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rfc:rfc1663

Network Working Group D. Rand Request for Comments: 1663 Novell Category: Standards Track July 1994

                     PPP Reliable Transmission

Status of this Memo

 This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
 Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
 improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
 Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
 and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

 The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) [1] provides a standard method for
 transporting multi-protocol datagrams over point-to-point links.
 This document defines a method for negotiating and using Numbered-
 Mode, as defined by ISO 7776 [2], to provide a reliable serial link.
 This document is the product of the Point-to-Point Protocol Working
 Group of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).  Comments should
 be submitted to the ietf-ppp@ucdavis.edu mailing list.

Table of Contents

 1.     Introduction ..........................................    1
 2.     Physical Layer Requirements ...........................    2
 3.     The Data Link Layer ...................................    2
 3.1       Frame Format .......................................    2
 4.     Configuration Option Format ...........................    4
 5.     Numbered-Mode Operation ...............................    5
 5.1       Single Link ........................................    6
 5.2       Inverse Multiplexing ...............................    6
 5.3       Using Multi-Link Procedure... ......................    7
 5.4       LAPB Parameter defaults ............................    8
 SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS ......................................    9
 REFERENCES ...................................................    9
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................    9
 CHAIR'S ADDRESS ..............................................   10
 AUTHOR'S ADDRESS .............................................   10

Rand [Page 1] RFC 1663 PPP Reliable Transmission July 1994

1. Introduction

 By default, PPP packets over HDLC framed links consist of
 "connectionless" datagrams.  If reliable transmission over the HDLC
 link is desired, the implementation MUST specify the Numbered-Mode
 Configuration Option during Link Establishment phase.
 Generally, serial link reliability is not a major issue.  The
 architecture of protocols used in datagram networking presume
 best-effort non-sequential delivery.  When errors are detected,
 datagrams
 are discarded.
 However, in certain circumstances, it is advisable to provide a
 reliable link, at least for a subset of the messages.  The most
 obvious case is when the link is compressed.  Since the dictionary is
 recovered from the compressed data stream, and a lost datagram
 corrupts the dictionary, datagrams must not be lost.  Not all
 compression types will require a reliable data stream, since the cost
 to detect and reset a corrupt dictionary is small.
 The ISO 7776 LAPB can be used guarantee delivery.  This is referred
 to in this document as "Numbered Mode" to distinguish it from the use
 of "Unnumbered Information", which is standard PPP framing practice.
 Where multiple parallel links are used to emulate a single link of
 higher speed, Bridged traffic, Source Routed traffic, and traffic
 subjected to Van Jacobsen TCP/IP header compression must be delivered
 to the higher layer in a certain sequence.  However, the fact of the
 links being relatively asynchronous makes traffic ordering uncertain.
 The ISO 7776 Multi-Link Procedure MAY be used to restore order.
 Implementation of the ISO Multi-Link Procedure is deprecated.  It is
 recommended that the PPP multilink procedure [4] be used instead.

2. Physical Layer Requirements

 PPP Reliable Transmission imposes the same requirements that are
 described in "PPP in HDLC Framing" [3], with the following
 exceptions.
 Control Signals
    While PPP does not normally require the use of control signals,
    implementation of Numbered-Mode LAPB or LAPD requires the
    provision of control signals, which indicate when the link has
    become connected or disconnected.  These in turn provide the Up
    and Down events to the LCP state machine.

Rand [Page 2] RFC 1663 PPP Reliable Transmission July 1994

3. The Data Link Layer

 Numbered-Mode affects only the Address and Control fields.  The
 remainder of the frame conforms to the framing in use for PPP.
 The Address Field of the frame MUST take the value announced in the
 Numbered-Mode Configuration Option, and the Control Field MAY take
 any value valid in ISO 7776.
 Once the link enters Numbered-Mode, Numbered-Mode MUST be used on all
 frames, as some implementations do not support the use of the
 Unnumbered-Information control field or the use of the All-Stations
 address intermixed with Numbered-Mode frames.

3.1. Frame Format

 The following frame format is valid under Numbered-Mode.  The fields
 are transmitted from left to right.
 Numbered Mode
         +----------+----------+----------+
         |   Flag   | Address  | Control  |
         | 01111110 |1-2 octets|1-2 octets|
         +----------+----------+----------+
         +----------+-------------+---------+
         | Protocol | Information | Padding |
         |1-2 octets|      *      |    *    |
         +----------+-------------+---------+
         +----------+----------+-----------------
         |   FCS    |   Flag   | Inter-frame Fill
         | 16 bits  | 01111110 | or next Address
         +----------+----------+-----------------
 The Protocol, Information and Padding fields are described in the
 Point-to-Point Protocol Encapsulation [1].  The FCS and Flag Sequence
 fields are described in "PPP in HDLC Framing" [3].

