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INFORMATIONAL
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)                      D. King, Ed.Request for Comments: 6805                                A. Farrel, Ed.Category: Informational                               Old Dog ConsultingISSN: 2070-1721                                            November 2012The Application of the Path Computation Element Architecture to theDetermination of a Sequence of Domains in MPLS and GMPLSAbstract   Computing optimum routes for Label Switched Paths (LSPs) across   multiple domains in MPLS Traffic Engineering (MPLS-TE) and GMPLS   networks presents a problem because no single point of path   computation is aware of all of the links and resources in each   domain.  A solution may be achieved using the Path Computation   Element (PCE) architecture.   Where the sequence of domains is known a priori, various techniques   can be employed to derive an optimum path.  If the domains are simply   connected, or if the preferred points of interconnection are also   known, the Per-Domain Path Computation technique can be used.  Where   there are multiple connections between domains and there is no   preference for the choice of points of interconnection, the Backward-   Recursive PCE-based Computation (BRPC) procedure can be used to   derive an optimal path.   This document examines techniques to establish the optimum path when   the sequence of domains is not known in advance.  The document shows   how the PCE architecture can be extended to allow the optimum   sequence of domains to be selected, and the optimum end-to-end path   to be derived through the use of a hierarchical relationship between   domains.Status of This Memo   This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is   published for informational purposes.   This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force   (IETF).  It represents the consensus of the IETF community.  It has   received public review and has been approved for publication by the   Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG).  Not all documents   approved by the IESG are a candidate for any level of Internet   Standard; seeSection 2 of RFC 5741.King & Farrel                 Informational                     [Page 1]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   Information about the current status of this document, any errata,   and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained athttp://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6805.Copyright Notice   Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the   document authors.  All rights reserved.   This document is subject toBCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents   (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of   publication of this document.  Please review these documents   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect   to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as   described in the Simplified BSD License.Table of Contents1. Introduction ....................................................41.1. Problem Statement ..........................................51.2. Definition of a Domain .....................................51.3. Assumptions and Requirements ...............................61.3.1. Metric Objectives ...................................61.3.2. Diversity ...........................................71.3.2.1. Physical Diversity .........................71.3.2.2. Domain Diversity ...........................71.3.3. Existing Traffic Engineering Constraints ............71.3.4. Commercial Constraints ..............................81.3.5. Domain Confidentiality ..............................81.3.6. Limiting Information Aggregation ....................81.3.7. Domain Interconnection Discovery ....................81.4. Terminology ................................................82. Examination of Existing PCE Mechanisms ..........................92.1. Per-Domain Path Computation ................................92.2. Backward-Recursive PCE-Based Computation ..................10           2.2.1. Applicability of BRPC When the Domain Path                  is Not Known .......................................113. Hierarchical PCE ...............................................124. Hierarchical PCE Procedures ....................................134.1. Objective Functions and Policy ............................134.2. Maintaining Domain Confidentiality ........................144.3. PCE Discovery .............................................144.4. Traffic Engineering Database for the Parent Domain ........154.5. Determination of Destination Domain .......................164.6. Hierarchical PCE Examples .................................16King & Farrel                 Informational                     [Page 2]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20124.6.1. Hierarchical PCE Initial Information Exchange ......18           4.6.2. Hierarchical PCE End-to-End Path                  Computation Procedure ..............................194.7. Hierarchical PCE Error Handling ...........................204.8. Requirements for Hierarchical PCEP Protocol Extensions ....204.8.1. PCEP Request Qualifiers ............................214.8.2. Indication of Hierarchical PCE Capability ..........214.8.3. Intention to Utilize Parent PCE Capabilities .......214.8.4. Communication of Domain Connectivity Information ...224.8.5. Domain Identifiers .................................225. Hierarchical PCE Applicability .................................235.1. Autonomous Systems and Areas ..............................235.2. ASON Architecture .........................................24           5.2.1. Implicit Consistency between Hierarchical                  PCE and G.7715.2 ...................................255.2.2. Benefits of Hierarchical PCEs in ASON ..............266. A Note on BGP-TE ...............................................266.1. Use of BGP for TED Synchronization ........................277. Management Considerations ......................................277.1. Control of Function and Policy ............................277.1.1. Child PCE ..........................................277.1.2. Parent PCE .........................................277.1.3. Policy Control .....................................287.2. Information and Data Models ...............................287.3. Liveness Detection and Monitoring .........................287.4. Verifying Correct Operation ...............................287.5. Impact on Network Operation ...............................298. Security Considerations ........................................299. Acknowledgements ...............................................3010. References ....................................................3010.1. Normative References .....................................3010.2. Informative References ...................................3111. Contributors ..................................................32King & Farrel                 Informational                     [Page 3]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20121.  Introduction   The capability to compute the routes of end-to-end inter-domain MPLS   Traffic Engineering (MPLS-TE) and GMPLS Label Switched Paths (LSPs)   is expressed as requirements in [RFC4105] and [RFC4216].  This   capability may be realized by a Path Computation Element (PCE).  The   PCE architecture is defined in [RFC4655].  The methods for   establishing and controlling inter-domain MPLS-TE and GMPLS LSPs are   documented in [RFC4726].   