DetNet MPLS OAM: Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) for Deterministic Networking (DetNet) with the MPLS Data Plane
Defines the DetNet Associated Channel Header that lets test packets of OAM protocols ride alongside DetNet flows over MPLS.
Mirsky, G., Chen, M., and B. Varga, "Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) for Deterministic Networking (DetNet) with the MPLS Data Plane", RFC 9546, DOI 10.17487/RFC9546, February 2024, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9546>.
@misc{rfc9546,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 9546,
howpublished = {RFC 9546},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC9546},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9546},
author = {G. Mirsky and M. Chen and B. Varga},
title = {{Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) for Deterministic Networking (DetNet) with the MPLS Data Plane}},
pagetotal = 12,
year = 2024,
month = feb,
} RFC text
Contents
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) G. Mirsky
Request for Comments: 9546 Ericsson
Category: Standards Track M. Chen
ISSN: 2070-1721 Huawei
B. Varga
Ericsson
February 2024
Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) for Deterministic
Networking (DetNet) with the MPLS Data Plane
Abstract
This document defines format and usage principles of the
Deterministic Networking (DetNet) service Associated Channel over a
DetNet network with the MPLS data plane. The DetNet service
Associated Channel can be used to carry test packets of active
Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) protocols that are
used to detect DetNet failures and measure performance metrics.
Status of This Memo
This is an Internet Standards Track document.
This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has
received public review and has been approved for publication by the
Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on
Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 7841.
Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9546.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2024 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
document authors. All rights reserved.
This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
(https://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
publication of this document. Please review these documents
carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must
include Revised BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of the
Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as described
in the Revised BSD License.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Conventions Used in This Document
2.1. Terminology and Acronyms
2.2. Key Words
3. Active OAM for DetNet Networks with the MPLS Data Plane
3.1. DetNet Active OAM Encapsulation
3.2. DetNet PREOF Interaction with Active OAM
4. OAM Interworking Models
4.1. OAM of DetNet MPLS Interworking with OAM of TSN
4.2. OAM of DetNet MPLS Interworking with OAM of DetNet IP
5. IANA Considerations
5.1. DetNet Associated Channel Header (d-ACH) Flags Registry
6. Security Considerations
7. References
7.1. Normative References
7.2. Informative References
Acknowledgments
Authors' Addresses
1. Introduction
[RFC8655] introduces and explains Deterministic Networking (DetNet)
architecture and how the Packet Replication, Elimination, and
Ordering Functions (PREOF) can be used to ensure a low packet drop
ratio in a DetNet domain.
Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) protocols are used
to detect and localize network defects and to monitor network
performance. Some OAM functions (e.g., failure detection) are
usually performed proactively in the network, while others (e.g.,
defect localization) are typically performed on demand. These tasks
can be achieved through a combination of active and hybrid OAM
methods, as classified in [RFC7799]. This document presents a format
for active OAM in DetNet networks with the MPLS data plane.
Also, this document defines format and usage principles of the DetNet
service Associated Channel over a DetNet network with the MPLS data
plane [RFC8964].
2. Conventions Used in This Document
2.1. Terminology and Acronyms
The term "DetNet OAM" in this document is used interchangeably with a
"set of OAM protocols, methods, and tools for Deterministic
Networking".
BFD: Bidirectional Forwarding Detection
CFM: Connectivity Fault Management
d-ACH: DetNet Associated Channel Header
DetNet: Deterministic Networking
DetNet Node: A node that is an actor in the DetNet domain. Examples
of DetNet nodes include DetNet domain edge nodes and DetNet nodes
that perform PREOF within the DetNet domain.
E2E: End to end
F-Label: A DetNet "forwarding" label. The F-Label identifies the
Label Switched Path (LSP) used to forward a DetNet flow across an
MPLS Packet Switched Network (PSN), e.g., a hop-by-hop label used
between label switching routers.
OAM: Operations, Administration, and Maintenance
PREOF: Packet Replication, Elimination, and Ordering Functions
PW: Pseudowire
S-Label: A DetNet "service" label. An S-Label is used between
DetNet nodes that implement the DetNet service sub-layer
functions. An S-Label is also used to identify a DetNet flow at
the DetNet service sub-layer.
