Re: IPS Draft Charter update

["Mark A. Carlson" <mark.carlson@sun.com>]

In addition to the network quality of service work, I would
hope that it is in our scope to work on how storage quality
of service would be specified for IP based storage.

I have suggested some words for the charter below:

Black_David@emc.com wrote:
> 
> Slightly updated version of the draft charter.  Comments
> are welcome/encouraged, especially on the proposed schedule.
> There will probably be an opportunity to bash the charter
> in Pittsburgh, but bashing done on the list doesn't consume
> time in the meeting.
> 
> --David
> 
> IP Storage (ips) Working Group Proposed Charter - DRAFT 4
> 
> There is significant interest in using IP-based networks to transport
> block storage traffic.  This group will pursue the pragmatic approach of
> encapsulating existing block storage protocols, such as SCSI and certain
> Fibre Channel protocols, in an IP-based transport or transports.  The group
> will focus on the transport or transports and related issues (e.g.,
> security,
> naming, discovery, and configuration), as opposed to modifying existing
> block
> storage protocols.  Standards for those protocols are controlled by other
> standards organizations (e.g., T10 [SCSI] and T11 [Fibre Channel]).  The WG
> cannot assume that any changes it desires will be made in these standards,
> and hence will pursue approaches that do not depend on such changes unless
> they are unavoidable and in that case will create a document to be forwarded
> to the standards group responsible for the technology explaining the
> issue and requesting the desired changes be considered.  The WG will
> endeavor to ensure high quality communications with these standards
> organizations.
> 
> The storage protocols to be encapsulated expect a reliable transport,
> in that failure to deliver data is considered to be a rare event for
> which time-consuming recovery is acceptable.  This has implications
> for both the choice of transport protocols and design of the
> encapsulation(s).  Encapsulations of the storage protocols may require
> quality of service assurances (e.g., predictable latency) to operate
> successfully; the WG will consider what assurances are appropriate and
> how to provide such assurances in shared traffic environments
> based on existing IETF QoS mechanisms such as Differentiated Services.

Add:

In addition the WG may consider emerging standards for storage quality
of service and how they may be used in IP based storage. This would include
the specification of performance and availability service levels for block
storage devices and the management of policies related to those service
levels.

> 
> Use of an IP-based transport raises issues that do not occur in existing
> storage transports.  The WG will address at least the following issues:

...

-- mark