IRTF BGP Stability Routing Research Subgroup

Description of the Research Group

The starting hypothesis for the BGP Stability Routing Research Sub Project is that problems in IBGP are one of the prime causes in the demonstrated lack of full global BGP convergence in the Internet. This group will have the following goals:

• BGP is designed to require global convergence. Studies have shown that it never reaches 100% global convergence. In effect convergence has become a local (for an yet undetermined definiton of local) property and yet for the most part the network remains operational, though the risk of operational failure is considered to increase over time. This part of the sub project will determine the degree to which the lack of total global convergence is a risk. The sub project will also discuss whether the fact that the network remains operational even when global convergence is non-exisitant indicates that global convergence may not be necessary.
  
  Activities will include study of both the theoretical convergence requirements of BGP and the real word covergence properites to determine to what extent local convergence is acceptible for operational stabilty.
  
  
• Using the various protocol and traffic data collections already in existence, survey for the effects of IBGP on global convergence.
  
  
• Where needed create new investigation and data collection methods, both passive and active, to further study the effect of IBGP instabilty on global convergence.
  
  
• Recommend changes to IBGP for faster convergence. This effort should include the creation of simulations and prototypes as well as testing in controlled experiments.

Goals and Milestones

This sub project is defined as a short term project in that recommendations to the IETF Routing Area should be delivered, in the form of internet-drafts and RFCs, both Informational and Experimental, in a 12-18 month timeframe. The different efforts within the sub project may run concurrently.

Specific deliverables include:

• Informational RFC on methods for studying IBGP's effect of global convergence anf the necessarly levels of global convergence.
• Informational RFC on results of studying IBGP's effect on global convergence
• Informational and Experimental RFCs on recommendations for changes to IBGP and/or BGP to remedy the global convergence effects.

Internet-Drafts

RFCs

Papers

Recommended Reading