In this context, a domain can be defined as a separate   administrative, geographic, or switching environment within the   network.  A domain may be further defined as a zone of routing or   computational ability.  Under these definitions, a domain might be   categorized as an Autonomous System (AS) or an Interior Gateway   Protocol (IGP) area [RFC4726] [RFC4655].  Domains are connected   through ingress and egress boundary nodes (BNs).  A more detailed   definition is given inSection 1.2.   In a multi-domain environment, the determination of an end-to-end   traffic engineered path is a problem because no single point of path   computation is aware of all of the links and resources in each   domain.  PCEs can be used to compute end-to-end paths using a per-   domain path computation technique [RFC5152].  Alternatively, the   Backward-Recursive PCE-based Computation (BRPC) mechanism [RFC5441]   allows multiple PCEs to collaborate in order to select an optimal   end-to-end path that crosses multiple domains.  Both mechanisms   assume that the sequence of domains to be crossed between ingress and   egress is known in advance.   This document examines techniques to establish the optimum path when   the sequence of domains is not known in advance.  It shows how the   PCE architecture can be extended to allow the optimum sequence of   domains to be selected, and the optimum end-to-end path to be   derived.   The model described in this document introduces a hierarchical   relationship between domains.  It is applicable to environments with   small groups of domains where visibility from the ingress Label   Switching Router (LSR) is limited.  Applying the hierarchical PCE   model to large groups of domains such as the Internet, is not   considered feasible or desirable, and is out of scope for this   document.King & Farrel                 Informational                     [Page 4]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   This document does not specify any protocol extensions or   enhancements.  That work is left for future protocol specification   documents.  However, some assumptions are made about which protocols   will be used to provide specific functions, and guidelines to future   protocol developers are made in the form of requirements statements.1.1.  Problem Statement   Using a PCE to compute a path between nodes within a single domain is   relatively straightforward.  Computing an end-to-end path when the   source and destination nodes are located in different domains   requires co-operation between multiple PCEs, each responsible for its   own domain.   Techniques for inter-domain path computation described so far   ([RFC5152] and [RFC5441]) assume that the sequence of domains to be   crossed from source to destination is well known.  No explanation is   given (for example, in [RFC4655]) of how this sequence is generated   or what criteria may be used for the selection of paths between   domains.  In small clusters of domains, such as simple cooperation   between adjacent ISPs, this selection process is not complex.  In   more advanced deployments (such as optical networks constructed from   multiple sub-domains, or in multi-AS environments), the choice of   domains in the end-to-end domain sequence can be critical to the   determination of an optimum end-to-end path.1.2.  Definition of a Domain   A domain is defined in [RFC4726] as any collection of network   elements within a common sphere of address management or path   computational responsibility.  Examples of such domains include IGP   areas and Autonomous Systems.  Wholly or partially overlapping   domains are not within the scope of this document.   In the context of GMPLS, a particularly important example of a domain   is the Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON) subnetwork   [G-8080].  In this case, a domain might be an ASON Routing Area   [G-7715].  Furthermore, computation of an end-to-end path requires   the selection of nodes and links within a routing area where some   nodes may, in fact, be subnetworks.  A PCE may perform the path   computation function of an ASON Routing Controller as described in   [G-7715-2].  SeeSection 5.2 for a further discussion of the   applicability to the ASON architecture.   This document assumes that the selection of a sequence of domains for   an end-to-end path is in some sense a hierarchical path computation   problem.  That is, where one mechanism is used to determine a path   across a domain, a separate mechanism (or at least a separate set ofKing & Farrel                 Informational                     [Page 5]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   paradigms) is used to determine the sequence of domains.  The   responsibility for the selection of domain interconnection can belong   to either or both of the mechanisms.1.3.  Assumptions and Requirements   Networks are often constructed from multiple domains.  These domains   are often interconnected via multiple interconnect points.  It's   assumed that the sequence of domains for an end-to-end path is not   always well known; that is, an application requesting end-to-end   connectivity has no preference for, or no ability to specify, the   sequence of domains to be crossed by the path.   The traffic engineering properties of a domain cannot be seen from   outside the domain.  Traffic engineering aggregation or abstraction,   hides information and can lead to failed path setup or the selection   of suboptimal end-to-end paths [RFC4726].  The aggregation process   may also have significant scaling issues for networks with many   possible routes and multiple TE metrics.  Flooding TE information   breaks confidentiality and does not scale in the routing protocol.   SeeSection 6 for a discussion of the concept of inter-domain traffic   engineering information exchange known as BGP-TE.   The primary goal of this document is to define how to derive optimal   end-to-end, multi-domain paths when the sequence of domains is not   known in advance.  The solution needs to be scalable and to maintain   internal domain topology confidentiality while providing the optimal   end-to-end path.  It cannot rely on the exchange of TE information   between domains, and for the confidentiality, scaling, and   aggregation reasons just cited, it cannot utilize a computation   element that has universal knowledge of TE properties and topology of   all domains.   The sub-sections that follow set out the primary objectives and   requirements to be satisfied by a PCE solution to multi-domain path   computation.1.3.1.  Metric Objectives   The definition of optimality is dependent on policy and is based on a   single objective or a group of objectives.  An objective is expressed   as an objective function [RFC5541] and may be specified on a path   computation request.  The following objective functions are   identified in this document.  They define how the path metrics and TE   link qualities are manipulated during inter-domain path computation.   The list is not proscriptive and may be expanded in other documents.King & Farrel                 Informational                     [Page 6]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   o  Minimize the cost of the path [RFC5541].   o  Select a path using links with the minimal load [RFC5541].   o  Select a path that leaves the maximum residual bandwidth      [RFC5541].   o  Minimize aggregate bandwidth consumption [RFC5541].   o  Minimize the load of the most loaded link [RFC5541].   o  Minimize the cumulative cost of a set of paths [RFC5541].   