RFC 1454 (rfc1454) - Page 2 of 15

Comparison of Proposals for Next Version of IP

RFC 1454        Comparison of Next Version IP Proposals         May 1993


   Although the IESG requirements for a new Internet Protocol go further
   than simply routing and addressing issues,  it is these issues that
   make extension of the current protocol an impractical option.
   Consequently, most of the discussion and development of the various
   proposed protocols has concentrated on these specific problems.

   Near term remedies for these problems include the CIDR proposals
   (which permit the aggregation of Class C networks for routing
   purposes) and assignment policies which will allocate Class C network
   numbers in a fashion which CIDR can take advantage of. Routing
   protocols supporting CIDR are OSPF and BGP4. None of these are pre-
   requisites for the new IP (IPng), but are necessary to prolong the
   life of the current Internet long enough to work on longer-term
   solutions. Ross Callon points out that there are other options for
   prolonging the life of IP and that some ideas have been distributed
   on the TUBA list.

   Longer term proposals are being sought which ultimately allow for
   further growth of the Internet. The timescale for considering these
   proposals is as follows:

      - Dec 15 Issue selection criteria as RFC.

      - Feb 12 Two interoperable implementations available.

      - Feb 26 Second draft of proposal documents available.

   The (ambitious) target is for a decision to be made at the 26th IETF
   (Columbus, Ohio in March 1993) on which proposals to pursue.

   The current likely candidates for selection are:

      - PIP ('P' Internet Protocol - an entirely new protocol).

      - TUBA (TCP/UDP with Big Addresses - uses ISO CLNP).

      - SIP (Simple IP - IP with larger addresses and fewer options).

   There is a further proposal from Robert Ullman of which I don't claim
   to have much knowledge. Associated with each of the candidates are
   transition plans, but these are largely independent of the protocol
   itself and contain elements which could be adopted separately, even
   with IP v4, to further extend the life of current implementations and
   systems.







Dixon