevention - Choon Lee - 3COM
     
          Identified network topology supported and not supported
          1.   Support DLSw links between 2 LAN segments.
          2.   Parallel DLSw and bridged links need not be supported,
               but DLSw should be made aware
     
          Three proposals to be considered:
          1.   Heartbeat
          2.   Modified TEST packet
          3.   A separate "DLSw only" spanning tree
     
          SIGlet member will consider merits and flaws of each proposal
          and have further discussions on internet.

     Priority and COS - Gene Cox - IBM
     
          Goals of the SIGlet are to provide a full architecture and
          recommendations. Relationships exist with the capabilities,
          connect and conformance SIGlets. Discussions are continuing on
          a single connection (as today), with priority vs. multiple TCP
          connections between two routers.

     Conformance - Rick Conlan - Cisco
     
          No activity since last session, because of bandwidth and
          priorities. Statement of work is:
          .    Clarify Purpose
          .    Establish philosophies for compliance / conformance /
               interoperability.
          .    Determine whether certification should be issued
          .    Determine deliverables
          .    Identify what needs to be tested.
          .    Identify testing methods and facilities.

     DLSw MIB - Glenn Aikens - IBM
     
          No traffic yet on MIB SIGlet, but expected later as other
          technical issues solved
     
          The Goal is for a MIB that manages all DLSw functions,
          including Configuration, Status, Statistics and Thresholds. It
          is proposed to start with the 6611 MIB and make implementation
          independant (eg remove SDLC data), expnd the MIB for all
          implementations, and update it with the results of other
          SIGlets. It is proposed to establish a central repository for
          the MIB.
     
          Paul Gacek of Novell expressed the need for Netview reporting.
          Glenn Aikens suggested that SNMP be done first, and then
          expand to SNA, perhaps by expanding the MIB SIGlet to a
          Network Management Group.

     Conclusion
     
          These minutes have been written from notes taken at the
          meetings, and from the final foils presented to the AIW wrap
          up session. If there are errors or ommisions, please send them
          to the DLSw mail exploder.
     
           Thanks, Paul Wood ([email-masked])