version 2.0 ripe-66
DRAFT
R I P E
Task Forces
RIPE tasks are structured in two ways: time frame and task group.
The task groups will be assigned to task forces, which are groups
of individuals having a vital interest to achieve the tasks.
The task forces will designate a coordinator whose responsibility
it is to make sure progress is made and results will be achieved
within the time frame the task force has agreed on.
Each task will be assigned to a number of task force members. A
date for completion and for a first report will be set and agreed
by the task force and especially by those to work on the task.
Reports are used to monitor a tasks progress and keep other RIPE
members interested in it informed. Reports can be very informal.
It is important that the task gets done, not the reports.
Note that the name task force implies that tasks are clearly defined
and should be achievable within a set time frame.
The time frames for RIPE tasks are:
- short term (a few weeks to two months)
- long term (a few months)
- ongoing (this is something that needs to be done continuously,
in this case the task force's task is to define a way to do
the ongoing activity, get it started and monitor it's progress)
The task groups are:
1. Connectivity and Routing
2. Network Management and Operations
3. Domain Name System
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4. Formal Coordination
5. Statistics and Performance
The outcome of a task force consists of a report with recommendations.
The recommendations will be discussed in the RIPE framework, and when
consensus has been reached will be implemented.
Task Force 1: Connectivity and Routing
IP connectivity in Europe is not based on a strong backbone network
such as NSFnet or EARN. It is not clear whether such a backbone will
be feasible in the forseeable future. This makes IP connectivity
problems much harder to solve technically, operationally and politically.
This task force will be assigned all the tasks relating to the technical
and design problems of achieving optimum connectivity.
Quite some input should be generated to task force 2 (Network Management
and Operations) so that it can plan how to master the operational
problems and can give feedback about problems that can be overcome by
a different design.
Also input should be generated to task force 4 (Formal Coordination)
on the necessary formal agreements for the use of infrastructures owned
by the RIPE member organisations. How to get these agreements is a task
of TF 4.
Task 1-1: Maintain an inventory of international IP connectivity in
Europe and from Europe to other continents.
Task 1-2: Maintain an inventory of national IP infrastructures not
yet interconnected.
Task 1-3: Coordinate connectivity between IP networks of RIPE members,
and to other continents.
Task 1-4: Design a routing scheme to be used on the international
infrastructure coordinated by RIPE (EGP, BGP ....).
Task 1-5: Monitor RIPE coordinated routing and adapt the design if
necessary.
Task Force co-ordinator:
person: Thomas Lenggenhager
address: SWITCH Geschaeftstelle
address: ETH-Zentrum
address: CH-8092 Zurich
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address: SWITZERLAND
phone: +41 1 261 8178
fax-no: +41 1 261 8133
e-mail: lenggenhager@verw.switch.ch
Task Force 2: Network Management and Operations
European IP traffic is carried by a multitude of different
infrastructures. The resulting pan-European IP infrastructure needs
to be well managed in coordination with the managements of the
underlying infrastructures. Currently this works well enough. With
the expected growth a generally agreed management coordination is needed.
This task force should develop a managament framework and collect the
necessary management information.
Coordination with all other task forces activities is needed.
Task 2-1: Maintain a (`whois') database about RIPE IP networks and
their management information.
Task 2-2: Maintain an infrastructure of operational contacts via
various means of communication.
Task 2-3: Create a procedure for notification of security relevant
problems assuming that the networks itself are unusable.
Term: June 91
Task 2-4: Maintain procedures for common network operations. These
can be loosely agreed and need not be formally specified.
Topics: Use of SNMP, reciprocal logins for testing
purposes etc.
Task 2-5: Set up a European NIC which makes available the results of
tasks 2-1 to 2-4 to all interested parties.
Term: End90, first rep Mar90
Task 2-6: Maintenance and distribution of sets of common utilities,
needed for the execution of the tasks 2-1 to 2-4.
Task 2-7: Create and maintain centers of expertise in certain areas:
router hardware and software, NSS, IBM software, etc.
Term: ongoing.
Task Force co-ordinator:
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person: Daniel Karrenberg
address: CWI
address: Science Park Watergraafsmeer (WCW)
address: Kruislaan 413
address: NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam
address: The Netherlands
phone: +31 20 5924112
fax-no: +31 20 5924199
e-mail: dfk@cwi.nl
Task Force 3: Domain Name System
Europe needs a set of well coordinated name servers. Europe also needs
a set of name servers that is resistent to partial loss of connectivity,
especially with the US.
Task 3-1: Maintain a database containing name space administration
data: who administers top level domains and first level
subdomains. This is for management purposes.
Task 3-2: Coordinate backup name servers (secondaries) within RIPE
and within the Internet.
Task 3-3: Design a framework of DNS backup servers within RIPE and
get backup for root name service to Europe.
Task 3-4: Maintain a list of recommended DNS software and known bugs.
Task 3-5: Study mailrouting and MX records.
Task Force co-ordinator:
person: Francis Dupont
address: Institut National de Recherche en
address: Informatique et Automatique
address: Domaine de Voluceau, B.P. 105
address: F-78153 Le Chesnay CEDEX
address: France
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phone: +33 1 39 63 52 13
e-mail: Francis.Dupont@inria.fr
Task Force 4: Formal Coordination
To make IP in Europe work we need formal agreements between the
different networks. We also need to represent the RIPE activity to
the outside world. This should be done by a separate task force but
in very close coordination with the other RIPE task forces.
Task 4-1: Propose a template agreement on IP cooperation.
Task 4-2: Maintain contacts with CCIRN and FNC directly.
Task 4-3: Start formal contacts with other organisations as necessary.
Task Force co-ordinator:
person: Rob Blokzijl
address: NIKHEF
address: Science Park Watergraafsmeer (WCW)
address: Kruislaan 409
address: NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam
address: The Netherlands
phone: +31 20 592 0413
fax-no: +31 20 592 5155
e-mail: k13@nikhef.nl
Task Force 5: Statistics and Performance
This task force deals with gathering data concerning statistics
and performance of RIPE backbones. Relevant issues are methods and
means of gathering relevent data of network traffic flow and network
performance. Presentation techniques will be tackled also.
Task 5-1: Development, evaluation and use of statistical collecting
tools for network traffic flow. The aim is to have adequate
tools for all involved technologies. Examples of currently
used tools are snmp, nnstat, CISCO ip-accounting, ad hoc
X25-tools, ad hoc scripts for automated logging on to
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console ports on connected network hardware and like.
These tools could certainly be enhanced in functionality,
their output streamlined into formats usable for a limited
set of data analysis and presentation tools.
Task 5-2: Development, evaluation and use of presentation tools for
network statistics and network performance data. The aim
is to investigate different ways for presentation of traffic
flow and performance data. A related subject is the knowledge
of which measurements are interesting and relevant with
respect to performance and traffic flow. Another subject
is the working out of simple and efficient methods of
presenting performance and traffic flow in a complex network.
Task 5-3: Development, evaluation and use of tools for evaluating
performance and estimations of possible congestion
situations within the RIPE backbones and main connected
links. The aim is to build a throughout knowledge of
performance criteria and congestion risks for involved
protocols mixes and hardwares. Related to this is the
collecting of adequate benchmarking tools and by the use
of these get a knowledge of available user bandwidths.
The output from these efforts will act as guidelines
for topology and routing decisions.
Task Force co-ordinator:
person: Bernhard Stockman
address: SUNET/NORDUnet
address: Royal Institute of Technology
address: S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
phone: +46 8 7906519
fax-no: +46 8 102510
e-mail: boss@sunet.se
Amsterdam
20 February 1991