NANOG BOF topic suggestion

Pete Kruckenberg pete at kruckenberg.com
Sat Jan 2 22:08:06 UTC 1999


I would like to get some idea of the interest in a BOF topic for the next
NANOG meeting (Denver, January 31 - Feb 2). Please respond to me privately
with your vote (for or against the idea), and I will post a summary to the
list in a week. I'm also looking for people who are interested in being on
a panel to discuss this topic (if there is enough interest, of course).

BOF Topic
---------
Discussion of problems associated with managing hundreds of frequently-
changing access-lists and rate-limits, across multiple routers throughout
a network and by multiple policy managers.

Background
----------
There has been a lot of discussion on this list and the inet-access list
about the increasing need for better traffic management through traffic
shaping and filters. Whether the reason is for reducing the effects of
smurf attacks, controlling use of services to prevent customers from
putting a server up without authorization, or managing the priority and
amount of bandwidth given to customers, today's networks are rapidly
outgrowing traditional bandwidth management methods.

A static configuration of access-lists and rate-limits works when you are
only making changes to a single router on an infrequent basis. These
management techniques worked just fine when bandwidth could be managed in
great swaths. With more customers having access to higher bandwidths
through DSL, cable modems and other technologies, network operators are
having to build increasingly more complex bandwidth management policies
that change more frequently and must be distributed throughout an entire
network of routers.

I would like to propose a BOF session to discuss this topic. It seems
(just based on what I've seen on this mailing list and elsewhere) that
this is a pretty new problem, and there is not much being done in this
area yet. This seems more appropriate for a BOF session than a tutorial or
presentation (which might be better for a future NANOG).

The topics I can think of that would could be covered in a BOF would be:
discussion of the problem, managing hundreds of frequently-changing
access-lists and rate-limits, distributing a traffic-management policy
throughout a network, debugging/diagnosing problems with the policies,
distributing the policy management amongst multiple managers.

If you would be interested in attending this BOF, please respond to me
privately. If you have some ideas yourself about the topic, please don't
hesitate to make them known, too.

Also, if you would be interested in being on a panel to discuss this
topic, whether it be with the work you've done in this area or ideas you
have about it or just that you understand the problem, please contact me
and volunteer.

I will post a summary to this list of the responses I receive in a week or
so.

Thanks.
Pete Kruckenberg






More information about the NANOG mailing list