Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) P. Thubert, Ed.
Request for Comments: 8025 Cisco
Updates: 4944 R. Cragie
Category: Standards Track ARM
ISSN: 2070-1721 November 2016
IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area
Network (6LoWPAN) Paging Dispatch
Abstract
This specification updates RFC 4944 to introduce a new context switch
mechanism for IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Network
(6LoWPAN) compression, expressed in terms of Pages and signaled by a
new Paging Dispatch.
Status of This Memo
This is an Internet Standards Track document.
This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has
received public review and has been approved for publication by the
Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on
Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 7841.
Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8025.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2016 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
document authors. All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. Updating RFC 4944 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4. Page 1 Paging Dispatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6.1. Consuming Page Switch Dispatch Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6.2. New Column in Dispatch Type Registry . . . . . . . . . . 5
7. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1. Introduction
The design of Low-Power and Lossy Networks (LLNs) is generally
focused on saving energy, which is often a very constrained resource.
Other constraints, such as memory capacity and duty cycle
restrictions on LLN devices, usually derive from that primary
concern. Energy is often available only from primary batteries that
are expected to last for years or is scavenged from the environment
in very limited amounts. Any protocol that is intended for use in
LLNs must be designed with a primary focus on saving energy, which is
a strict requirement.
Controlling the amount of data transmission is one possible means of
saving energy. In a number of LLN standards, the frame size is
limited to much smaller values than the IPv6 maximum transmission
unit (MTU) of 1280 bytes. In particular, an LLN that relies on the
classical Physical Layer (PHY) of IEEE 802.15.4 [IEEE.802.15.4] is
limited to 127 bytes per frame. The need to compress IPv6 packets
over IEEE 802.15.4 led to the 6LoWPAN Header Compression (6LoWPAN-HC)
[RFC6282] work.
As more and more protocols need to be compressed, the encoding
capabilities of the original dispatch defined in the 6LO adaptation-
layer 6LowPAN
adaptation-layer framework ([RFC4944] and [RFC6282]) becomes
saturated. This specification introduces a new context switch
mechanism for 6LoWPAN compression, expressed in terms of Pages and
signaled by a new Paging Dispatch mechanism.
2. Terminology
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
"OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in
[RFC2119].
The terminology used in this document is consistent with and
incorporates that described in "Terms Used in Routing for Low-Power
and Lossy Networks" [RFC7102] and "Terminology for Constrained-Node
Networks" [RFC7228].
3. Updating RFC 4944
This document adapts 6LoWPAN while maintaining backward compatibility
with IPv6 over IEEE 802.15.4 [RFC4944] by introducing the concept of
a "parsing context" in the 6LoWPAN parser, a context being identified
by a Page Number. This specification defines 16 Pages.
Pages are delimited in a 6LoWPAN packet by a Paging Dispatch value
that indicates the next current Page. The Page Number is encoded in
a Paging Dispatch with the Value Bit Pattern of 11 11xxxx, where xxxx
is the Page Number, 0 to 15, as described in Figure 1:
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|1|1|1|1|Page Nb|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Figure 1: Paging Dispatch with Page Number Encoding
Values of the Dispatch byte defined in [RFC4944] are considered as
belonging to the Page 0 parsing context, which is the default and
does not need to be signaled explicitly at the beginning of a 6LoWPAN
packet. This ensures backward compatibility with existing
implementations of 6LoWPAN.
The Dispatch bits defined in [RFC4944] are used in Page 0 by [RFC4944] and are
free to be reused in Pages 1 to 15. In Section 4, this specification
allocates some values in Page 1 and leaves the rest open for future
allocations.
Values opened made available by this specification in Pages 1 to 14 are to
be assigned for new protocols whereas Page 15 is reserved for
Experimental Use. Use [RFC5226].
Note: This specification does not use the Escape Dispatch, which
extends Page 0 to more values, but rather allocates another Dispatch
Bit Pattern (11 11xxxx) for a new Paging Dispatch that is present in
all Pages, including Page 0 and Pages defined in future
specifications, to indicate the next parsing context represented by
its Page Number. The rationale for avoiding that approach is that
there can be multiple occurrences of a new header indexed by this
specification in a single frame and the overhead on an octet each
time for the Escape Dispatch would be prohibitive.
A Page (say Page N) is said to be active once the Page N Paging
Dispatch is parsed, and it remains active until another Paging
Dispatch is parsed.
4. Page 1 Paging Dispatch
This specification defines some special properties for Page 1,
detailed below:
The Dispatch bits defined for LOWPAN_IPHC by the "Compression
Format for IPv6 Datagrams over IEEE 802.15.4-Based Networks"
[RFC6282] are defined with the same values in Page 1, so there is
no need to switch context from Page 1 to Page 0 to decode a packet
that is encoded per [RFC6282].
Mesh Headers represent Layer 2 information and are processed
before any Layer 3 information that is encoded in Page 1. If a
6LoWPAN packet requires a Mesh Header, the Mesh Header MUST always
be placed in the packet before the first Page 1 Paging Dispatch,
if any.