TSN: Time-Sensitive Networking
Underlay Network or Underlay Layer: The network that provides
connectivity between the DetNet nodes. One example of an underlay
layer is an MPLS network that provides LSP connectivity between
DetNet nodes.
2.2. Key Words
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
"OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in
BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
capitals, as shown here.
3. Active OAM for DetNet Networks with the MPLS Data Plane
OAM protocols and mechanisms act within the data plane of the
particular networking layer; thus, it is critical that the data plane
encapsulation supports OAM mechanisms that comply with the OAM
requirements listed in [OAM-FRAMEWORK].
Operation of a DetNet data plane with an MPLS underlay network is
specified in [RFC8964]. Within the MPLS underlay network, DetNet
flows are to be encapsulated analogous to pseudowires (PWs) as
specified in [RFC3985] and [RFC4385]. For reference, the Generic PW
MPLS Control Word (as defined in [RFC4385] and used with DetNet) is
reproduced in Figure 1.
0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|0 0 0 0| Sequence Number |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Figure 1: Generic PW MPLS Control Word Format
PREOF in the DetNet domain is composed of a combination of nodes that
perform replication and elimination functions. The Elimination sub-
function always uses the S-Label in conjunction with the packet
sequencing information (i.e., the Sequence Number encoded in the
DetNet Control Word). The Replication sub-function uses the S-Label
information only.
3.1. DetNet Active OAM Encapsulation
DetNet OAM, like PW OAM, uses the PW Associated Channel Header
defined in [RFC4385]. At the same time, a DetNet PW can be viewed as
a Multi-Segment PW, where DetNet service sub-layer functions are at
the segment endpoints. However, DetNet service sub-layer functions
operate per packet level (not per segment). These per-packet level
characteristics of PREOF require additional fields for proper OAM
packet processing. MPLS encapsulation [RFC8964] of a DetNet active
OAM packet is shown in Figure 2.
+---------------------------------+
| |
| DetNet OAM Packet |
| |
+---------------------------------+ <--\
| DetNet Associated Channel Header| |
+---------------------------------+ +--> DetNet active OAM
| S-Label | | MPLS encapsulation
+---------------------------------+ |
| [ F-Label(s) ] | |
+---------------------------------+ <--/
| Data-Link |
+---------------------------------+
| Physical |
+---------------------------------+
Figure 2: DetNet Active OAM Packet Encapsulation in the MPLS Data
Plane
Figure 3 displays encapsulation of a test packet for a DetNet active
OAM protocol in case of MPLS over UDP/IP [RFC9025].
+---------------------------------+
| |
| DetNet OAM Packet |
| |
+---------------------------------+ <--\
| DetNet Associated Channel Header| |
+---------------------------------+ +--> DetNet active OAM
| S-Label | | MPLS encapsulation
+---------------------------------+ |
| [ F-label(s) ] | |
+---------------------------------+ <--+
| UDP Header | |
+---------------------------------+ +--> DetNet data plane
| IP Header | | IP encapsulation
+---------------------------------+ <--/
| Data-Link |
+---------------------------------+
| Physical |
+---------------------------------+
Figure 3: DetNet Active OAM Packet Encapsulation in MPLS over UDP/IP
Figure 4 displays the format of the DetNet Associated Channel Header
(d-ACH).
0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|0 0 0 1|Version|Sequence Number| Channel Type |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Node ID |Level| Flags |Session|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Figure 4: d-ACH Format
The d-ACH encodes the following fields:
Bits 0..3: These MUST be 0b0001. This allows the packet to be
distinguished from an IP packet [RFC4928] and from a DetNet
data packet [RFC8964].
Version: A 4-bit field. This document specifies version 0.
Sequence Number: An unsigned circular 8-bit field. Because a
DetNet active OAM test packet includes d-ACH, Section 4.2.1 of
[RFC8964] does not apply to handling the Sequence Number field
in DetNet OAM over the MPLS data plane. The sequence number
space is circular with no restriction on the initial value.
The originator DetNet node MUST set the value of the Sequence
Number field before the transmission of a packet. The initial
value SHOULD be random (unpredictable). The originator node
SHOULD increase the value of the Sequence Number field by 1 for
each active OAM packet. The originator MAY use other
strategies, e.g., for negative testing of Packet Ordering
Functions.