o  Minimize or cap the number of domains crossed.   o  Disallow domain re-entry.   SeeSection 4.1 for further discussion of objective functions.1.3.2.  Diversity1.3.2.1.  Physical Diversity   Within a "Carrier's Carrier" environment, MPLS services may share   common underlying equipment and resources, including optical fiber   and nodes.  An MPLS service request may require a path for traffic   that is physically disjointed from another service.  Thus, if a   physical link or node fails on one of the disjoint paths, not all   traffic is lost.1.3.2.2.  Domain Diversity   A pair of paths are domain-diverse if they do not transit any of the   same domains.  A pair of paths that share a common ingress and egress   are domain-diverse if they only share the same domains at the ingress   and egress (the ingress and egress domains).  Domain diversity may be   maximized for a pair of paths by selecting paths that have the   smallest number of shared domains.  (Note that this is not the same   as finding paths with the greatest number of distinct domains!)   Path computation should facilitate the selection of paths that share   ingress and egress domains but do not share any transit domains.   This provides a way to reduce the risk of shared failure along any   path and automatically helps to ensure path diversity for most of the   route of a pair of LSPs.   Thus, domain path selection should provide the capability to include   or exclude specific domains and specific boundary nodes.1.3.3.  Existing Traffic Engineering Constraints   Any solution should take advantage of typical traffic engineering   constraints (hop count, bandwidth, lambda continuity, path cost,   etc.) to meet the service demands expressed in the path computation   request [RFC4655].King & Farrel                 Informational                     [Page 7]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20121.3.4.  Commercial Constraints   The solution should provide the capability to include commercially   relevant constraints such as policy, Service Level Agreements (SLAs),   security, peering preferences, and monetary costs.   Additionally, it may be necessary for the service provider to request   that specific domains are included or excluded based on commercial   relationships, security implications, and reliability.1.3.5.  Domain Confidentiality   A key requirement is the ability to maintain domain confidentiality   when computing inter-domain end-to-end paths.  It should be possible   for local policy to require that a PCE not disclose to any other PCE   the intra-domain paths it computes or the internal topology of the   domain it serves.  This requirement should have no impact in the   optimality or quality of the end-to-end path that is derived.1.3.6.  Limiting Information Aggregation   In order to reduce processing overhead and to not sacrifice   computational detail, there should be no requirement to aggregate or   abstract traffic engineering link information.1.3.7.  Domain Interconnection Discovery   To support domain mesh topologies, the solution should allow the   discovery and selection of domain interconnections.  Pre-   configuration of preferred domain interconnections should also be   supported for network operators that have bilateral agreement and   have a preference for the choice of points of interconnection.1.4.  Terminology   This document uses PCE terminology defined in [RFC4655], [RFC4726],   and [RFC5440].  Additional terms are defined below.   Domain Path: The sequence of domains for a path.   Ingress Domain: The domain that includes the ingress LSR of a path.   Transit Domain: A domain that has an upstream and downstream neighbor   domain for a specific path.   Egress Domain: The domain that includes the egress LSR of a path.King & Farrel                 Informational                     [Page 8]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   Boundary Nodes: Each Domain has entry LSRs and exit LSRs that could   be Area Border Routers (ABRs) or Autonomous System Border Routers   (ASBRs) depending on the type of domain.  They are defined here more   generically as Boundary Nodes (BNs).   Entry BN of domain(n): a BN connecting domain(n-1) to domain(n) on a   path.   Exit BN of domain(n): a BN connecting domain(n) to domain(n+1) on a   path.   Parent Domain: A domain higher up in a domain hierarchy such that it   contains other domains (child domains) and potentially other links   and nodes.   Child Domain: A domain lower in a domain hierarchy such that it has a   parent domain.   Parent PCE: A PCE responsible for selecting a path across a parent   domain and any number of child domains by coordinating with child   PCEs and examining a topology map that shows domain inter-   connectivity.   Child PCE: A PCE responsible for computing the path across one or   more specific (child) domains.  A child PCE maintains a relationship   with at least one parent PCE.   Objective Function (OF): A set of one or more optimization criteria   used for the computation of a single path (e.g., path cost   minimization), or the synchronized computation of a set of paths   (e.g., aggregate bandwidth consumption minimization).  See [RFC4655]   and [RFC5541].2.  Examination of Existing PCE Mechanisms   This section provides a brief overview of two existing PCE   cooperation mechanisms called the Per-Domain Path Computation method   and the BRPC method.  It describes the applicability of these methods   to the multi-domain problem.2.1.  Per-Domain Path Computation   The Per-Domain Path Computation method for establishing inter-domain   TE-LSPs [RFC5152] defines a technique whereby the path is computed   during the signaling process on a per-domain basis.  The entry BN of   each domain is responsible for performing the path computation for   the section of the LSP that crosses the domain, or for requesting   that a PCE for that domain computes that piece of the path.King & Farrel                 Informational                     [Page 9]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   During per-domain path computation, each computation results in a   path that crosses the domain to provide connectivity to the next   domain in the sequence.  The chosen path across the domain will be   selected as best according to the optimization characteristics of the   computation.  The next domain in the sequence is usually indicated in   signaling by an identifier of the next domain or the identity of the   next entry BN.   Per-domain path computation may lead to suboptimal end-to-end paths   because the most optimal path in one domain may lead to the choice of   an entry BN for the next domain that results in a very poor path   across that next domain.   In the case that the domain path (in particular, the sequence of   boundary nodes) is not known, the path computing entity must select   an exit BN based on some determination of how to reach the   destination that is outside the domain for which the path computing   entity has computational responsibility.  [RFC5152] suggest that this   might be achieved using the IP shortest path as advertised by BGP.   Note, however, that the existence of an IP forwarding path does not   guarantee the presence of sufficient bandwidth, let alone an optimal   TE path.  Furthermore, in many GMPLS systems, inter-domain IP routing   will not be present.  Thus, per-domain path computation may require a   significant number of crankback routing attempts to establish even a   suboptimal path.   Note also that the path computing entities in each domain may have   different computation capabilities, may run different path   computation algorithms, and may apply different sets of constraints   and optimization criteria, etc.   