4. Configuration Option Format

 Description
    The LCP Numbered-Mode Configuration Option negotiates the use of
    Numbered-Mode on the link.  By default or ultimate disagreement,
    Unnumbered-Mode is used.
 A summary of the Numbered-Mode Configuration Option format is shown
 below.  The fields are transmitted from left to right.

Rand [Page 3] RFC 1663 PPP Reliable Transmission July 1994

  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
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 |     Type      |     Length    |    Window     |   Address...
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 Type
    11
 Length
    >= 4
 Window
    A value between 1 and 127.  This indicates the number of frames
    the receiver will buffer, which is the maximum number that the
    sender should send without receiving an acknowledgement.  If
    window < 8, then modulo 8 sequencing is used on the link.
    Otherwise, modulo 128 sequencing is used.
    It is conceivable and legal that differing window values might be
    announced.  However, it is not permitted for one system to use
    modulo 8 sequencing and the other to use modulo 128.  Therefore,
    the rule is: a Configure-Nak may reduce the window but may not
    increase it.
 Address
    An HDLC Address as specified in ISO 3309.  ISO 7776 specifies four
    of the possible values: 1 and 3 for single link operation, 7 and
    15 for the Multi-Link Procedure.  Other values consistent with ISO
    3309 are considered legal.
    Implementation of the Multi-Link Procedure is optional; A
    Configure-Nak may therefore force a change from MLP to single link
    mode, but not the reverse.
    Should the address be zero upon receipt, the receiver MUST
    Configure-Nak with an appropriate address.  If both peers send
    address zero, the system advertising the numerically smaller
    window will select the smaller address.  If both windows are the
    same size, a random choice MUST be made; when good sources of
    randomness are used, the link will converge in a reasonable time.

Rand [Page 4] RFC 1663 PPP Reliable Transmission July 1994

    If magic numbers have been negotiated on the link, the system with
    the numerically smaller magic number SHOULD specify the smaller
    address.

5. Numbered-Mode Operation

 When using the Numbered-Mode, each link is established in the usual
 manner for the type of link.  The Numbered-Mode Configuration Option
 is negotiated, the Magic-Number Configuration Option MUST also be
 negotiated, and the Address-and-Control-Field-Compression
 Configuration Option MUST NOT be negotiated.
 Following the successful negotiation of the Numbered-Mode
 Configuration Option during LCP Link Establishment phase, the system
 with the numerically smaller Magic-Number will send a SABM or
 SABM(E), and the other will respond with a UA.  In the event that
 either the SABM or UA is lost, this exchange may be repeated
 according to the same parameters as the configuration exchange
 itself, using the Restart Timer and counter values.  Authentication,
 Link Quality Determination, and NCP Configuration follow this step.
 Once the link has been established with Numbered-Mode, when re-
 negotiation of link configuration occurs, the entire re-negotiation
 MUST be conducted in Numbered-Mode.  If the Numbered-Mode
 Configuration Option is not successfully re-negotiated, the link
 reverts to Unnumbered-Information operation prior to Authentication,
 Link Quality Determination, and NCP Configuration.
 When an implementation which is capable of Numbered-Mode, and is not
 currently configured for Numbered-Mode operation, detects a frame
 which has a correct FCS but does not have a UI Control octet, the
 implementation MUST send a DM message, immediately followed by a LCP
 Configure-Request.
 When an implementation which is currently configured for Numbered-
 Mode operation receives a DM message, it MUST revert to Unnumbered-
 Information operation, and immediately send a LCP Configure-Request.

5.1. Single Link

 When Network-Layer packets are sent over a single link, the packets
 are encapsulated in the following order:
  +----------+   +----------+   +----------+
  |          |   |          |   | Numbered |
  | Header   |-->| Data     |-->| Mode     |--> link
  | Compress |   | Compress |   | Header   |
  +----------+   +----------+   +----------+