Channel Type: A 16-bit field and the value of the DetNet
Associated Channel Type. It MUST be one of the values listed
in the IANA "MPLS Generalized Associated Channel (G-ACh) Types
(including Pseudowire Associated Channel Types)" registry
[IANA-G-ACh-Types].
Node ID: An unsigned 20-bit field. The value of the Node ID
field identifies the DetNet node that originated the packet. A
DetNet node MUST be provisioned with a Node ID that is unique
in the DetNet domain. Methods for distributing Node ID are
outside the scope of this specification.
Level: A 3-bit field. Semantically, the Level field is analogous
to the Maintenance Domain Level in [IEEE.802.1Q]. The Level
field is used to cope with the "all active path forwarding"
(defined by the TSN Task Group of the IEEE 802.1 WG
[IEEE802.1TSNTG]) characteristics of the PREOF concept. A
hierarchical relationship between OAM domains can be created
using the Level field value, as illustrated by Figure 18.7 in
[IEEE.802.1Q].
Flags: A 5-bit field. The Flags field contains five 1-bit flags.
Section 5.1 creates the IANA "DetNet Associated Channel Header
(d-ACH) Flags" registry for new flags to be defined. The flags
defined in this specification are presented in Figure 5.
Session ID: A 4-bit field. The Session field distinguishes OAM
sessions originating from the same node (a given Maintenance
End Point may have multiple simultaneously active OAM sessions)
at the given Level.
0 1 2 3 4
+-+-+-+-+-+
|U|U|U|U|U|
+-+-+-+-+-+
Figure 5: DetNet Associated Channel Header Flags Field Format
U: Unused and for future use. MUST be 0 on transmission and ignored
on receipt.
According to [RFC8964], a DetNet flow is identified by the S-Label
that MUST be at the bottom of the stack. An active OAM packet MUST
include d-ACH immediately following the S-Label.
3.2. DetNet PREOF Interaction with Active OAM
At the DetNet service sub-layer, special functions (notably PREOF)
MAY be applied to the particular DetNet flow to potentially reduce
packet loss, improve the probability of on-time packet delivery, and
ensure in-order packet delivery. PREOF relies on sequencing
information in the DetNet service sub-layer. For a DetNet active OAM
packet, PREOF MUST use the Sequence Number field value as the source
of this sequencing information. App-flow and OAM use different
sequence number spaces. PREOF algorithms are executed with respect
to the sequence number space identified by the flow's characteristic
information. Although the Sequence Number field in d-ACH has a range
from 0 through 255, it provides sufficient space because the rate of
DetNet active OAM packets is significantly lower compared to the rate
of DetNet packets in an App-flow; therefore, wrapping around is not
an issue.
4. OAM Interworking Models
Interworking of two OAM domains that utilize different networking
technology can be realized by either a peering model or a tunneling
model. In a peering model, OAM domains are within the corresponding
network domain. When using the peering model, state changes that are
detected by a Fault Management OAM protocol can be mapped from one
OAM domain into another or a notification, e.g., an alarm can be sent
to a central controller. In the tunneling model of OAM interworking,
usually only one active OAM protocol is used. Its test packets are
tunneled through another domain along with the data flow, thus
ensuring fate sharing among test and data packets.
4.1. OAM of DetNet MPLS Interworking with OAM of TSN
DetNet active OAM can provide end-to-end (E2E) fault management and
performance monitoring for a DetNet flow. In the case of DetNet with
an MPLS data plane and an IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)
sub-network, it implies the interworking of DetNet active OAM with
TSN OAM, of which the data plane aspects are specified in [RFC9037].
When the peering model (Section 4) is used in the Connectivity Fault
Management (CFM) OAM protocol [IEEE.802.1Q], the node that borders
both TSN and DetNet MPLS domains MUST support [RFC7023]. [RFC7023]
specifies the mapping of defect states between Ethernet Attachment
Circuits and associated Ethernet PWs that are part of an E2E emulated
Ethernet service and are also applicable to E2E OAM across DetNet
MPLS and TSN domains. The CFM [IEEE.802.1Q] [ITU.Y1731] can provide
fast detection of a failure in the TSN segment of the DetNet service.