This can result in the end-to-end path being inconsistent and   suboptimal.   Per-domain path computation can suit simply connected domains where   the preferred points of interconnection are known.2.2.  Backward-Recursive PCE-Based Computation   The Backward-Recursive PCE-based Computation (BRPC) [RFC5441]   procedure involves cooperation and communication between PCEs in   order to compute an optimal end-to-end path across multiple domains.   The sequence of domains to be traversed can be determined either   before or during the path computation.  In the case where the   sequence of domains is known, the ingress Path Computation Client   (PCC) sends a path computation request to a PCE responsible for the   ingress domain.  This request is forwarded between PCEs, domain-by-   domain, to a PCE responsible for the egress domain.  The PCE in theKing & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 10]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   egress domain creates a set of optimal paths from all of the domain   entry BNs to the egress LSR.  This set is represented as a tree of   potential paths called a Virtual Shortest Path Tree (VSPT), and the   PCE passes it back to the previous PCE on the domain path.  As the   VSPT is passed back toward the ingress domain, each PCE computes the   optimal paths from its entry BNs to its exit BNs that connect to the   rest of the tree.  It adds these paths to the VSPT and passes the   VSPT on until the PCE for the ingress domain is reached and computes   paths from the ingress LSR to connect to the rest of the tree.  The   ingress PCE then selects the optimal end-to-end path from the tree,   and returns the path to the initiating PCC.   BRPC may suit environments where multiple connections exist between   domains and there is no preference for the choice of points of   interconnection.  It is best suited to scenarios where the domain   path is known in advance, but it can also be used when the domain   path is not known.2.2.1.  Applicability of BRPC When the Domain Path is Not Known   As described above, BRPC can be used to determine an optimal inter-   domain path when the domain sequence is known.  Even when the   sequence of domains is not known, BRPC could be used as follows.   o  The PCC sends a request to a PCE for the ingress domain (the      ingress PCE).   o  The ingress PCE sends the path computation request direct to a PCE      responsible for the domain containing the destination node (the      egress PCE).   o  The egress PCE computes an egress VSPT and passes it to a PCE      responsible for each of the adjacent (potentially upstream)      domains.   o  Each PCE in turn constructs a VSPT and passes it on to all of its      neighboring PCEs.   o  When the ingress PCE has received a VSPT from each of its      neighboring domains, it is able to select the optimum path.   Clearly, this mechanism (which could be called path computation   flooding) has significant scaling issues.  It could be improved by   the application of policy and filtering, but such mechanisms are not   simple and would still leave scaling concerns.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 11]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20123.  Hierarchical PCE   In the hierarchical PCE architecture, a parent PCE maintains a domain   topology map that contains the child domains (seen as vertices in the   topology) and their interconnections (links in the topology).  The   parent PCE has no information about the content of the child domains;   that is, the parent PCE does not know about the resource availability   within the child domains, nor does it know about the availability of   connectivity across each domain because such knowledge would violate   the confidentiality requirement and either would require flooding of   full information to the parent (scaling issue) or would necessitate   some form of aggregation.  The parent PCE is aware of the TE   capabilities of the interconnections between child domains as these   interconnections are links in its own topology map.   Note that, in the case that the domains are IGP areas, there is no   link between the domains (the ABRs have a presence in both   neighboring areas).  The parent domain may choose to represent this   in its Traffic Engineering Database (TED) as a virtual link that is   unconstrained and has zero cost, but this is entirely an   implementation issue.   Each child domain has at least one PCE capable of computing paths   across the domain.  These PCEs are known as child PCEs and have a   relationship with the parent PCE.  Each child PCE also knows the   identity of the domains that neighbor its own domain.  A child PCE   only knows the topology of the domain that it serves and does not   know the topology of other child domains.  Child PCEs are also not   aware of the general domain mesh connectivity (i.e., the domain   topology map) beyond the connectivity to the immediate neighbor   domains of the domain it serves.   The parent PCE builds the domain topology map either from   configuration or from information received from each child PCE.  This   tells it how the domains are interconnected including the TE   properties of the domain interconnections.  But, the parent PCE does   not know the contents of the child domains.  Discovery of the domain   topology and domain interconnections is discussed further inSection4.3.   When a multi-domain path is needed, the ingress PCE sends a request   to the parent PCE (using the Path Computation Element Protocol, PCEP   [RFC5440]).  The parent PCE selects a set of candidate domain paths   based on the domain topology and the state of the inter-domain links.   It then sends computation requests to the child PCEs responsible for   each of the domains on the candidate domain paths.  These requests   may be sequential or parallel depending on implementation details.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 12]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   Each child PCE computes a set of candidate path segments across its   domain and sends the results to the parent PCE.  The parent PCE uses   this information to select path segments and concatenate them to   derive the optimal end-to-end inter-domain path.  The end-to-end path   is then sent to the child PCE that received the initial path request,   and this child PCE passes the path on to the PCC that issued the   original request.   Specific deployment and implementation scenarios are out of scope of   this document.  However, the hierarchical PCE architecture described   does support the function of parent PCE and child PCE being   implemented as a common PCE.4.  Hierarchical PCE Procedures4.1.  Objective Functions and Policy   The definition of "optimal" in the context of deriving an optimal   end-to-end path is dependent on the choices that are made during the   path selection.  An Objective Function (OF) [RFC5541], or set of OFs,   specify the intentions of the path computation and so define the   "optimality" in the context of that computation.   An OF specifies the desired outcome of a computation: it does not   describe or demand the algorithm to use, and an implementation may   apply any algorithm or set of algorithms to achieve the result   indicated by the OF.  OFs can be included in PCEP computation   requests to satisfy the policies encoded or configured at the PCC,   and a PCE may be subject to policy in determining whether it meets   the OFs included in the computation request, or applies its own OFs.   