Multicast-Address Allocation (malloc) ------------------------------------- Charter Last Modified: 2001-08-29 Current Status: Active Working Group Chair(s): Stephen Hanna Dave Thaler Transport Area Director(s): Scott Bradner Allison Mankin Transport Area Advisor: Allison Mankin Technical Advisor(s): Thomas Narten Mailing Lists: General Discussion:malloc@catarina.usc.edu To Subscribe: malloc-request@catarina.usc.edu Archive: catarina.usc.edu/pub/multicast/malloc/ Description of Working Group: Note: This Working Group is co-chartered in the Internet Area. Multicast address allocation is an essential part of using IP multicast. Multicast addresses are an even more limited resource than unicast addresses, and must be allocated dynamically if they are to satisfy expected demand. To this end, the MALLOC WG will define three protocols which work together to form a global dynamic multicast address allocation mechanism. These protocols will be: - a "host to Address Allocation Server" protocol used by a host to obtain one or more multicast addresses from an address allocation server within its domain. - an intra-domain server to server protocol that address allocation servers within the same domain can use to ensure that they do not give out conflicting addresses. - an inter-domain protocol to provide aggregatable multicast address ranges to domains, which the servers in that domain can then allocate individual multicast addresses out of. This protocol will work in conjunction with the IDMR WG's Border Gateway Multicast Protocol to provide a scalable inter-domain multicast routing solution. Although mechanisms for enforcing policies for multicast address allocation may be considered, setting any such policies is not within the scope of this WG. Alternative multicast models are also out of scope. Goals and Milestones: Done Report on simulation and implementation efforts with existing protocol proposals. Address any problems in the specifications that were found. Done Meet at Orlando IETF. Review and finalize the host-server protocol. Done Submit the host-server protocol to the IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard. Done Repost the MADCAP scope-nesting option document as a WG Internet-Draft Done Repost the updated architecture document as a WG Internet-Draft Done Submit the abstract API document(s) to the IESG for consideration as Informational. Done Review and finalize the inter-domain protocol Done Submit the inter-domain protocol to the IESG for consideration as Experimental Done Submit the architecture document to the IESG for consideration as Informational Done Submit the MADCAP scope-nesting option document to the IESG for consideration as Proposed Standard Done Review and finalize the intra-domain protocol Done Complete action of withdrawing intra-domain protocol (due to lack of community interest and serious fixes needed) Aug 01 Submit the MIB to the IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard. Internet-Drafts: Posted Revised I-D Title ------ ------- -------------------------------------------- Jan 99 Jul 02 Multicast Address Allocation MIB Request For Comments: RFC Stat Published Title ------- -- ----------- ------------------------------------ RFC2730 PS Dec 99 Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol (MADCAP) RFC2771 I Feb 00 An Abstract API for Multicast Address Allocation RFC2907 PS Sep 00 MADCAP Multicast Scope Nesting State Option RFC2908 I Sep 00 The Internet Multicast Address Allocation Architecture RFC2909 E Sep 00 The Multicast Address Set Claim (MASC) Protocol RFC3307 PS Sep 02 Dynamic Allocation Guidelines for IPv6 Multicast Addresses