Subject: IPv6 Flow label

From: "Thomas Eklund" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 13:56:45 +0200

We have an idea of what to use it for.
I'm currently writing a draft about "traffic engineering in ipv6" like I said to you Bob.
A draft proposal is finished quite soon and the intention is to see if there is some interest to use the flowlabel for traffic engineering and If you would like to co-author it thats perfect...

Anyway I have asked for a slot on the IPng meeting for a couple of weeks ago and I hope that we can have a good discussion about this at the next IETf meeting

<Thinking about the discussion on what to do with the IPv6 flow label field, 
<I have couple of thoughts.
<
<The discussion about the best working group for this work is somewhat 
<academic until there is a concrete proposal (i.e, an internet draft) for 
<what do with it.

You will have it before the next meeting as we discussed.

Best Regards 
 Thomas Eklund
<The intent of the words in the draft charter was to say that if someone has 
<a concrete proposal for how to use the IPv6 flow label field, they should 
<present it to the IPng w.g.  It will be easy once that happens to move it 
<to a more appropriate w.g. if it makes sense.
<
<Just because we have the IPv6 flow label bits "available" it is not at all 
<clear we want to do anything with them today.  Our experience with IPv4 is 
<that it would have been very nice to have had some open bits available for 
<future use.  The IP world will change in unexpected ways.  These bits may 
<become very useful 5-10 years from now.  They may be needed for something 
<that has not been thought of today.
<
<It might be much better to encourage experimentation with the flow label 
<bits than to standardize something now.  Lets use them wisely.
<
< Bob