RFC 3763 (rfc3763) - Page 1 of 11

One-way Active Measurement Protocol (OWAMP) Requirements

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Network Working Group                                        S. Shalunov
Request for Comments: 3763                                 B. Teitelbaum
Category: Informational                                        Internet2
                                                              April 2004


        One-way Active Measurement Protocol (OWAMP) Requirements

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 (2004).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   With growing availability of good time sources to network nodes, it
   becomes increasingly possible to measure one-way IP performance
   metrics with high precision.  To do so in an interoperable manner, a
   common protocol for such measurements is required.  This document
   specifies requirements for a one-way active measurement protocol
   (OWAMP) standard.  The protocol can measure one-way delay, as well as
   other unidirectional characteristics, such as one-way loss.

1.  Motivations and Goals

   The IETF IP Performance Metrics (IPPM) working group has proposed
   standards track metrics for one-way packet delay [RFC 2679] and loss
   [RFC 2680] across Internet paths.  Although there are now several
   measurement platforms that implement the collection of these metrics
   ([CQOS], [BRIX], [RIPE], [SURVEYOR]), there is not currently a
   standard for interoperability.  This requirements document is aimed
   at defining a protocol that allows users to do measurements using
   devices from different vendors at both ends and get meaningful
   results.

   With the increasingly wide availability of affordable global
   positioning system (GPS) and CDMA based time sources, hosts
   increasingly have available to them time sources that allow hosts to
   time-stamp packets with accuracies substantially better than the
   delays seen on the Internet--either directly or through their
   proximity to NTP primary (stratum 1) time servers.  By standardizing
   a technique for collecting IPPM one-way active measurements, we hope
   to create an environment where these metrics may be collected across



Shalunov & Teitelbaum        Informational
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