In the DetNet MPLS domain, Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD),
as specified in [RFC5880] and [RFC5885], can be used. To provide E2E
failure detection, the TSN and DetNet MPLS segments could be treated
as concatenated such that the diagnostic codes (see Section 6.8.17 of
[RFC5880]) MAY be used to inform the upstream DetNet MPLS node of a
TSN segment failure. Performance monitoring can be supported by
[RFC6374] in the DetNet MPLS and by [ITU.Y1731] in TSN domains,
respectively. Performance objectives for each domain should refer to
metrics that are composable [RFC6049] or are defined for each domain
separately.
The following considerations apply when using the tunneling model of
OAM interworking between DetNet MPLS and TSN domains based on general
principles described in Section 4 of [RFC9037]:
* Active OAM test packets MUST be mapped to the same TSN Stream ID
as the monitored DetNet flow.
* Active OAM test packets MUST be processed in the TSN domain based
on their S-Label and Class of Service marking (the Traffic Class
field value).
Mapping between a DetNet flow and TSN Stream in the TSN sub-network
is described in Section 4.1 of [RFC9037]. The mapping has to be done
only on the edge node of the TSN sub-network, and intermediate TSN
nodes do not need to recognize the S-Label. An edge node has two
components:
1. A passive Stream identification function.
2. An active Stream identification function.
The first component identifies the DetNet flow (using Clause 6.8 of
[IEEE.802.1CBdb]), and the second component creates the TSN Stream by
manipulating the Ethernet header. That manipulation simplifies the
identification of the TSN Stream in the intermediate TSN nodes by
avoiding the need for them to look outside of the Ethernet header.
DetNet MPLS OAM packets use the same S-Label as the DetNet flow data
packets. The above-described mapping function treats these OAM
packets as data packets of the DetNet flow. As a result, DetNet MPLS
OAM packets are fate sharing within the TSN sub-network. As an
example of the mapping between DetNet MPLS and TSN, see Annex C.1 of
[IEEE.802.1CBdb] that, in support of [RFC9037], describes how to
match MPLS DetNet flows and achieve TSN Streams.
Note that the tunneling model of the OAM interworking requires that
the remote peer of the E2E OAM domain supports the active OAM
protocol selected on the ingress endpoint. For example, if BFD is
used for proactive path continuity monitoring in the DetNet MPLS
domain, BFD support (as defined in [RFC5885]) is necessary at any TSN
endpoint of the DetNet service.
4.2. OAM of DetNet MPLS Interworking with OAM of DetNet IP
Interworking between active OAM segments in DetNet MPLS and DetNet IP
domains can also be realized using either the peering model or the
tunneling model, as discussed in Section 4.1. Using the same
protocol, e.g., BFD over both segments, simplifies the mapping of
errors in the peering model. For example, respective BFD sessions in
DetNet MPLS and DetNet IP domains can be in a concatenated
relationship as described in Section 6.8.17 of [RFC5880]. To provide
performance monitoring over a DetNet IP domain, the Simple Two-way
Active Measurement Protocol (STAMP) [RFC8762] and its extensions
[RFC8972] can be used to measure packet loss and packet delay
metrics. Such performance metrics can be used to calculate
composable metrics [RFC6049] within DetNet MPLS and DetNet IP domains
to reflect the end-to-end DetNet service performance.
5. IANA Considerations
5.1. DetNet Associated Channel Header (d-ACH) Flags Registry
IANA has created the "DetNet Associated Channel Header (d-ACH) Flags"
registry within the "DetNet Associated Channel Header (d-ACH) Flags"
registry group. The registration procedure is "IETF Review"
[RFC8126]. There are five flags in the 5-bit Flags field, as defined
in Table 1.
+=====+=============+
| Bit | Description |
+=====+=============+
| 0-4 | Unassigned |
+-----+-------------+
Table 1: DetNet
Associated Channel
Header (d-ACH) Flags
Registry
6. Security Considerations
Security considerations discussed in DetNet specifications [RFC8655],
[RFC8964], [RFC9055], and [OAM-FRAMEWORK] are applicable to this
document. Security concerns and issues related to MPLS OAM tools
like LSP Ping [RFC8029] and BFD over PW [RFC5885] also apply to this
specification.
7. References
7.1. Normative References
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
[RFC7023] Mohan, D., Ed., Bitar, N., Ed., Sajassi, A., Ed., DeLord,
S., Niger, P., and R. Qiu, "MPLS and Ethernet Operations,
Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) Interworking",
RFC 7023, DOI 10.17487/RFC7023, October 2013,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7023>.
