RFC 2113 (rfc2113) - Page 1 of 4

IP Router Alert Option

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Network Working Group                                            D. Katz
Request for Comments: 2113                                 cisco Systems
Category: Standards Track                                  February 1997

                         IP Router Alert Option

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   This memo describes a new IP Option type that alerts transit routers
   to more closely examine the contents of an IP packet.  This is useful
   for, but not limited to, new protocols that are addressed to a
   destination but require relatively complex processing in routers
   along the path.

1.0  Introduction

   A recent trend in routing protocols is to loosely couple new routing
   functionality to existing unicast routing.  The motivation for this
   is simple and elegant -- it allows deployment of new routing
   functionality without having to reinvent all of the basic routing
   protocol functions, greatly reducing specification and implementation
   complexity.

   The downside of this is that the new functionality can only depend on
   the least common denominator in unicast routing, the next hop toward
   the destination.  No assumptions can be made about the existence of
   more richly detailed information (such as a link state database).

   It is also desirable to be able to gradually deploy the new
   technology, specifically to avoid having to upgrade all routers in
   the path between source and destination.  This goal is somewhat at
   odds with the least common denominator information available, since a
   router that is not immediately adjacent to another router supporting
   the new protocol has no way of determining the location or identity
   of other such routers (unless something like a flooding algorithm is
   implemented over unicast forwarding, which conflicts with the
   simplicity goal).






Katz                        Standards Track
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