Rand [Page 5] RFC 1663 PPP Reliable Transmission July 1994

5.2. Inverse Multiplexing

 Since sending several connections over a single link is often called
 "multiplexing", sending packets from a single connection over
 multiple parallel links is sometimes called "inverse-multiplexing".
 By default, PPP performs no special processing for such links.  Each
 link is established and terminated independently, negotiates its own
 configuration options, and may have different combinations of such
 options as ACCM, Protocol Field Compression and IP-Address.  This
 facilitates using the links simultaneously over dissimilar media,
 such as 56K sync with async backup.
 Every link in a single machine MUST have different Magic Numbers, and
 each end of every link between two peers SHOULD have Magic Numbers
 which are unique to those peers.  This protects against patch-panel
 errors in addition to looped-back links.
 The distribution to each link is controlled by higher level routing
 mechanisms.  When Network-Layer specific compression techniques (such
 as Van Jacobsen Compression) rely on sequential delivery, without
 Multi-Link Procedure support such compression MUST be applied on a
 link by link basis.
                  +----------+   +----------+   +----------+
                  |          |   |          |   | Numbered |
             +--->| Header   |-->| Data     |-->| Mode     |--> link 1
             |    | Compress |   | Compress |   | Header   |
+--------------+  +----------+   +----------+   +----------+
| Distribution |
+--------------+  +----------+   +----------+   +----------+
             |    |          |   |          |   | Numbered |
             +--->| Header   |-->| Data     |-->| Mode     |--> link 2
                  | Compress |   | Compress |   | Header   |
                  +----------+   +----------+   +----------+

5.3. Using Multi-Link Procedure

 This document does not offer a standard for ISO Multi-Link, but does
 offer a method for agreeing on the addressing scheme usable with
 Multi-Link.  A sample implementation is shown below.  Implementation
 of Multi-Link is not required.
 When using the ISO 7776 Multi-Link Procedure, each link is
 established as described above.  In addition, the Numbered-Mode
 Configuration Option is negotiated with appropriate addresses for the
 Multi-Link Procedure.  The distribution to each link is controlled by
 the Multi-Link Procedure, as is the recovery of sequence in the
 receiving system.

Rand [Page 6] RFC 1663 PPP Reliable Transmission July 1994

                                                          +---> link 1
+----------+   +----------+   +----------+                |
|          |   |          |   | Multi    |   +--------------+
| Header   |-->| Data     |-->| Link     |-->| Distribution |
| Compress |   | Compress |   | Procedure|   +--------------+
+----------+   +----------+   +----------+                |
                                                          +---> link 2

5.4. LAPB Parameter defaults

 The following guidelines specify the default values of LAPB
 configurable parameters.
    Timer T1
       Timer T1 is the maximum time permitted before a retransmission
       is started, as a result of no response to a transmitted I
       frame.  This value must be greater than the time required for a
       maximum sized frame to be received by the other side of the
       link, and for a response to be generated for the frame.  This
       SHOULD be determined dynamically, based on the measured round
       trip time delay of the link at the LAPB level.  In the event
       that the system cannot determine the round trip time of the
       link, this value SHOULD be set to twice the bit rate of the
       link, divided by the maximum number of bits per frame, plus 100
       milliseconds processing time.  For example, on a 14,400 bps
       link, with a maximum frame size of 8000 bits (1000 octects),
       the T1 value would be set to 3.7 seconds.
    Timer T3
       Timer T3 gives an indication of the idle state of the link.
       Its value must be greater than the T1 value.
    Maximum number of attempts to complete a transmission, N2
       Parameter N2 gives the maximum number of retransmission
       attempts for a given frame.  If this value is exceeded, the
       link SHOULD be terminated.  The default value for parameter N2
       SHOULD be 3.

Security Considerations

 Security issues are not discussed in this memo.

Rand [Page 7] RFC 1663 PPP Reliable Transmission July 1994

References

 [1] Simpson, W., Editor, "The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)", STD 51,
     RFC 1661, Daydreamer, July 1994.
 [2] ISO 7776, Information Processing Systems - Data Communication -
     High Level Data Link Control Procedures - Description of the X.25
     LAPB-Compatible DTE Data Link Procedures
 [3] Simpson, W., Editor, "PPP in HDLC Framing", STD 51, RFC 1662,
     Daydreamer, July 1994.
 [4] Sklower, K., "PPP MultiLink Procedure", Work in Progress.

Acknowledgments

 Fred Baker was the original author of this document.
 Bill Simpson contributed materially to the document.

Chair's Address

 The working group can be contacted via the current chair:
 Fred Baker
 Advanced Computer Communications
 315 Bollay Drive
 Santa Barbara, California  93117
 EMail: fbaker@acc.com

Author's Address

 Questions about this memo can also be directed to:
 Dave Rand
 2180 Fortune Drive
 San Jose, CA  95131
 Phone: +1 408 321-1259
 EMail: dave_rand@novell.com

Rand [Page 8]

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