[RFC8174] Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.
[RFC8655] Finn, N., Thubert, P., Varga, B., and J. Farkas,
"Deterministic Networking Architecture", RFC 8655,
DOI 10.17487/RFC8655, October 2019,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8655>.
[RFC8964] Varga, B., Ed., Farkas, J., Berger, L., Malis, A., Bryant,
S., and J. Korhonen, "Deterministic Networking (DetNet)
Data Plane: MPLS", RFC 8964, DOI 10.17487/RFC8964, January
2021, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8964>.
[RFC9025] Varga, B., Ed., Farkas, J., Berger, L., Malis, A., and S.
Bryant, "Deterministic Networking (DetNet) Data Plane:
MPLS over UDP/IP", RFC 9025, DOI 10.17487/RFC9025, April
2021, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9025>.
7.2. Informative References
[IANA-G-ACh-Types]
IANA, "MPLS Generalized Associated Channel (G-ACh) Types
(including Pseudowire Associated Channel Types)",
<https://www.iana.org/assignments/g-ach-parameters/>.
[IEEE.802.1CBdb]
IEEE, "IEEE Standard for Local and metropolitan area
networks--Frame Replication and Elimination for
Reliability--Amendment 2: Extended Stream Identification
Functions", IEEE Std 802.1CBdb-2021, December 2021.
[IEEE.802.1Q]
IEEE, "IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area
Network--Bridges and Bridged Networks", IEEE Std 802.1Q-
2018, DOI 10.1109/IEEESTD.2018.8403927, July 2018,
<https://doi.org/10.1109/IEEESTD.2018.8403927>.
[IEEE802.1TSNTG]
IEEE 802.1, "Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) Task Group",
TSN Standards, <https://1.ieee802.org/tsn/>.
[ITU.Y1731]
ITU-T, "Operation, administration and maintenance (OAM)
functions and mechanisms for Ethernet-based networks",
ITU-T Recommendation G.8013/Y.1731, June 2023.
[OAM-FRAMEWORK]
Mirsky, G., Theoleyre, F., Papadopoulos, G. Z., Bernardos,
CJ., Varga, B., and J. Farkas, "Framework of Operations,
Administration and Maintenance (OAM) for Deterministic
Networking (DetNet)", Work in Progress, Internet-Draft,
draft-ietf-detnet-oam-framework-11, 8 January 2024,
<https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-ietf-detnet-
oam-framework-11>.
[RFC3985] Bryant, S., Ed. and P. Pate, Ed., "Pseudo Wire Emulation
Edge-to-Edge (PWE3) Architecture", RFC 3985,
DOI 10.17487/RFC3985, March 2005,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3985>.
[RFC4385] Bryant, S., Swallow, G., Martini, L., and D. McPherson,
"Pseudowire Emulation Edge-to-Edge (PWE3) Control Word for
Use over an MPLS PSN", RFC 4385, DOI 10.17487/RFC4385,
February 2006, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4385>.
[RFC4928] Swallow, G., Bryant, S., and L. Andersson, "Avoiding Equal
Cost Multipath Treatment in MPLS Networks", BCP 128,
RFC 4928, DOI 10.17487/RFC4928, June 2007,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4928>.
[RFC5880] Katz, D. and D. Ward, "Bidirectional Forwarding Detection
(BFD)", RFC 5880, DOI 10.17487/RFC5880, June 2010,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5880>.
[RFC5885] Nadeau, T., Ed. and C. Pignataro, Ed., "Bidirectional
Forwarding Detection (BFD) for the Pseudowire Virtual
Circuit Connectivity Verification (VCCV)", RFC 5885,
DOI 10.17487/RFC5885, June 2010,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5885>.
[RFC6049] Morton, A. and E. Stephan, "Spatial Composition of
Metrics", RFC 6049, DOI 10.17487/RFC6049, January 2011,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6049>.
[RFC6374] Frost, D. and S. Bryant, "Packet Loss and Delay
Measurement for MPLS Networks", RFC 6374,
DOI 10.17487/RFC6374, September 2011,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6374>.
