---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Drew Dvorshak <dvorshak@isoc.org>
Date: 26 February 2011 17:44
Subject: [isoc-advisory-council] URGENT UPDATE- Statement relating to
today�s ITU-T SG15 MPLS development decision
To: isoc-advisory-council@elists.isoc.org
Cc: Russ Housley <housley@vigilsec.com>

Dear Colleagues,

Many of you have followed with interest (and some anxiety) ITU Study
Group 15's work and the implications of it has been the subject of
several Advisory Council meeting dialogues for some time. Please read
below ISOCs' response to today's SG15 decision on transport MPLS also
reflecting the views of IETF Chair Russ Housley. This news is indeed
unfortunate and you will note copy to Russ to ensure he is included in
Council dialogue as I am confident your willingness and ability to
focus expertise on issues for problem solving and positive planning
will be useful and appreciated here.
Your communications and media people may link to this release at:
http://isoc.org/wp/newsletter/?p=3287. Please let me know should you
have any questions or comments.
Cheers,
Drew
IETF and Internet Society Statement relating to today�s ITU-T SG15
decision that will lead to non-interoperability in MPLS development

Today, the ITU-T Study Group 15 determined a Recommendation that
defines Y.1731 based operations, administration and management (OAM)
for MPLS transport networks. This decision sets the stage for a
divergence in MPLS development; it creates a situation where some
vendors will use the IETF standard for MPLS OAM while other vendors
implement the ITU-T Recommendation for OAM. This situation ensures
that the two product groups will not work together. While the impact
may not be immediate, ongoing evolution along this path will
jeopardize the globally interconnected Internet, which is an
interoperable network of networks.

Russ Housley, IETF chair, commented; "The Internet we know today could
not have come about without open, interoperable, global standards.
After we have worked so long and so hard together to ensure that MPLS
OAM products from all vendors around the world would be compatible
with each other, I am surprised and disappointed by the action taken
by the ITU-T today, which takes us off the path of global
interoperability for this technology. The decision is all the more
regrettable because the IETF is just completing work on the first
major phase of extensions to MPLS OAM protocols for use in transport
networks.�

Furthermore, this ITU-T SG15 action represents a serious breach of the
IETF/ ITU-T Joint Working Team (JWT) agreement. This JWT was
commissioned by the ITU-T and IETF to examine the feasibility of a
single, collaborative solution to MPLS transport requirements. The
team unanimously agreed that a single viable solution had been
identified; their report was completed in April 2008 and accepted in
December 2008. This JWT Report states not only that a single solution
was possible but also recommended an approach where protocol
development for MPLS-TP would be undertaken by the IETF. The IETF and
ITU-T independently accepted and endorsed the JWT report. The ITU-T
committed to the IETF that they would abide by the JWT recommendations
and recognized the IETF as the design authority for MPLS. Furthermore,
the JWT confirmed that it was technically feasible to extend the
existing MPLS architecture to meet the requirements of a transport
profile, now called MPLS-TP. Since the acceptance of the JWT Report,
both organizations have worked constructively until now.

"Resolution 101 represented the clear wishes of the member states of
the ITU, and was agreed at the ITU's Plenipotentiary conference less
than six months ago. That Resolution was agreed at the highest level
of the Union, and yet SG15 has taken action that directly contradicts
it,� said Lynn St. Amour, president and CEO of the Internet Society.

�The IETF will complete its work on a MPLS OAM specification, and the
IETF leadership is considering the best way to proceed in light of
this surprising development,� added Russ Housley. �At this point, our
goal is to minimize the negative consequences of this unfortunate
situation. The priority is to establish a measured and careful
approach that protects the stability of the Internet while enabling it
to grow to serve the entire world-wide population.�

Although the ITU-T SG15 decision is disappointing, in an ongoing
pursuit of a globally interoperable solution, the IETF will continue
to gather transport requirements and work to extend IETF MPLS
forwarding, OAM, survivability, network management, and control plane
protocols to meet those requirements through the IETF Standards
Process.

When two non-interoperable standards are developed, there are only two
possible outcomes: if both technologies are deployed, there will be
confusion, if only one is deployed, the existence of the alternative
is irrelevant. In this instance, there are believed to be commercial
products in development for both proposals, so confusion appears
inevitable.

Russ Housley concluded, �The IETF leadership continues to believe that
a single OAM solution will better serve the continued growth of
Internet, and we hope that the ITU-T leadership will also come to
recognize the benefits of a single globally interoperable solution.�

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