RFC 2216 (rfc2216) - Page 1 of 22

Network Element Service Specification Template

Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Next >
Network Working Group                                         S. Shenker
Request for Comments: 2216                                 J. Wroclawski
Category: Informational                               Xerox PARC/MIT LCS
                                                          September 1997


             Network Element Service Specification Template


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.

Abstract

   This document defines a framework for specifying services provided by
   network elements, and available to applications, in an internetwork
   which offers multiple qualities of service. The document first
   provides some necessary context -- including relevant definitions and
   suggested data formats -- and then specifies a "template" which
   service specification documents should follow. The specification
   template includes per-element requirements such as the service's
   packet handling behavior, parameters required and made available by
   the service, traffic specification and policing requirements, and
   traffic ordering relationships.  It also includes evaluation criteria
   for elements providing the service, and examples of how the service
   might be implemented (by network elements) and used (by
   applications).

Introduction

   This document defines the framework used to specify the functionality
   of internetwork system components which support the the ability to
   provide multiple, dynamically selectable qualities of service to
   applications using an internetwork. The behavior of individual
   routers and subnetworks is captured as a set of "services", some or
   all of which may be offered by each element. The concatenation of
   these services along the end-to-end data paths used by an application
   provides overall quality of service control.

   The definition of a service states what is required of a router (or,
   more generally, any network element; a router, switch, subnet, etc.)
   which supports a particular service. The service definition also






Shenker & Wroclawski         Informational
Next >