PacketWay (pktway) ------------------ Charter Last Modified: 08/11/1999 Current Status: Concluded Working Group Chair(s): Danny Cohen Internet Area Director(s): Thomas Narten Erik Nordmark Internet Area Advisor: Thomas Narten Mailing Lists: General Discussion:pktway@isi.edu To Subscribe: http://WWW.ERC.MsState.Edu/packetway/mail-list.html In Body: use above URL to subscribe/unsubscribe Archive: ftp://ftp.isi.edu/pktway/pktway.mail Description of Working Group: Due to dramatic increases in circuits speed the traditional system buses are limited in length (e.g., PCI is limited to 8") and cannot provide the traditional system-wide support. Therefore, the system-wide connectivity is provided by a high performance networks operating in very close quarters, having the generic name System Area Networks (SANs). Many vendors today use such SANs inside computer platforms to connect processors to IO devices, processors to memory, and processors to processors. Most existing SANs are proprietary, and don't interoperate with each other, not unsimilar to the early stages of LAN development. In order to be able to interconnect Massively Parallel Processing systems (MPPs) and to interconnect workstations into MPP-like clusters there is a need to unify the SANs and to provide means for interoperability among them. PktWay is designed to provide a uniform interface for a wide variety of SANs, such that the higher levels (such as IP) would be able to use SANs in a uniform manner. An IP driver for PktWay would be able to use PktWay between heterogeneous processors as if they were all on a single SAN. PktWay would be designed to provide interoperability among closely located heterogeneous processors at high speed. Pktway will sacrifice scalability and some generality for high performance. Hence, PktWay will supplement IP for high performance and for fine granularity of processors. 802.1, the link level control protocol is above LANs, such as the various Ethernets, FDDI, and Token Ring, at Level-2, and below IP, at Level-3. Similarly, PktWay will be above the various SANs (such as RACEway and Paragon) and below IP. PktWay will define separately: * End-to-End protocol (and packet format) * Router-to-Router protocol (and packet format) * Resource discovery and allocation The members of the PktWay Working Group will design, specify, document, propose, implement, and evaluate the above three protocols that define the PktWay operation. The members of the working group will also produce reference software for PktWay. Based on initial reactions it is expected that the working group will include members from academia, government, and industry, covering the software, hardware, and communication aspects of PktWay. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY All the work that has been performed until now on PktWay is in the public domain. The PktWay Working Group will only handle public domain information. All the members of the PktWay Working Group will be notified that the working group cannot guard any trade secrets, nor limit the distribution of any proprietary information presented to it. Goals and Milestones: Done Submit initial draft specification for the PktWay-EEP (End-to-End Protocol) as an Internet-Draft. Done Conduct interoperability demo of the PktWay-EEP (between 2 or 3 heterogeneous systems). SEP 97 Submit initial draft specification for the PktWay-RRP (Router-to-Router Protocol) as an Internet-Draft. SEP 97 Submit updated version of the PktWay-EEP (End-to-End Protocol) as an Internet-Draft. OCT 97 Conduct Interoperability demo of the PktWay-RRP between 2 or 3 heterogeneous systems. NOV 97 Submit PktWay-RRP Internet-Draft to IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard. DEC 97 Submit initial draft specification of the PktWay-REDAP (Resource Discovery and Allocation Protocol) as an Internet-Draft. MAR 98 Conduct interoperabililty demo of the PktWay-REDAP between 2 or 3 heterogeneous systems. APR 98 Submit PktWay-REDAP Internet-Draft to IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard. APR 98 Review Status of the WG. Revise charter or shutdown. Internet-Drafts: No Current Internet-Drafts. Request For Comments: None to date.