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rfc:rfc3772

Network Working Group J. Carlson Request for Comments: 3772 Sun Microsystems Category: Standards Track R. Winslow

                                                    L-3 Communications
                                                              May 2004
           Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Vendor Protocol

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.

Copyright Notice

 Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2004).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

 The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) defines a Link Control Protocol
 (LCP) and a method for negotiating the use of multi-protocol traffic
 over point-to-point links.  The PPP Vendor Extensions document adds
 vendor-specific general-purpose Configuration Option and Code
 numbers.  This document extends these features to cover vendor-
 specific Network, Authentication, and Control Protocols.

1. Introduction

 PPP's [1] Vendor Extensions [3] defines a general-purpose mechanism
 for the negotiation of various vendor-proprietary options and
 extensions to the kinds of control messages that may be sent via the
 Code field.
 Some implementors may want to define proprietary network and control
 protocols in addition to the already-described features.  While it
 would be possible for such an implementor to use the existing LCP
 Vendor-Specific Option to enable the use of the proprietary protocol,
 this staged negotiation (enable via LCP, then negotiate via some
 locally-assigned protocol number) suffers from at least three
 problems:

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 1] RFC 3772 PPP Vendor Protocol May 2004

 First, because it would be in LCP, the negotiation of the use of the
 protocol would begin before identification and authentication of the
 peer had been done.  This complicates the security analysis of the
 feature and constrains the way in which the protocol might be
 deployed.
 Second, where compulsory tunneling is in use, the system performing
 the initial LCP negotiation may be unrelated to the system that uses
 the proprietary protocol.  In such a scenario, enabling the protocol
 at LCP time would require either LCP renegotiation or support of the
 proprietary protocol in the initial negotiator, both of which raise
 deployment problems.
 Third, the fact that any protocol negotiated via such a mechanism
 would necessarily use a protocol number that is not assigned by IANA
 complicates matters for diagnostic tools used to monitor the
 datastream.  Having a fixed number allows these tools to display such
 protocols in a reasonable, albeit limited, format.
 A cleaner solution is thus to define a set of vendor-specific
 protocols, one in each of the four protocol number ranges defined by
 [1].  This specification reserves the following values:
 Value (in hex)  Protocol Name
 005b            Vendor-Specific Network Protocol (VSNP)
 405b            Vendor-Specific Protocol (VSP)
 805b            Vendor-Specific Network Control Protocol (VSNCP)
 c05b            Vendor-Specific Authentication Protocol (VSAP)
 The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
 "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
 document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14, RFC 2119 [2].

2. PPP Vendor-Specific Network Control Protocol (VSNCP)

 The Vendor-Specific Network Control Protocol (VSNCP) is responsible
 for negotiating the use of the Vendor-Specific Network Protocol
 (VSNP).  VSNCP uses the same packet exchange and option negotiation
 mechanism as LCP, but with a different set of options.
 VSNCP packets MUST NOT be exchanged until PPP has reached the
 Network-Layer Protocol phase.  Any VSNCP packets received when not in
 that phase MUST be silently ignored.  If a VSNCP packet with an
 unrecognized OUI is received, an LCP Protocol-Reject SHOULD be sent
 in response.

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 2] RFC 3772 PPP Vendor Protocol May 2004

 The network layer data, carried in VSNP packets, MUST NOT be sent
 unless VSNCP is in Opened state.  If a VSNP packet is received when
 VSNCP is not in Opened state and LCP is Opened, the implementation
 MAY respond using LCP Protocol-Reject.

2.1. VSNCP Packet Format

 Exactly one VSNCP packet is carried in the PPP Information field,
 with the PPP Protocol field set to hex 805b (VSNCP).  A summary of
 the VSNCP packet format is shown below.  The fields are transmitted
 from left to right.
  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
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 |     Code      |  Identifier   |            Length             |
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 |                    OUI                        |    Data ...
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 Code
    Only LCP Code values 1 through 7 (Configure-Request, Configure-
    Ack, Configure-Nak, Configure-Reject, Terminate-Request,
    Terminate-Ack, and Code-Reject) are used.  All other codes SHOULD
    result in a VSNCP Code-Reject reply.
 Identifier and Length
    These are as documented for LCP.
 OUI
    This three-octet field contains the vendor's Organizationally
    Unique Identifier.  The bits within the octet are in canonical
    order, and the most significant octet is transmitted first.  See
    Section 5 below for more information on OUI values.
 Data
    This field contains data in the same format as for the
    corresponding LCP Code numbers.

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 3] RFC 3772 PPP Vendor Protocol May 2004

2.2. VSNP Packet Format

 When VSNCP is in Opened state, VSNP packets may be sent by setting
 the PPP Protocol field to hex 005b (VSNP) and placing the vendor-
 specific data in the PPP Information field.  No restrictions are
 placed on this data.

