link aggregation

This document defines extensions to the One-Way Active Measurement Protocol (OWAMP) and the Two-Way Active Measurement Protocol (TWAMP) to implement performance measurement on every member link of a Link Aggregation Group (LAG). Knowing the measured metrics of each member link of a LAG enables operators to enforce the performance-based traffic steering policy across the member links.

This document extends Simple Two-way Active Measurement Protocol (STAMP) to implement performance measurement on every member link of a Link Aggregation Group (LAG). Knowing the measured metrics of each member link of a LAG enables operators to enforce a performance-based traffic steering policy across the member links.

This document defines extensions to the MPLS Label Switched Path (LSP) Ping and Traceroute mechanisms as specified in RFC 8029. The extensions allow the MPLS LSP Ping and Traceroute mechanisms to discover and exercise specific paths of Layer 2 (L2) Equal-Cost Multipath (ECMP) over Link Aggregation Group (LAG) interfaces. Additionally, a mechanism is defined to enable the determination of the capabilities supported by a Label Switching Router (LSR).

This document updates RFC 8029.

Demands on networking infrastructure are growing exponentially due to bandwidth-hungry applications such as rich media applications and inter-data-center communications. In this context, it is important to optimally use the bandwidth in wired networks that extensively use link aggregation groups and equal-cost multipaths as techniques for bandwidth scaling. This document explores some of the mechanisms useful for achieving this.

This document provides a set of requirements for Advanced Multipath in MPLS networks.

Advanced Multipath is a formalization of multipath techniques currently in use in IP and MPLS networks and a set of extensions to existing multipath techniques.

Many MPLS implementations have supported multipath techniques, and many MPLS deployments have used multipath techniques, particularly in very high-bandwidth applications, such as provider IP/MPLS core networks. MPLS Transport Profile (MPLS-TP) has strongly discouraged the use of multipath techniques. Some degradation of MPLS-TP Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) performance cannot be avoided when operating over many types of multipath implementations.

Using MPLS Entropy Labels (RFC 6790), MPLS Label Switched Paths (LSPs) can be carried over multipath links while also providing a fully MPLS-TP-compliant server layer for MPLS-TP LSPs. This document describes the means of supporting MPLS as a server layer for MPLS-TP. The use of MPLS-TP LSPs as a server layer for MPLS LSPs is also discussed.

This document defines a mechanism to run Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) on Link Aggregation Group (LAG) interfaces. It does so by running an independent Asynchronous mode BFD session on every LAG member link.

This mechanism allows the verification of member link continuity, either in combination with, or in absence of, Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP). It provides a shorter detection time than what LACP offers. The continuity check can also cover elements of Layer 3 (L3) bidirectional forwarding.

The IPv6 flow label has certain restrictions on its use. This document describes how those restrictions apply when using the flow label for load balancing by equal cost multipath routing and for link aggregation, particularly for IP-in-IPv6 tunneled traffic. [STANDARDS-TRACK]