In inter-domain path computation, the selection of a domain sequence,   the computation of each (per-domain) path fragment, and the   determination of the end-to-end path may each be subject to different   OFs and different policy.   When computing end-to-end paths, OFs may include (seeSection 1.3.1):   o  Minimum cost path   o  Minimum load path   o  Maximum residual bandwidth path   o  Minimize aggregate bandwidth consumption   o  Minimize or cap the number of transit domains   o  Disallow domain re-entry   The objective function may be requested by the PCC, the ingress   domain PCE (according to local policy), or applied by the parent PCE   according to inter-domain policy.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 13]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   More than one OF (or a composite OF) may be chosen to apply to a   single computation provided they are not contradictory.  Composite   OFs may include weightings and preferences for the fulfillment of   pieces of the desired outcome.4.2.  Maintaining Domain Confidentiality   Information about the content of child domains is not shared for   scaling and confidentiality reasons.  This means that a parent PCE is   aware of the domain topology and the nature of the connections   between domains but is not aware of the content of the domains.   Similarly, a child PCE cannot know the internal topology of another   child domain.  Child PCEs also do not know the general domain mesh   connectivity; this information is only known by the parent PCE.   As described in the earlier sections of this document, PCEs can   exchange path information in order to construct an end-to-end inter-   domain path.  Each per-domain path fragment reveals information about   the topology and resource availability within a domain.  Some   management domains or ASes will not want to share this information   outside of the domain (even with a trusted parent PCE).  In order to   conceal the information, a PCE may replace a path segment with a   path-key [RFC5520].  This mechanism effectively hides the content of   a segment of a path.4.3.  PCE Discovery   It is a simple matter for each child PCE to be configured with the   address of its parent PCE.  Typically, there will only be one or two   parents of any child.   The parent PCE also needs to be aware of the child PCEs for all child   domains that it can see.  This information is most likely to be   configured (as part of the administrative definition of each domain).   Discovery of the relationships between parent PCEs and child PCEs   does not form part of the hierarchical PCE architecture.  Mechanisms   that rely on advertising or querying PCE locations across domain or   provider boundaries are undesirable for security, scaling,   commercial, and confidentiality reasons.   The parent PCE also needs to know the inter-domain connectivity.   This information could be configured with suitable policy and   commercial rules, or could be learned from the child PCEs as   described inSection 4.4.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 14]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   In order for the parent PCE to learn about domain interconnection,   the child PCE will report the identity of its neighbor domains.  The   IGP in each neighbor domain can advertise its inter-domain TE link   capabilities [RFC5316] [RFC5392].  This information can be collected   by the child PCEs and forwarded to the parent PCE, or the parent PCE   could participate in the IGP in the child domains.4.4.  Traffic Engineering Database for the Parent Domain   The parent PCE maintains a domain topology map of the child domains   and their interconnectivity.  Where inter-domain connectivity is   provided by TE links, the capabilities of those links may also be   known to the parent PCE.  The parent PCE maintains a TED for the   parent domain in the same way that any PCE does.   The parent domain may just be the collection of child domains and   their interconnectivity, may include details of the inter-domain TE   links, and may contain nodes and links in its own right.   The mechanism for building the parent TED is likely to rely heavily   on administrative configuration and commercial issues because the   network was probably partitioned into domains specifically to address   these issues.   In practice, certain information may be passed from the child domains   to the parent PCE to help build the parent TED.  In theory, the   parent PCE could listen to the routing protocols in the child   domains, but this would violate the confidentiality and scaling   principles that may be responsible for the partition of the network   into domains.  So, it is much more likely that a suitable solution   will involve specific communication from an entity in the child   domain (such as the child PCE) to convey the necessary information.   As already mentioned, the "necessary information" relates to how the   child domains are inter-connected.  The topology and available   resources within the child domain do not need to be communicated to   the parent PCE: doing so would violate the PCE architecture.   Mechanisms for reporting this information are described in the   examples inSection 4.6 in abstract terms as a child PCE "reports its   neighbor domain connectivity to its parent PCE"; the specifics of a   solution are out of scope of this document, but the requirements are   indicated inSection 4.8.  SeeSection 6 for a brief discussion of   BGP-TE.   In models such as ASON (seeSection 5.2), it is possible to consider   a separate instance of an IGP running within the parent domain where   the participating protocol speakers are the nodes directly present in   that domain and the PCEs (Routing Controllers) responsible for each   of the child domains.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 15]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20124.5.  Determination of Destination Domain   The PCC asking for an inter-domain path computation is aware of the   identity of the destination node by definition.  If it knows the   egress domain, it can supply this information as part of the path   computation request.  However, if it does not know the egress domain,   this information must be known by the child PCE or known/determined   by the parent PCE.   In some specialist topologies the parent PCE could determine the   destination domain based on the destination address, for example,   from configuration.  However, this is not appropriate for many multi-   domain addressing scenarios.  In IP-based multi-domain networks, the   parent PCE may be able to determine the destination domain by   participating in inter-domain routing.  Finally, the parent PCE could   issue specific requests to the child PCEs to discover if they contain   the destination node, but this has scaling implications.   For the purposes of this document, the precise mechanism of the   discovery of the destination domain is left out of scope.  Suffice to   say that for each multi-domain path computation some mechanism will   be required to determine the location of the destination.4.6.  Hierarchical PCE Examples   The following example describes the generic hierarchical domain   topology.  Figure 1 demonstrates four interconnected domains within a   fifth, parent domain.  Each domain contains a single PCE:   o  Domain 1 is the ingress domain and child PCE 1 is able to compute      paths within the domain.  Its neighbors are Domain 2 and Domain 4.      