3. PPP Vendor-Specific Protocol (VSP)

 The Vendor-Specific Protocol (VSP) is intended for use in situations
 where the implementation of a complete Network Layer Protocol is
 unnecessary, or where per-link signaling is required (see Section 7
 below).
 VSP packets MUST NOT be sent until PPP has reached either Network-
 Layer Protocol or Authentication phase.  VSP packets received before
 those phases MUST be silently ignored.  Once the proper phase has
 been reached, a VSP packet containing an unrecognized OUI value
 SHOULD be returned using LCP Protocol-Reject.
 Exactly one VSP packet is carried in the PPP Information field, with
 the PPP Protocol field set to 405b (VSP).  A summary of the VSP
 packet format is shown below.  The fields are transmitted from left
 to right.
  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
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 |                       Magic-Number                            |
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 |                    OUI                        |   Reserved    |
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 |    Data ...
 +-+-+-+
 Magic-Number
    The four-octet Magic-Number field is used to detect looped-back
    links.  If the Magic-Number Option was not negotiated by LCP, then
    this field MUST be set to 0.  Implementation of the LCP Magic-
    Number Option is RECOMMENDED.
 OUI
    This three-octet field contains the vendor's Organizationally
    Unique Identifier.  The bits within the octet are in canonical
    order, and the most significant octet is transmitted first.  See
    Section 5 below for more information on OUI values.

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 4] RFC 3772 PPP Vendor Protocol May 2004

 Reserved
    Reserved for future definition.  Must be zero on transmit and
    ignored on reception.
 Data
    Vendor-specific data.

4. PPP Vendor-Specific Authentication Protocol (VSAP)

 The Vendor-Specific Authentication Protocol (VSAP) is used in two
 ways.  First, it is used with the LCP Authentication Option in order
 to negotiate the use of a vendor-specific authentication protocol to
 be used during the PPP Authentication phase.  Second, it is used in
 the PPP Protocol field to carry those proprietary authentication
 messages during the PPP Authentication phase.

4.1. VSAP Authentication Option Format

 This option is used in LCP Configure-Request, -Ack, -Nak, and -Reject
 messages.
  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     |    Authentication-Protocol    |
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 |                    OUI                        |    Data ...
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 Type
    3
 Length
    >=7
 Authentication-Protocol
    The hex value c05b, in Network Byte Order.

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 5] RFC 3772 PPP Vendor Protocol May 2004

 OUI
    This three-octet field contains the vendor's Organizationally
    Unique Identifier.  The bits within the octet are in canonical
    order, and the most significant octet is transmitted first.  See
    Section 5 below for more information on OUI values.
 Data
    This optional field contains options or other information specific
    to the operation of the vendor-specific authentication protocol.

4.2. VSAP Authentication Data Format

  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
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 |     Code      |  Identifier   |            Length             |
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 |    Data ...
 +-+-+-+-+
 The Identifier and Length fields are as for LCP.  The Code and Data
 fields and the processing of the messages are defined by the vendor-
 specific protocol.
 However, it is RECOMMENDED that vendor-specific protocols use Code 3
 for "Success" and Code 4 for "Failure," as with [4] and [5], in order
 to simplify the design of network monitoring equipment.

5. Organizationally Unique Identifiers

 The three-octet Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI) used in the
 messages described in this document identifies an organization
 ("vendor") that defines the meaning of the message.  This OUI is
 based on IEEE 802 vendor assignments.
 Vendors that desire to use their IEEE 802 OUI for a PPP Vendor
 Protocol SHOULD also register the assigned OUI with IANA for the
 benefit of the community.
 A vendor that does not otherwise need an IEEE-assigned OUI can
 request a PPP-specific OUI from the IANA.  This OUI shall be assigned
 from the CF0000 series.  This procedure is defined for vendors that
 are not able to use IEEE assignments, such as software-only vendors.

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 6] RFC 3772 PPP Vendor Protocol May 2004

6. Multiple Vendor-Specific Protocols

 Vendors are encouraged to define their protocols to allow for future
 expansion, where necessary.  For example, it may be appropriate for a
 VSNP to include a locally-defined selector field to distinguish among
 multiple proprietary protocols carried via this mechanism, and
 appropriate Configuration Options in VSNCP to enable and disable
 these sub-protocols.  Because the requirements of such a selector are
 known only to the vendor defining such protocols, they are not
 described further in this document.
 An implementation MAY also support more than one vendor-specific
 protocol, distinguished by OUI.  In this case, the implementation
 MUST also treat LCP Protocol-Reject specially by examining the OUI
 field in the rejected message and disabling only the protocol to
 which it refers, rather than all use of the vendor-specific protocol
 number.  Note that such an implementation is compatible with a simple
 implementation that supports only one OUI: that implementation will
 respond with LCP Protocol-Reject for unrecognized OUIs and otherwise
 leave the negotiation state unmodified.
 An OUI-distinguished mechanism is expected to be used only in the
 case of cooperating vendors.  Vendors are encouraged to use just a
 single OUI for all protocols defined by that vendor, if possible.

