Subject: Proposed charter for CDNP working group

From: "Mark Day" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 13:24:03 -0500

This is a heavily revised version of what I sent to the IESG as a
placeholder almost 2 months ago. Comments and suggested edits are welcome.

I have suggested an unorthodox and rather aggressive schedule, involving
parallel development of requirements and protocols. This is partly because
of my experience that many important requirements issues don't get raised
until people are thinking the protocols through.   I think a parallel
approach is challenging but doable, but others may well disagree.

The current proposed agenda for the CDNP BOF includes an allocation of
roughly half our time for discussing the charter.

--Mark

Content Distribution Network Peering (cdnp)

Chair:
Mark Day <[email-masked]>

Applications Area Directors:
Ned Freed <[email-masked]>
Patrik Faltstrom <[email-masked]>

Applications Area Advisor:
Patrik Faltstrom <[email-masked]>

Mailing lists:
General discussion: [email-masked]
To subscribe: [email-masked]
Archive: ftp://ops.ietf.org/pub/lists/cdn.*

Description of Working Group:

The goal of this working group is to define protocols to allow the
interoperation of separately-administered content distribution networks
(CDNs).

A CDN is an architecture of Web-based network elements, arranged for
efficient delivery of digital content. The first important use of CDNs was
for the distribution of heavily-requested graphic files (such as GIF files
on the home pages of popular servers). However, both in principle and
increasingly in practice, a CDN can support the delivery of any digital
content -- including various forms of streaming media.

A number of CDN services have been built and offered commercially. In
addition, a number of hardware and software vendors have developed products
that enable the construction of a CDN with "off-the-shelf" parts.  The
proliferation of CDNs and CDN capabilities gives rise to interest in
interconnecting CDNs
and finding ways for distinct CDNs to cooperate for better overall service

A CDN has some combination of a mapping system, a content-delivery
system, a distribution system, and an accounting system.  In some cases, the
"system" may be implemented by very simple components or techniques. The
content-delivery system consists of a set of "surrogate"
servers that deliver copies of content to sets of users. The mapping system
consists of mechanisms that move a client request toward a rendezvous with a
surrogate. The distribution system consists of mechanisms that move content
from the origin server to the surrogates.  An effective CDN arranges the
request/content rendezvous to take place at a surrogate that is "well
suited" to a given client. Finally, the accounting system records and
aggregates information necessary for allocating costs to customers of the
CDN.

The working group will define requirements and protocol specifications for
three kinds of peering:

1. Mapping peering (the interoperation of mapping systems)
2. Distribution peering (the interoperation of distribution systems) and
3. Accounting peering (the interoperation of accounting systems)

As preparation for that task, various internet-drafts have been submitted,
describing:

-- a proposed vocabulary for the problem domain
-- a description of some CDN interoperation scenarios
-- a proposed set of requirements for accounting
-- a proposed architecture for CDN interoperation
-- a summary description of known mechanisms for mapping in use today

Goals and Milestones

December 2000: BOF meets, discusses existing drafts.  Editors chosen for
requirement documents, protocol documents.
February 1, 2001: First drafts of requirements, protocols due on mailing
list.
March 1, 2001: Last call for vocabulary, scenarios, architecture documents
(incorporating changes from requirements process)
April 2001: WG meets at IETF meeting to discuss requirements issues,
protocol experience
June 1, 2001: New requirements, protocol docs incorporating discussions from
meeting
July 1, 2001: Last call for requirements.
August 2001: WG meets at IETF to discuss protocol issues.
October 1, 2001: Last call for protocols.
December 2001: WG meets at IETF to close.

Internet Drafts:

http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-day-cdnp-model-02.txt
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-day-cdnp-scenarios-02.txt
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-gilletti-cdnp-aaa-reqs-00.txt
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-green-cdnp-gen-arch-01.txt
[Plus "known-mechanisms" draft coming soon]

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From: Stephen Thomas <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 14:09:27 -0500

>placeholder almost 2 months ago. Comments and suggested edits are welcome.

Just a minor tweak below

>[...] Finally, the accounting system records and

I'd suggest that accounting metrics ought to be useful for a lot of reasons 
other than allocating costs. Depending on what ends up being accounted, 
content providers, for example, may want to use these metrics to gauge 
audience size, end user demographics, page "stickiness," etc..

Stephen

____________________________________________________________________
Stephen Thomas                                       +1 404 872 4887
TransNexus, Chief Technical Officer    [email-masked]

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From: "Michael W. Condry" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 09:35:31 -0800

Is this an Applications or Ops?

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From: "Mark Day" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 12:46:50 -0500

> Is this [CDNP] an Applications or Ops?

IESG appears to have decided that it's Applications. Sorry for not making
that clear.

--Mark

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From: Patrik Fältström <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 10:39:32 -0800

>IESG appears to have decided that it's Applications. Sorry for not making

The decision is not made until the wg is formally created. Apps has 
taken the token of hosting the BOF. Ops people will be present. I.e. 
this might be one of the issues which will be discussed in San Diego. 
We'll see.

   paf