The domain also contains the source LSR (S) and three egress      boundary nodes (BN11, BN12, and BN13).   o  Domain 2 is served by child PCE 2.  Its neighbors are Domain 1 and      Domain 3.  The domain also contains four boundary nodes (BN21,      BN22, BN23, and BN24).   o  Domain 3 is the egress domain and is served by child PCE 3.  Its      neighbors are Domain 2 and Domain 4.  The domain also contains the      destination LSR (D) and three ingress boundary nodes (BN31, BN32,      and BN33).   o  Domain 4 is served by child PCE 4.  Its neighbors are Domain 2 and      Domain 3.  The domain also contains two boundary nodes (BN41 and      BN42).King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 16]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   All of these domains are contained within Domain 5, which is served   by the parent PCE (PCE 5).    -----------------------------------------------------------------   |   Domain 5                                                      |   |                              -----                              |   |                             |PCE 5|                             |   |                              -----                              |   |                                                                 |   |    ----------------     ----------------     ----------------   |   |   | Domain 1       |   | Domain 2       |   | Domain 3       |  |   |   |                |   |                |   |                |  |   |   |        -----   |   |        -----   |   |        -----   |  |   |   |       |PCE 1|  |   |       |PCE 2|  |   |       |PCE 3|  |  |   |   |        -----   |   |        -----   |   |        -----   |  |   |   |                |   |                |   |                |  |   |   |            ----|   |----        ----|   |----            |  |   |   |           |BN11+---+BN21|      |BN23+---+BN31|           |  |   |   |   -        ----|   |----        ----|   |----        -   |  |   |   |  |S|           |   |                |   |           |D|  |  |   |   |   -        ----|   |----        ----|   |----        -   |  |   |   |           |BN12+---+BN22|      |BN24+---+BN32|           |  |   |   |            ----|   |----        ----|   |----            |  |   |   |                |   |                |   |                |  |   |   |         ----   |   |                |   |   ----         |  |   |   |        |BN13|  |   |                |   |  |BN33|        |  |   |    -----------+----     ----------------     ----+-----------   |   |                \                                /               |   |                 \       ----------------       /                |   |                  \     |                |     /                 |   |                   \    |----        ----|    /                  |   |                    ----+BN41|      |BN42+----                   |   |                       |----        ----|                        |   |                       |                |                        |   |                       |        -----   |                        |   |                       |       |PCE 4|  |                        |   |                       |        -----   |                        |   |                       |                |                        |   |                       | Domain 4       |                        |   |                        ----------------                         |   |                                                                 |    -----------------------------------------------------------------                 Figure 1: Sample Hierarchical Domain TopologyKing & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 17]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   Figure 2 shows the view of the domain topology as seen by the parent   PCE (PCE 5).  This view is an abstracted topology; PCE 5 is aware of   domain connectivity but not of the internal topology within each   domain.                       ----------------------------                      | Domain 5                   |                      |            ----            |                      |           |PCE5|           |                      |            ----            |                      |                            |                      |   ----     ----     ----   |                      |  |    |---|    |---|    |  |                      |  | D1 |   | D2 |   | D3 |  |                      |  |    |---|    |---|    |  |                      |   ----     ----     ----   |                      |    \       ----      /     |                      |     \     |    |    /      |                      |       ----| D4 |----       |                      |           |    |           |                      |            ----            |                      |                            |                       ----------------------------      Figure 2: Abstract Domain Topology as Seen by the Parent PCE4.6.1.  Hierarchical PCE Initial Information Exchange   Based on the topology in Figure 1, the following is an illustration   of the initial hierarchical PCE information exchange.   1.  Child PCE 1, the PCE responsible for Domain 1, is configured with       the location of its parent PCE (PCE 5).   2.  Child PCE 1 establishes contact with its parent PCE.  The parent       applies policy to ensure that communication with PCE 1 is       allowed.   3.  Child PCE 1 listens to the IGP in its domain and learns its       inter-domain connectivity.  That is, it learns about the links       BN11-BN21, BN12-BN22, and BN13-BN41.   4.  Child PCE 1 reports its neighbor domain connectivity to its       parent PCE.   5.  Child PCE 1 reports any change in the resource availability on       its inter-domain links to its parent PCE.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 18]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   Each child PCE performs steps 1 through 5 so that the parent PCE can   create a domain topology view as shown in Figure 2.4.6.2.  Hierarchical PCE End-to-End Path Computation Procedure   The procedure below is an example of a source PCC requesting an end-   to-end path in a multi-domain environment.  The topology is   represented in Figure 1.  It is assumed that the each child PCE has   connected to its parent PCE and exchanged the initial information   required for the parent PCE to create its domain topology view as   described inSection 4.6.1.   1.  The source PCC (the ingress LSR in our example) sends a request       to the PCE responsible for its domain (PCE 1) for a path to the       destination LSR (D).   2.  PCE 1 determines the destination is not in domain 1.   3.  PCE 1 sends a computation request to its parent PCE (PCE 5).   4.  The parent PCE determines that the destination is in Domain 3.       (SeeSection 4.5.)   5.  PCE 5 determines the likely domain paths according to the domain       interconnectivity and TE capabilities between the domains.  For       example, assuming that the link BN12-BN22 is not suitable for the       requested path, three domain paths are determined:         S-BN11-BN21-D2-BN23-BN31-D         S-BN11-BN21-D2-BN24-BN32-D         S-BN13-BN41-D4-BN42-BN33-D   6.  PCE 5 sends edge-to-edge path computation requests to PCE 2,       which is responsible for Domain 2 (i.e., BN21-to-BN23 and       BN21-to-BN24), and to PCE 4 for Domain 4 (i.e., BN41-to-BN42).   7.  PCE 5 sends source-to-edge path computation requests to PCE 1,       which is responsible for Domain 1 (i.e., S-to-BN11 and       S-to-BN13).   8.  PCE 5 sends edge-to-egress path computation requests to PCE 3,       which is responsible for Domain 3 (i.e., BN31-to-D, BN32-to-D,       and BN33-to-D).   