Subject: Scope of PANA WG

From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 16:05:02 -0500

Hello,

As part of the exercise aimed at developing a narrow focus for the
PANA WG, below is the minimum scope writeup for the PANA WG. Please
review and comment. We would like to especially hear any opinions if
they think that the scope of the WG is too narrow (as a result of this
exercise) for it to be useful in scenarios they may have had in mind
and this protocol would be applicable for. 

-WG Chairs

Minimal Scope of PANA
=====================

IP based hosts that connect or attach to the Internet via an access
network need to provide their credentials and be authenticated before
being authorized to access the network. 

PANA aims to provide a layer two agnostic protocol that allows a host
to be authenticated for network access. A messaging protocol which is
of type client-server allows authentication payload to be carried
between the host/client (PaC) and an agent/server (PAA) in the access
network. The PAA is on the same IP subnet as the PaC. The PAA itself may 
interface with other AAA backend infrastructures for authenticating and 
authorizing the service being requested by the host. The PAA enables 
access control to be enforced at the appropriate enforcement point in the 
network.

A non-goal of PANA: It does not define any new authentication
protocol. It is essentially a transport protocol between a host and an
agent in an access network for EAP.

V: 0.2

P.S: For people who may be still have questions about PANA, there is also
an FAQ which has been posted to the list.