Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points BOF (capwap)

Friday, November 14 at 0900-1130
================================

CHAIRS: Mahalingam Mani(mmani@avaya.com)
        Dorothy Gellert (dorothy.gellert@nokia.com)
 
AGENDA:
   Agenda Bashing - 5min
   Update since Vienna Meeting - July 2003 (10 min.)
   Architecture Draft (5 min.)
   Discussion on Architecture Specification (20 min.)
   Review of Proposed Charter (20 min.)
 
DESCRIPTION:
 
Conventional IETF wisdom has it that wireless access points for 
non-provisioned wireless media are no more than simple Layer 2 
bridges that transparently forward packets between the wired and 
wireless links. While this is indeed their primary function, in 
reality, higher layer functions have been gradually migrating into 
such access points. An example is network access server functionality. 
Managing this functionality, its interaction between access points, 
and between access points and access routers has become increasingly 
difficult. Because some of the functions involve exchange of Layer 2 
information, IETF has traditionally maintained that it is "Not Our 
Problem". On the other hand, because many of the functions either use 
or provide services with a Layer 3 component, the relevant Layer 2 
standardization bodies (such as IEEE for 802.11) have been reluctant 
to step forward and own the problem either.
 
Recently, next generation 802.11 network infrastructure (also 
referred to as WLAN switches) have seen significant interest in the 
market. Several companies, both startups and incumbents in the WLAN 
space, have announced, or are shipping products. Most of these 
products have a similar architecture which simplifies control and 
management of access points, but does not remove the problem of 
managing the interaction with the IP network. Given the interest in 
the market for such solutions, there is no doubt that standardizing 
the interface between the AP and the controller (or WLAN switch) 
would benefit the Internet community. Would defining a new Layer 2 
independent protocol to manage wireless access points both dynamically 
and statically help? Can existing IETF solutions contribute, and, if 
so, is there any Layer 2 independent work that IETF might do to adapt 
those solutions to the problem space?
 
This BoF also responds to concerns and questions raised by IESG and IAB 
in validating the charter and hopes to have clear response (by way of 
architecture doc.) on many other issues raised in the mailing list.
 
The goal is to arrive at a clear consensus on problem scope and arrive 
at a Charter agreement.

READING LIST:
 
CAPWAP Architecture:
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-mani-ietf-capwap-arch-00.txt 
(to be submitted)

Lightweight Access Point Protocol
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-calhoun-seamoby-lwapp-03.txt

Lightweight Access Point Protocol Security Requirements
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-kelly-ietf-lwapp-sec-00.txt


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