7. Multilink, Compression, and Encryption Considerations

 The Vendor-Specific Network Protocol (VSNP) is defined to operate at
 the bundle level if Multilink PPP [6] is in use, and also above any
 Compression Protocols [7] and Encryption Protocols [8] in use.
 The Vendor-Specific Protocol (VSP) is defined to operate at the per-
 link level if Multilink PPP is in use, and MUST NOT be subjected to
 data compression.  If a per-link encryption protocol is in use, then
 VSP packets MUST be encrypted.
 Note that because VSP is defined at the per-link level, bundle level
 encryption does not affect VSP.

8. Security Considerations

 The security of any vendor-specific authentication protocol is
 subject to the provisions of that proprietary mechanism.
 Implementations that wish to avoid security problems associated with
 such protocols SHOULD send LCP Configure-Nak in response to an LCP
 Configure-Request specifying VSAP, or MAY terminate operation.

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 7] RFC 3772 PPP Vendor Protocol May 2004

 When operating with PPP encryption, but without Multilink PPP, VSP
 packets are sent in the clear.  Implementations that require PPP
 encryption as part of a security mechanism should consider whether to
 employ per-link encryption or forego use of VSP in favor of VSNP.
 The security of vendor-specific networking protocols is likewise
 subject to the security mechanisms defined by those protocols.
 Independent analysis of the security of any such protocol is
 RECOMMENDED.

9. IANA Considerations

 IANA has assigned four similarly-numbered PPP Protocol field values,
 005b, 405b, 805b, and c05b, as described in Section 1 of this
 document.
 As described in Section 5 above and in [3], the IANA also maintains a
 CF0000 series block of non-IEEE OUIs that may be allocated for
 vendors that do not otherwise need an IEEE-assigned OUI.

10. References

10.1. Normative References

 [1]  Simpson, W., Ed., "The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)", STD 51,
      RFC 1661, July 1994.
 [2]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement
      Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.

10.2. Informative References

 [3]  Simpson, W., "PPP Vendor Extensions", RFC 2153, May 1997.
 [4]  Simpson, W., "PPP Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol
      (CHAP)", RFC 1994, August 1996.
 [5]  Blunk, L. and J. Vollbrecht, "PPP Extensible Authentication
      Protocol (EAP)", RFC 2284, March 1998.
 [6]  Sklower, K., Lloyd, B., McGregor, G., Carr, D. and T. Coradetti,
      "The PPP Multilink Protocol (MP)", RFC 1990, August 1996.
 [7]  Rand, D., "The PPP Compression Control Protocol (CCP)", RFC
      1962, June 1996.
 [8]  Meyer, G., "The PPP Encryption Control Protocol (ECP)", RFC
      1968, June 1996.

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 8] RFC 3772 PPP Vendor Protocol May 2004

11. Acknowledgments

 The authors thank Karl Fox and Thomas Narten for their comments and
 help in preparing this document.
 Some of the language and phrasing has been borrowed from RFC 1332,
 written by Glenn McGregor, and RFC 2153, written by William Allen
 Simpson.

12. Authors

 Questions about this document should be addressed to the IETF pppext
 working group or the authors listed below.
 James Carlson
 Sun Microsystems
 1 Network Drive MS UBUR02-212
 Burlington MA  01803-2757
 Phone:  +1 781 442 2084
 Fax:    +1 781 442 1677
 EMail:  james.d.carlson@sun.com
 Richard Winslow
 L-3 Communications Systems - East
 1 Federal Street A&E-2NE
 Camden, NJ 08102
 EMail: richard.winslow@l-3com.com

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 9] RFC 3772 PPP Vendor Protocol May 2004

13. Full Copyright Statement

 Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2004).  This document is subject
 to the rights, licenses and restrictions contained in BCP 78, and
 except as set forth therein, the authors retain all their rights.
 This document and the information contained herein are provided on an
 "AS IS" basis and THE CONTRIBUTOR, THE ORGANIZATION HE/SHE REPRESENTS
 OR IS SPONSORED BY (IF ANY), THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET
 ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE
 INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED
 WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

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 Intellectual Property Rights or other rights that might be claimed to
 pertain to the implementation or use of the technology described in
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 might or might not be available; nor does it represent that it has
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 on the procedures with respect to rights in RFC documents can be
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 http://www.ietf.org/ipr.
 The IETF invites any interested party to bring to its attention any
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 this standard.  Please address the information to the IETF at ietf-
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Acknowledgement

 Funding for the RFC Editor function is currently provided by the
 Internet Society.

Carlson & Winslow Standards Track [Page 10]

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