Draft minutes of the FCIP teleconference, 8/22/01

[Robert Snively <rsnively@Brocade.COM>]

1)  Administrative work

	All minutes will now be posted on the ips reflector.
	The PDF supporting documents will be posted on the web-site 
	www.t11.org referenced to the FC-BB-2 project.

2)  Discussion of security

	The Aboba document is apparently the principal choice for
	iSCSI security.  Larry will post the document to the authors.
	The iSCSI approach is to actually include ULP level
	security.  Our approach has been to use traditional
	IPSec level security underneath TCP/IP.

3)  FCIP_DE to FC Entity communication requirements
	
	Murali has provided a document that lists all the
	possible communications that may need to take place
	between the FCIP entity and the FC entity.  This would
	logically be in Annex D.  These are reminders about
	the communications that need to be performed, but they
	are not specifications of the communications.  These
	are not interoperability points.

   a) 6.6.2.2  Notification by FCIP_DE that packets are discarded.
			(accepted)  It was noted that these are not
			APIs.  There may be one indication for 
			the discard of multiple frames in a vendor
			specific manner.  
   b) 6.6.2.3  IP network transmit time cannot be determined.
			(this line will be removed, and rewriting may
			be needed)
   c) 6.6.2.3  FC frame encapsulation does not contain a valid
			time stamp.
			(accepted)
   d) 6.6.2.3  Synchronized time value is not well synchronized.
			(accepted)
   e) 7	   Maintaining synchronized time value
			(tells FCIP Entity not to stuff time value)
			(accepted)
   f) 7	   Unreliable time value is corrected
			(tells FCIP Entity to stuff time value)
			(accepted)
   g) 8.1.2    Request creation of TCP connection
			(accepted)
   h) 8.1.2    Creation is rejected
			(accepted)
   i) 8.1.2	   Creation of second connection is accepted
			(accepted)
   j) 8.1.3    Dynamic creation of new connection
			(accepted (4 items))
   k) 8.1.4    Processing of TCP Connect requests
			(accepted)  This one is already contained and
			needs to be modified in the table.
   l) 8.4      FC entity uses FC Flow control (accepted)
   m) 8.4	   FCIP entity uses TCP Flow control (accepted)
			Note that these may need some internal flow
			control mechanisms.  These are not specifically
			defined, but these are not interoperability 
			points.
   n) 10.1     Multiple TCP Connections within an FCIP_LEP
			(accepted)

   Murali noted that none of these are related to Fibre Channel.
   The distinction is not useful for implementation purposes.
   I don't think it will be a constructive exercise to try
   to move the boundaries.  One of the two documents will know
   more about the other.  At present, FC-BB-2 must be cognizant
   of the FCIP entity's behavior.  There was some work on
   this in Hawaii at the FC-BB-2 meeting.  Murali will study
   this possibility.  Routing is part of the issue.

4)  Discussion of security

   Don Fraser has started a discussion about some nits on the
   security stuff.

5)  Discussion of time server

   The FC fabric time server is an SNTP type time server.
   It was asked whether we should be using the IP or FC
   time server.  It was noted that the SNTP IP time server
   may or may not exist.  

6)  8.1.4 problem

   The acceptance of a connection.  The FCIP entity creates
   an FCIP_DE when a new connection is made.  This text is
   already included, and Murali accepted the resolution.
   Ralph indicated that an additional sentence was required to
   take care of this.

7)  B_Port definitions

   Can B_Ports get time services?  B_Ports really only work
   in constrained configurations where generic management is
   not required.

8)  SAN island interconnections

   Two SAN islands joined by a link may not be notified
   if the link fails.  The notification process needs to
   be included from the FCIP to the FC Entity.  FC procedures
   should be successful in recovering.  A LSR needs to be
   generated.  Note that loss of signal is not necessarily
   a symptom of a loss of TCP/IP continuity.  HELLO timers
   may be the ultimate catcher for this.  The longest latency
   between connections is on the order of 300 msec with satellites.

9) Next week's meeting

   Power will be provided
   Computer projectors will be provided
   Vi will provide an overhead projector
   The MIB meeting will be arranged for Monday evening.
   The next teleconference will be scheduled at the interim
   meeting next week.


ACTION ITEMS:

1)  Murali will study the possibility of modifying the
    boundary between FC and FCIP entities with a view toward
    simplifying the structure.  There is some skepticism that
    this will turn out helpful. 

2)  Ralph will add the correction required to 8.1.4.



Attendees:

Elizabeth Rodriguez		Lucent
Robert Snively			Brocade
Neil Wanamaker			Akara
Vi Chau				Gadzoox
Gaby Hecht				Gadzoox
Ralph Weber				ENDL Texas / Brocade
Dave Peterson			Cisco
Dan Fraser				Compaq
Venkat Rangan			Rhapsody Network
Andy Helland			LightSand
Anil Rijhsinghani			McData
Jim Nelson				Vixel
Ken Hirata				Vixel
Scott Kipp				McData
Raj Bhagwat				LightSand
Murali Rajagopal			LightSand
Larry Lamers			SANValley