[RFC7799] Morton, A., "Active and Passive Metrics and Methods (with
Hybrid Types In-Between)", RFC 7799, DOI 10.17487/RFC7799,
May 2016, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7799>.
[RFC8029] Kompella, K., Swallow, G., Pignataro, C., Ed., Kumar, N.,
Aldrin, S., and M. Chen, "Detecting Multiprotocol Label
Switched (MPLS) Data-Plane Failures", RFC 8029,
DOI 10.17487/RFC8029, March 2017,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8029>.
[RFC8126] Cotton, M., Leiba, B., and T. Narten, "Guidelines for
Writing an IANA Considerations Section in RFCs", BCP 26,
RFC 8126, DOI 10.17487/RFC8126, June 2017,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8126>.
[RFC8762] Mirsky, G., Jun, G., Nydell, H., and R. Foote, "Simple
Two-Way Active Measurement Protocol", RFC 8762,
DOI 10.17487/RFC8762, March 2020,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8762>.
[RFC8972] Mirsky, G., Min, X., Nydell, H., Foote, R., Masputra, A.,
and E. Ruffini, "Simple Two-Way Active Measurement
Protocol Optional Extensions", RFC 8972,
DOI 10.17487/RFC8972, January 2021,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8972>.
[RFC9037] Varga, B., Ed., Farkas, J., Malis, A., and S. Bryant,
"Deterministic Networking (DetNet) Data Plane: MPLS over
IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)", RFC 9037,
DOI 10.17487/RFC9037, June 2021,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9037>.
[RFC9055] Grossman, E., Ed., Mizrahi, T., and A. Hacker,
"Deterministic Networking (DetNet) Security
Considerations", RFC 9055, DOI 10.17487/RFC9055, June
2021, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9055>.
Acknowledgments
The authors extend their appreciation to Pascal Thubert for his
insightful comments and productive discussion that helped to improve
the document. The authors are enormously grateful to János Farkas
for his detailed comments and the inspiring discussion that made this
document clearer and stronger. The authors recognize helpful reviews
and suggestions from Andrew Malis, David Black, Tianran Zhou, and
Kiran Makhijani. And special thanks to Ethan Grossman for his
fantastic help in improving the document.
Authors' Addresses
Greg Mirsky
Ericsson
Email: gregimirsky@gmail.com
Mach(Guoyi) Chen
Huawei
Email: mach.chen@huawei.com
Balazs Varga
Ericsson
Budapest
Magyar Tudosok krt. 11.
1117
Hungary
Email: balazs.a.varga@ericsson.com
AI ELI5
On this page
§1Why DetNet Needs Its Own OAM
RFC 8655 describes the Deterministic Networking (DetNet) architecture, including Packet Replication, Elimination, and Ordering Functions (PREOF) that keep packet loss low. OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) protocols detect and localize defects and monitor performance. Some functions, such as failure detection, run proactively; others, such as defect localization, run on demand.
This document presents a format for active OAM in DetNet networks with the MPLS data plane, and defines the usage of the DetNet service Associated Channel, building on RFC 8964.
A delivery service that promises on-time arrival also needs inspectors. This RFC gives the inspectors a way to send test parcels along the same road.
§2How Active OAM Is Encapsulated
In an MPLS underlay, DetNet flows are encapsulated like pseudowires. DetNet OAM reuses the pseudowire Associated Channel Header idea from RFC 4385, but a DetNet pseudowire acts like a multi-segment pseudowire whose service sub-layer functions work per packet, not per segment. PREOF therefore needs extra fields for proper OAM packet handling.
An OAM packet is stacked as: the DetNet OAM payload, the d-ACH, the S-Label (the service label that identifies the flow), optional F-Labels (forwarding labels), then data-link and physical layers. When MPLS runs over UDP/IP per RFC 9025, a UDP and IP header sit beneath the labels. A DetNet flow is identified by the S-Label, which MUST be at the bottom of the stack, and an active OAM packet MUST include the d-ACH immediately after it.
The test packet is wrapped in layers like a parcel: a test label, the flow's service tag, then the road labels. The special tag always sits right after the service tag.