9.  PCE 5 correlates all the computation responses from each child       PCE, adds in the information about the inter-domain links, and       applies any requested and locally configured policies.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 19]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   10. PCE 5 then selects the optimal end-to-end multi-domain path that       meets the policies and objective functions, and supplies the       resulting path to PCE 1.   11. PCE 1 forwards the path to the PCC (the ingress LSR).   Note that there is no requirement for steps 6, 7, and 8 to be carried   out in parallel or in series.  Indeed, they could be overlapped with   step 5.  This is an implementation issue.4.7.  Hierarchical PCE Error Handling   In the event that a child PCE in a domain cannot find a suitable path   to the egress, the child PCE should return the relevant error to   notify the parent PCE.  Depending on the error response, the parent   PCE selects one of the following actions:   o  Cancel the request and send the relevant response back to the      initial child PCE that requested an end-to-end path;   o  Relax some of the constraints associated with the initial path      request; or   o  Select another candidate domain and send the path request to the      child PCE responsible for the domain.   If the parent PCE does not receive a response from a child PCE within   an allotted time period, the parent PCE can elect to:   o  Cancel the request and send the relevant response back to the   initial child PCE that requested an end-to-end path; o Send the path   request to another child PCE in the same domain, if a secondary child   PCE exists; o Select another candidate domain and send the path   request to the child PCE responsible for that domain.   The parent PCE may also want to prune any unresponsive child PCE   domain paths from the candidate set.4.8.  Requirements for Hierarchical PCEP Protocol Extensions   This section lists the high-level requirements for extensions to the   PCEP to support the hierarchical PCE model.  It is provided to offer   guidance to PCEP protocol developers in designing a solution suitable   for use in a hierarchical PCE framework.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 20]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20124.8.1.  PCEP Request Qualifiers   Path Computation Request (PCReq) messages are used by a PCC or a PCE   to make a computation request or enquiry to a PCE.  The requests are   qualified so that the PCE knows what type of action is required.   Support of the hierarchical PCE architecture will introduce two new   qualifications as follows:   o  It must be possible for a child PCE to indicate that the response      it receives from the parent PCE should consist of a domain      sequence only (i.e., not a fully specified end-to-end path).  This      allows the child PCE to initiate Per-Domain or BRPC.   o  A parent PCE may need to be able to ask a child PCE whether a      particular node address (the destination of an end-to-end path) is      present in the domain that the child PCE serves.   In PCEP, such request qualifications are carried as bit flags in the   RP object (Request Parameter object) within the PCReq message.4.8.2.  Indication of Hierarchical PCE Capability   Although parent/child PCE relationships are likely configured, it   will assist network operations if the parent PCE is able to indicate   to the child that it really is capable of acting as a parent PCE.   This will help to trap misconfigurations.   In PCEP, such capabilities are carried in the Open Object within the   Open message.4.8.3.  Intention to Utilize Parent PCE Capabilities   A PCE that is capable of acting as a parent PCE might not be   configured or willing to act as the parent for a specific child PCE.   This fact could be determined when the child sends a PCReq that   requires parental activity (such as querying other child PCEs), and   could result in a negative response in a PCEP Error (PCErr) message.   However, the expense of a poorly targeted PCReq can be avoided if the   child PCE indicates that it might wish to use the parent-capable PCE   as a parent (for example, on the Open message), and if the parent-   capable PCE determines at that time whether it is willing to act as a   parent to this child.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 21]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20124.8.4.  Communication of Domain Connectivity InformationSection 4.4 describes how the parent PCE needs a parent TED and   indicates that the information might be supplied from the child PCEs   in each domain.  This requires a mechanism whereby information about   inter-domain links can be supplied by a child PCE to a parent PCE,   for example, on a PCEP Notify (PCNtf) message.   The information that would be exchanged includes:   o  Identifier of advertising child PCE   o  Identifier of PCE's domain   o  Identifier of the link   o  TE properties of the link (metrics, bandwidth)   o  Other properties of the link (technology-specific)   o  Identifier of link endpoints   o  Identifier of adjacent domain   It may be desirable for this information to be periodically updated,   for example, when available bandwidth changes.  In this case, the   parent PCE might be given the ability to configure thresholds in the   child PCE to prevent flapping of information.4.8.5.  Domain Identifiers   Domain identifiers are already present in PCEP to allow a PCE to   indicate which domains it serves, and to allow the representation of   domains as abstract nodes in paths.  The wider use of domains in the   context of this work on hierarchical PCE will require that domains   can be identified in more places within objects in PCEP messages.   This should pose no problems.   However, more attention may need to be applied to the precision of   domain identifier definitions to ensure that it is always possible to   unambiguously identify a domain from its identifier.  This work will   be necessary in configuration, and also in protocol specifications   (for example, an OSPF area identifier is sufficient within an   Autonomous System, but becomes ambiguous in a path that crosses   multiple Autonomous Systems).King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 22]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20125.  Hierarchical PCE Applicability   As per [RFC4655], PCE can inherently support inter-domain path   computation for any definition of a domain as set out inSection 1.2   of this document.   Hierarchical PCE can be applied to inter-domain environments,   including autonomous Systems and IGP areas.  The hierarchical PCE   procedures make no distinction between, autonomous Systems and IGP   area applications, although it should be noted that the TED   maintained by a parent PCE must be able to support the concept of   child domains connected by inter-domain links or directly connected   at boundary nodes (seeSection 3).   This section sets out the applicability of hierarchical PCE to three   environments:   o  MPLS traffic engineering across multiple Autonomous Systems   o  MPLS traffic engineering across multiple IGP areas   o  GMPLS traffic engineering in the ASON architecture5.1.  Autonomous Systems and Areas   Networks are comprised of domains.  A domain can be considered to be   a collection of network elements within an AS or area that has a   common sphere of address management or path computational   responsibility.   