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This document defines an extension to the Dynamic Link Exchange Protocol (DLEP) that enables a Ethernet IEEE 802.1Q aware credit-window scheme for destination-specific and shared flow control.

The Dynamic Link Exchange Protocol (DLEP) is defined in . It provides the exchange of link related control information between DLEP peers. DLEP peers are comprised of a modem and a router. DLEP defines a base set of mechanisms as well as support for possible extensions. This document defines one such extension. The base DLEP specification does not include any flow control capability. There are various flow control techniques theoretically possible with DLEP. This document defines a DLEP extension which provides an Ethernet-based flow control mechanism for traffic sent from a router to a modem. Flow control is provided using one or more logical "Credit Windows", each of which will typically be supported by an associated virtual or physical queue. A router will use traffic flow classification information provided by the modem to identify which traffic is associated with each credit window. Credit windows may be shared or dedicated on a per flow basis. See for a DiffServ-based version of credit window flow control. This document uses the traffic classification and credit window control mechanisms defined in and to provide credit window based flow control based on DLEP destinations and Ethernet VLANs and Priority Code Points. Ethernet Priority Code Point support is defined as part of the IEEE 802.1Q tag format and includes a 3 bit "PCP" field. The tag format also includes a 12 bit VLAN identifier (VID) field. The defined mechanism allows for credit windows to be shared across traffic sent to multiple DLEP destinations, VLANs, and PCPs, or used exclusively for traffic sent to a particular destination and/or VLAN and/or PCP. The extension also supports the "wildcard" matching of any PCP or VID. The extension defined in this document is referred to as "IEEE 802.1Q Aware Credit Window" or, more simply, the "Ethernet Credit" extension. The reader should be familiar with both the traffic classification and credit window control mechanisms defined in and . This document defines a new DLEP Extension Type Value in which is used to indicate support for the extension.

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 when, and only when, they appear in all capitals, as shown here.

The extension defined in this document is composed of the mechanisms and processing defined in and . To indicate that the IEEE 802.1Q Aware Credit Window Extension is to be used, an implementation MUST include the IEEE 802.1Q Aware Credit Window Type Value in the Extensions Supported Data Item. The Extensions Supported Data Item is sent and processed according to . Any implementation that indicates use of the IEEE 802.1Q Aware Credit Window Extension MUST support all Messages, Data Items, the Ethernet Traffic Classification Sub-Data Item, and all related processing defined in and . The IEEE 802.1Q Aware Credit Window Extension Type Value is TBA1, see .

This section provides several network management guidelines to implementations supporting the IEEE 802.1Q Aware Credit Window Extension. The use of the extension defined in this document SHOULD be configurable on both modems and routers. Modems SHOULD support the configuration of PCP to credit window (queue) mapping. Modems MAY support the configuration of PCP to credit window (queue) mapping on a per VLAN basis. Note that VID value of zero (0) is used by to indicate that VID is ignored and any VID value is used in traffic classification. When VLANs are supported by a modem without support from PCPs, the modem SHOULD support the configuration of VLAN to credit window (queue) mapping. Modems MAY support the configuration of the number of credit windows (queues) to advertise to a router. Routers may have limits on the number of queues that they can support and, perhaps, even limits in supported credit window combinations, e.g., if per destination queues can even be supported at all. When modem-provided credit window information exceeds the capabilities of a router, the router MAY use a subset of the provided credit windows. Alternatively, a router MAY reset the session and indicate that the extension is not supported. In either case, the mismatch of capabilities SHOULD be reported to the user via normal network management mechanisms, e.g., user interface or error logging.

This document defines a DLEP extension that uses base DLEP mechanisms and the credit window control and flow mechanisms defined in and . The use of those mechanisms, and the introduction of a new extension, do not inherently introduce any additional vulnerabilities above those documented in . The approach taken to Security in that document applies equally to the mechanism defined in this document.

This document requests one assignment by IANA. All assignments are to registries defined by .

This document requests 1 new assignment to the DLEP Extensions Registry named "Extension Type Values" in the range with the "Specification Required" policy. The requested value is as follows: Code Description TBA1 IEEE 802.1Q Aware Credit Window

IEEE This standard specifies how the Media Access Control (MAC) Service is supported by Bridged Networks, the principles of operation of those networks, and the operation of MAC Bridges and VLAN Bridges, including management, protocols, and algorithms

The document was motivated by discussions in the MANET working group. Many useful comments were received from contributors to the MANET working group, notably Ronald in't Velt.