RFC 3582 (rfc3582) - Page 1 of 9

Goals for IPv6 Site-Multihoming Architectures

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Network Working Group                                           J. Abley
Request for Comments: 3582                                           ISC
Category: Informational                                         B. Black
                                                         Layer8 Networks
                                                                 V. Gill
                                                         AOL Time Warner
                                                             August 2003


             Goals for IPv6 Site-Multihoming Architectures

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2003).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document outlines a set of goals for proposed new IPv6 site-
   multihoming architectures.  It is recognised that this set of goals
   is ambitious and that some goals may conflict with others.  The
   solution or solutions adopted may only be able to satisfy some of the
   goals presented here.

1.  Introduction

   Site-multihoming, i.e., connecting to more than one IP service
   provider, is an essential component of service for many sites which
   are part of the Internet.

   Current IPv4 site-multihoming practices have been added on to the
   CIDR architecture [1], which assumes that routing table entries can
   be aggregated based upon a hierarchy of customers and service
   providers.

   However, it appears that this hierarchy is being supplanted by a
   dense mesh of interconnections [6].  Additionally, there has been an
   enormous growth in the number of multihomed sites.  For purposes of
   redundancy and load-sharing, the multihomed address blocks are
   introduced into the global table even if they are covered by a
   provider aggregate.  This contributes to the rapidly-increasing size
   of both the global routing table and the turbulence exhibited within
   it, and places stress on the inter-provider routing system.



Abley, et al.                Informational
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