ForCES

This document describes how to extend the Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) Logical Functional Block (LFB) topology across Forwarding Elements (FEs) by defining the inter-FE LFB class. The inter-FE LFB class provides the ability to pass data and metadata across FEs without needing any changes to the ForCES specification. The document focuses on Ethernet transport.

Deployment experience has demonstrated the value of using the Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) architecture to manage resources other than packet forwarding. In that spirit, the Forwarding Element Manager (FEM) is modeled by creating a Logical Functional Block (LFB) to represent its functionality. We refer to this LFB as the Subsidiary Mechanism (SM) LFB. A Control Element (CE) that controls a Forwarding Element's (FE) resources can also manage its configuration via the SM LFB. This document introduces the SM LFB class, an LFB class that specifies the configuration parameters of an FE. The configuration parameters include new LFB class loading and CE associations; they also provide manipulation of debug mechanisms along with a general purpose attribute definition to describe configuration information.

This memo extends the Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) model defined in RFC 5812 and updates that RFC to allow complex data types for metadata, optional default values for data types, and optional access types for structures. It also fixes an issue with Logical Functional Block (LFB) inheritance and introduces two new features: a new event condition called eventBecomesEqualTo and LFB properties. The changes introduced in this memo do not alter the protocol and retain backward compatibility with older LFB models.

Many network devices support parallel packet processing. This document describes how Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) can model a network device's parallelization datapath using constructs defined by the ForCES model (RFC 5812) and controlled via the ForCES protocol (RFC 5810).

Experience in implementing and deploying the Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) architecture has demonstrated the need for a few small extensions both to ease programmability and to improve wire efficiency of some transactions. The ForCES protocol is extended with a table range operation and a new extension for error handling. This document updates the semantics in RFCs 5810 and 7121 to achieve that end goal.

This document discusses Control Element (CE) High Availability (HA) within a Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) Network Element (NE). Additionally, this document updates RFC 5810 by providing new normative text for the Cold Standby High Availability mechanism.

This document captures the results of the second Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) interoperability test that took place on February 24-25, 2011, in the Internet Technology Lab (ITL) at Zhejiang Gongshang University, China. The results of the first ForCES interoperability test were reported in RFC 6053, and this document updates RFC 6053 by providing further interoperability results.

This document defines basic classes of Logical Function Blocks (LFBs) used in Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES). The basic LFB classes are defined according to the ForCES Forwarding Element (FE) model and ForCES protocol specifications; they are scoped to meet requirements of typical router functions and are considered the basic LFB library for ForCES. The library includes the descriptions of the LFBs and the XML definitions.

The Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) protocol defines a standard communication and control mechanism through which a Control Element (CE) can control the behavior of a Forwarding Element (FE). This document captures the experience of implementing the ForCES protocol and model. Its aim is to help others by providing examples and possible strategies for implementing the ForCES protocol. This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is published for informational purposes.

Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) defines an architectural framework and associated protocols to standardize information exchange between the control plane and the forwarding plane in a ForCES network element (ForCES NE). RFC 3654 has defined the ForCES requirements, and RFC 3746 has defined the ForCES framework.

This document is an implementation report for the ForCES Protocol, Model, and the Stream Control Transmission Protocol-based Transport Mapping Layer (SCTP TML) documents, and includes a report on interoperability testing and the current state of ForCES implementations. This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is published for informational purposes.

The Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) protocol defines a standard framework and mechanism for the interconnection between control elements and forwarding elements in IP routers and similar devices. In this document we describe the applicability of the ForCES model and protocol. We provide example deployment scenarios and functionality, as well as document applications that would be inappropriate for ForCES. This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is published for informational purposes.

This document specifies the Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) protocol. The ForCES protocol is used for communications between Control Elements (CEs) and Forwarding Elements (FEs) in a ForCES Network Element (ForCES NE). This specification is intended to meet the ForCES protocol requirements defined in RFC 3654. Besides the ForCES protocol, this specification also defines the requirements for the Transport Mapping Layer (TML). [STANDARDS-TRACK]

This document defines the SCTP-based TML (Transport Mapping Layer) for the ForCES (Forwarding and Control Element Separation) protocol. It explains the rationale for choosing the SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol) and also describes how this TML addresses all the requirements required by and the ForCES protocol. [STANDARDS TRACK]

This document defines the forwarding element (FE) model used in the Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) protocol. The model represents the capabilities, state, and configuration of forwarding elements within the context of the ForCES protocol, so that control elements (CEs) can control the FEs accordingly. More specifically, the model describes the logical functions that are present in an FE, what capabilities these functions support, and how these functions are or can be interconnected. This FE model is intended to satisfy the model requirements specified in RFC 3654. [STANDARDS-TRACK]

This memo defines a Management Information Base (MIB) module for use with network management protocols in the Internet community. In particular, it defines managed objects for the Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) Network Element (NE). [STANDARDS-TRACK]

This document defines the architectural framework for the ForCES (Forwarding and Control Element Separation) network elements, and identifies the associated entities and their interactions. This is memo provides information for the Internet community.

This document introduces the Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) architecture and defines a set of associated terminology. This document also defines a set of architectural, modeling, and protocol requirements to logically separate the control and data forwarding planes of an IP (IPv4, IPv6, etc.) networking device.

This document describes Linux Netlink, which is used in Linux both as an intra-kernel messaging system as well as between kernel and user space. The focus of this document is to describe Netlink's functionality as a protocol between a Forwarding Engine Component (FEC) and a Control Plane Component (CPC), the two components that define an IP service. As a result of this focus, this document ignores other uses of Netlink, including its use as a intra-kernel messaging system, as an inter- process communication scheme (IPC), or as a configuration tool for other non-networking or non-IP network services (such as decnet, etc.). This document is intended as informational in the context of prior art for the ForCES IETF working group. This memo provides information for the Internet community.