- DetNet OAM packetThe test packet of an active OAM protocol
- d-ACHDetNet Associated Channel Header
- S-LabelIdentifies the DetNet flow; at the bottom of the label stack
- [ F-Label(s) ]Forwarding labels along the LSP
- Data-LinkLink layer
- PhysicalPhysical layer
§3The d-ACH Format
The header is two 32-bit words. Its fields are:
- First nibble: MUST be
0b0001, so the packet is told apart from an IP packet and from a DetNet data packet. - Version: 4 bits; this document specifies version 0.
- Sequence Number: an unsigned circular 8-bit field. The originator MUST set it, the initial value SHOULD be random, and it SHOULD increase by 1 for each active OAM packet. Other strategies are allowed, for example negative testing of ordering functions.
- Channel Type: 16 bits, MUST be a value from the IANA G-ACh Types registry.
- Node ID: an unsigned 20-bit field naming the originating DetNet node. It MUST be unique in the DetNet domain; how it is distributed is out of scope.
- Level: 3 bits, analogous to the Maintenance Domain Level in IEEE 802.1Q, used to cope with the all-active-path forwarding of PREOF and to build hierarchies of OAM domains.
- Flags: 5 one-bit flags, all unused. They MUST be 0 on transmission and ignored on receipt.
- Session ID: 4 bits, distinguishing simultaneous OAM sessions from the same node at the same level.
The special tag holds a name for the sender, a counter, a test type and a session number, so the receiver knows exactly which test it is looking at.
| Field | Name | Size | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
FIRST | First nibble | 4 bits | 0001 | MUST be 0b0001. |
VERSION | Version | 4 bits | 0 | Version 0 is specified. |
SEQ | Sequence Number | 1 byte | Circular counter set by the originator. | |
CHANNEL | Channel Type | 2 bytes | A value from the IANA G-ACh Types registry. | |
NODE | Node ID | 20 bits | Identifies the originating DetNet node. | |
LEVEL | Level | 3 bits | Like the Maintenance Domain Level. | |
FLAGS | Flags | 5 bits | Five unused flags; MUST be 0 on transmission. | |
SESSION | Session | 4 bits | Distinguishes OAM sessions from one node. |
§4Interaction with PREOF
PREOF can be applied to a DetNet flow at the service sub-layer to reduce loss and keep packets in order. For an active OAM packet, PREOF MUST use the d-ACH Sequence Number as its sequencing information. App-flow packets and OAM packets use different sequence number spaces.
The Sequence Number runs from 0 through 255. The RFC says that is enough, because active OAM packets are sent far less often than packets of an application flow, so wrapping around is not an issue. The Elimination sub-function always uses the S-Label together with the sequence number, while Replication uses the S-Label only.
Test packets get their own counter, separate from the real traffic, and since there are few of them a small counter is enough.
§5Interworking with TSN and DetNet IP
OAM domains of different technologies can interwork in a peering model, where state changes are mapped between domains or reported to a controller, or in a tunneling model, where one OAM protocol's test packets travel with the data flow, so test and data packets share fate.
For TSN, the peering model with Connectivity Fault Management requires the border node to support RFC 7023. BFD (RFC 5880, RFC 5885) can be used in the DetNet MPLS domain, and performance monitoring can use RFC 6374 in DetNet MPLS and Y.1731 in TSN. In the tunneling model, active OAM test packets MUST map to the same TSN Stream ID as the monitored flow and MUST be processed in the TSN domain by S-Label and Traffic Class. The remote endpoint must support the chosen OAM protocol.
For DetNet IP, using the same protocol such as BFD on both segments simplifies mapping errors, and STAMP (RFC 8762 and RFC 8972) can measure packet loss and delay.
When a parcel crosses from one delivery company to another, the inspectors either pass notes between companies or send the test parcel along with the real one.
§6IANA Registry for d-ACH Flags
IANA created the DetNet Associated Channel Header (d-ACH) Flags registry. The registration procedure is IETF Review. It covers the five flag bits in the Flags field, and bits 0 to 4 are all currently unassigned.
There are five blank switches reserved for later. Anyone who wants to use one has to ask permission.
§7Security Considerations
The security considerations of the DetNet specifications, RFC 8655, RFC 8964 and RFC 9055, and of the OAM framework draft apply here. Security concerns related to MPLS OAM tools such as LSP Ping (RFC 8029) and BFD over pseudowires (RFC 5885) also apply. The RFC adds no new security mechanism of its own.
The same safety rules as the rest of the delivery system apply to the inspectors too.