Softwires (softwire)
--------------------

 Charter

 Current Status: Active

 Chairs:
     Ian Farrer <ianfarrer@gmx.com>
     Yong Cui <cuiyong@tsinghua.edu.cn>

 Internet Area Directors:
     Suresh Krishnan <suresh@kaloom.com>
     Éric Vyncke <evyncke@cisco.com>

 Internet Area Advisor:
     Éric Vyncke <evyncke@cisco.com>

 Tech Advisor:
     Xing Li <xing@cernet.edu.cn>

 Mailing Lists:
     General Discussion: softwires@ietf.org
     To Subscribe:       https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/softwires
     Archive:            https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/softwires

Description of Working Group:


      The Softwires Working Group is specifying the standardization of
      discovery, control and encapsulation methods for connecting IPv4
      networks across IPv6 networks and IPv6 networks across IPv4 networks
      in a way that will encourage multiple, inter-operable
      implementations.

      For various reasons, native IPv4 and/or IPv6 transport may not be
      available in all cases, and there is a need to tunnel IPv4 in IPv6
      or IPv6 in IPv4 to cross a part of the network which is not IPv4 or
      IPv6 capable. The Softwires Problem Statement, RFC 4925, identifies
      two distinct topological scenarios that the Working Group will
      provide solutions for: "Hubs and Spokes" and "Mesh." In the former
      case (Hubs and Spokes), hosts or "stub" networks are attached via
      individual, point-to-point, IPv4 over IPv6 or IPv6 over IPv4
      softwires to a centralized Softwire Concentrator. In the latter case
      (Mesh), network islands of one Address Family (IPv4 or IPv6) are
      connected over a network of another Address Family via point to
      multi-point softwires among Address Family Border Routers (AFBRs).

      The Softwires Working Group will reuse existing technologies as much
      as possible and only when necessary, create additional protocol
      building blocks.

      For generality, all base softwires encapsulation mechanisms should
      support all combinations of IP versions over one other (IPv4 over
      IPv6, IPv6 over IPv4, IPv4 over IPv4, IPv6 over IPv6). IPv4/IPv6
      translation mechanisms, new addressing schemes, and block address
      assignments are out of scope. DHCP options developed in this working
      group will be reviewed jointly with the DHC Working Group.  RADIUS
      attributes developed in the Softwires Working Group will be reviewed
      jointly with the RADEXT Working Group.  The MIB Doctors directorate
      will be asked to review any MIB modules developed in the Softwires
      Working Group.  BGP and other routing and signaling protocols
      developed in this group will be reviewed jointly with the proper
      working groups and other workings that may take interest (e.g. IDR,
      L3VPN, PIM, LDP, SAAG, etc).

      The specific work areas for this working group are:

      1. Developments for Mesh softwires topology; the Mesh topology work
         will be reviewed in the L3VPN and IDR Working Groups
         - multicast
         - MIB module

      2. Developments for 6rd:
         - multicast
         - operational specification
         - RADIUS attribute for 6rd server
         - MIB module
         - Gateway-initiated 6rd (GI-6rd)

      3. Developments for Dual-Stack Lite (DS-Lite):
         - multicast
         - operational specification
         - RADIUS attribute for AFTR
         - proxy extensions; GI-DS-Lite; No NAT on AFTR
         - MIB module

      4. Developments for stateless legacy IPv4 carried over IPv6
         - develop a solution motivation document to be published as an
           RFC
         - develop a protocol specification response to the solution
           motivation document; this work item will not be taken through
           Working Group last call until the solution motivation document
           has been published or approved for publication

      5. Finalize discovery and configuration mechanisms for a gateway to
         use DS-Lite or 6rd; these discovery and configuration mechanisms
         must take into a account other operating environments such as
         dual-stack and tunneling mechanisms not defined by the Softwires
         Working Group.  Development of new mechanisms will involve the
         DHC and/or V6OPS Working Groups as appropriate

    Other work items would require Working Group approval and rechartering.




Goals and Milestones:
  Done     - Submit a problem statement to the IESG to be considered as an Informational RFC
  Done     - Submit DS-lite RADIUS attribute document for Proposed Standard
  Done     - Adopt DS-lite operational document as a Working Group document
  Done     - Submit 6rd RADIUS attribute document for Proposed Standard
  Done     - Submit GI DS-lite document for Proposed Standard
  Done     - Adopt DS-Lite without NAT document as a Working Group document
  Moved to dhc working group     - Adopt DHCPv4 over tunnel document as a Working Group document
  Done     - Adopt Multicast extensions document as a Working Group document
  Done     - Submit DS-lite operational document for Informational
  Done     - Adopt stateless legacy IPv4 solution motivation document as a Working Group document
  Done     - Submit DS-Lite without NAT document for Informational
  Moved to dhc working group     - Submit DHCPv4 over tunnel document for Proposed Standard
  Done     - Submit Multicast extensions document for Informational
  Done     - Adopt DS-lite MIB module document as a Working Group document
  Done     - Adopt Mesh topology MIB module document as a Working Group document
  Done     - Submit stateless legacy IPv4 solution motivation document for Informational
  Done     - Adopt stateless legacy IPv4 specification document as a Working Group document
  Done     - Submit stateless legacy IPv4 specification document for Proposed Standard
  Done     - Submit DS-lite MIB module document for Proposed Standard
  Done     - Submit Mesh topology MIB module document for Proposed Standard