For the same reason, Fragment Headers as defined in [RFC4944] MUST
always be placed in the packet before the first Page 1 Paging
Dispatch, if any.
The NALP Dispatch Bit Pattern as defined in [RFC4944] is only
defined for the first octet in the packet. Switching back to Page
0 for NALP inside a 6LoWPAN packet does not make sense.
As a result, there is no need to restore the Page 0 parsing
context after a context was switched to Page 1, so the value for
the Page 0 Paging Dispatch of 11 110000 may not actually occur in
those packets that adhere to 6LoWPAN specifications available at
the time of writing this specification.
5. Security Considerations
The security considerations of [RFC4944] and [RFC6282] apply.
6. IANA Considerations
6.1. Consuming Page Switch Dispatch Types
This document allocates 16 values for "Page switch" from the
"Dispatch Type Field" registry that was created by [RFC4944]. The
allocated values are from 11 110000 through 11 111111 and represent
Page Numbers 0 through 15 as discussed in this document.
6.2. New Column in Dispatch Type Registry
This document extends the "Dispatch Type Field" registry, which was
created by [RFC4944] and updated by [RFC6282], by adding a new column
called "Page".
This document defines 16 Pages, "Page 0" to "Page 15".
The preexisting registry content is assigned to "Page 0".
This document also places in the registry associated to Page 1 associates the Dispatch type field values that are
allocated for LOWPAN_IPHC by
[RFC6282]. [RFC6282] to Page 1. These values range
from 01 100000 through 01 111111 and have the same definition in Page
1 as they do in Page 0; as a result,
the registry entries for Page 0 and Page 1 are an exact overlap grouped
together in the registry for this range.
Values ranging from 00 000000 to 11 101111 in Page 15 (that is, all
of Page 15 except the space used for Page switch) are reserved for
Experimental Use [RFC5226] and shall not be assigned.
Figure 2 represents some of the updates to the registry as described above.
Refer to <http://www.iana.org/assignments/_6lowpan-
parameters> <http://www.iana.org/assignments/_6lowpan-parameters> for
the complete list of updates.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Bit Pattern | Page | Header Type | Reference |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| | 0 | NALP | RFC 4944, this document |
+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| 00 xxxxxx | 1-14 | Unassigned | |
+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-|
| | 15 | Reserved | this document |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| | 0 | ESC | RFC 6282, this document |
+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| 01 000000 | 1-14 | Unassigned | |
+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-|
| | 15 | Reserved | this document |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
... ...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| | 0-1 | LOWPAN_IPHC | RFC 6282, this document |
+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| 01 1xxxxx | 2-14 | Unassigned | |
+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-|
| | 15 | Reserved | this document |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
... ...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| 11 11xxxx | 0-15 | Page switch | this document |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Figure 2: Integrating the New Page Column
Future assignments in these registries are to be coordinated via IANA
under the policy of "Specification Required" [RFC5226]. It is
expected that this policy will allow for other (non-IETF)
organizations to more easily obtain assignments.
7. References
7.1. Normative References
[IEEE.802.15.4]
IEEE, "IEEE Standard for Low-Rate Wireless Networks",
IEEE 802.15.4-2015, DOI 10.1109/IEEESTD.2016.7460875,
<http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7460875/>.
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
[RFC4944] Montenegro, G., Kushalnagar, N., Hui, J., and D. Culler,
"Transmission of IPv6 Packets over IEEE 802.15.4
Networks", RFC 4944, DOI 10.17487/RFC4944, September 2007,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4944>.
[RFC5226] Narten, T. and H. Alvestrand, "Guidelines for Writing an
IANA Considerations Section in RFCs", BCP 26, RFC 5226,
DOI 10.17487/RFC5226, May 2008,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5226>.
[RFC6282] Hui, J., Ed. and P. Thubert, "Compression Format for IPv6
Datagrams over IEEE 802.15.4-Based Networks", RFC 6282,
DOI 10.17487/RFC6282, September 2011,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6282>.
7.2. Informative References
[RFC7102] Vasseur, JP., "Terms Used in Routing for Low-Power and
Lossy Networks", RFC 7102, DOI 10.17487/RFC7102, January
2014, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7102>.
[RFC7228] Bormann, C., Ersue, M., and A. Keranen, "Terminology for
Constrained-Node Networks", RFC 7228,
DOI 10.17487/RFC7228, May 2014,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7228>.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Tom Phinney, Thomas Watteyne, Tengfei
Chang, Martin Turon, James Woodyatt, Samita Chakrabarti, Jonathan
Hui, Gabriel Montenegro, and Ralph Droms for constructive reviews of
the design in the 6LO 6lo working group.
Authors' Addresses
Pascal Thubert (editor)
Cisco Systems
Building D - Regus
45 Allee des Ormes
BP1200
Mougins - Sophia Antipolis 06254
France
Phone: +33 4 97 23 26 34
Email: pthubert@cisco.com
Robert Cragie
ARM Ltd.
110 Fulbourn Road
Cambridge CB1 9NJ
United Kingdom
Email: robert.cragie@gridmerge.com