As networks increase in size and complexity it may be required to   introduce scaling methods to reduce the amount information flooded   within the network and make the network more manageable.  An IGP   hierarchy is designed to improve IGP scalability by dividing the IGP   domain into areas and limiting the flooding scope of topology   information to within area boundaries.  This restricts a router's   visibility to information about links and other routers within the   single area.  If a router needs to compute a route to destination   located in another area, a method is required to compute a path   across the area boundary.   When an LSR within an AS or area needs to compute a path across an   area or AS boundary, it must also use an inter-AS computation   technique.  Hierarchical PCE is equally applicable to computing   inter-area and inter-AS MPLS and GMPLS paths across domain   boundaries.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 23]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20125.2.  ASON Architecture   The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) defines the ASON   architecture in [G-8080].  [G-7715] defines the routing architecture   for ASON and introduces a hierarchical architecture.  In this   architecture, the Routing Areas (RAs) have a hierarchical   relationship between different routing levels, which means a parent   (or higher-level) RA can contain multiple child RAs.  The   interconnectivity of the lower RAs is visible to the higher-level RA.   Note that the RA hierarchy can be recursive.   In the ASON framework, a path computation request is termed a Route   Query.  This query is executed before signaling is used to establish   an LSP termed a Switched Connection (SC) or a Soft Permanent   Connection (SPC).  [G-7715-2] defines the requirements and   architecture for the functions performed by Routing Controllers (RCs)   during the operation of remote route queries -- an RC is synonymous   with a PCE.  For an end-to-end connection, the route may be computed   by a single RC or multiple RCs in a collaborative manner (i.e., RC   federations).  In the case of RC federations, [G-7715-2] describes   three styles during remote route query operation:   o  step-by-step remote path computation   o  hierarchical remote path computation   o  a combination of the above.   In a hierarchical ASON routing environment, a child RC may   communicate with its parent RC (at the next higher level of the ASON   routing hierarchy) to request the computation of an end-to-end path   across several RAs.  It does this using a route query message (known   as the abstract message RI_QUERY).  The corresponding parent RC may   communicate with other child RCs that belong to other child RAs at   the next lower hierarchical level.  Thus, a parent RC can act as   either a Route Query Requester or Route Query Responder.   It can be seen that the hierarchical PCE architecture fits the   hierarchical ASON routing architecture well.  It can be used to   provide paths across subnetworks and to determine end-to-end paths in   networks constructed from multiple subnetworks or RAs.   When hierarchical PCE is applied to implement hierarchical remote   path computation in [G-7715-2], it is very important for operators to   understand the different terminology and implicit consistency between   hierarchical PCE and [G-7715-2].King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 24]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 20125.2.1.  Implicit Consistency between Hierarchical PCE and G.7715.2   This section highlights the correspondence between features of the   hierarchical PCE architecture and the ASON routing architecture.   (1) RC (Routing Controller) and PCE (Path Computation Element)       [G-8080] describes the Routing Controller component as an       abstract entity, which is responsible for responding to requests       for path (route) information and topology information.  It can be       implemented as a single entity, or as a distributed set of       entities that make up a cooperative federation.       [RFC4655] describes PCE (Path Computation Element) is an entity       (component, application, or network node) that is capable of       computing a network path or route based on a network graph and       applying computational constraints.       Therefore, in the ASON architecture, a PCE can be regarded as a       realization of the RC.   (2) Route Query Requester/Route Query Responder and PCC/PCE       [G-7715-2] describes the Route Query Requester as a Connection       Controller or Routing Controller that sends a route query message       to a Routing Controller requesting one or more paths that satisfy       a set of routing constraints.  The Route Query Responder is a       Routing Controller that performs path computation upon receipt of       a route query message from a Route Query Requester, sending a       response back at the end of the path computation.       In the context of ASON, a Signaling Controller initiates and       processes signaling messages and is closely coupled to a       Signaling Protocol Speaker.  A Routing Controller makes routing       decisions and is usually coupled to configuration entities and/or       a Routing Protocol Speaker.       It can be seen that a PCC corresponds to a Route Query Requester,       and a PCE corresponds to a Route Query Responder.  A PCE/RC can       also act as a Route Query Requester sending requests to another       Route Query Responder.       The Path Computation Request (PCReq) and Path Computation Reply       (PCRep) messages between PCC and PCE correspond to the RI_QUERY       and RI_UPDATE messages in [G-7715-2].King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 25]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   (3) Routing Area Hierarchy and Hierarchical Domain       The ASON routing hierarchy model is shown in Figure 6 of [G-7715]       through an example that illustrates routing area levels.  If the       hierarchical remote path computation mechanism of [G-7715-2] is       applied in this scenario, each routing area should have at least       one RC to perform the route query function, and the child RCs       within the area should have a parent RC.       According to [G-8080], the parent RC has visibility of the       structure of the lower level, so it knows the interconnectivity       of the RAs in the lower level.  Each child RC can compute edge-       to-edge paths across its own child RA.       Thus, an RA corresponds to a domain in the PCE architecture, and       the hierarchical relationship between RAs corresponds to the       hierarchical relationship between domains in the hierarchical PCE       architecture.  Furthermore, a parent PCE in a parent domain can       be regarded as parent RC in a higher routing level, and a child       PCE in a child domain can be regarded as child RC in a lower       routing level.5.2.2.  Benefits of Hierarchical PCEs in ASON   RCs in an ASON environment can use the hierarchical PCE model to   fully match the ASON hierarchical routing model, so the hierarchical   PCE mechanisms can be applied to fully satisfy the architecture and   requirements of [G-7715-2] without any changes.  If the hierarchical   PCE mechanism is applied in ASON, it can be used to determine end-to-   end optimized paths across subnetworks and RAs before initiating   signaling to create the connection.  It can also improve the   efficiency of connection setup to avoid crankback.6.  A Note on BGP-TE   The concept of exchange of TE information between Autonomous Systems   (ASes) is discussed in [BGP-TE].  The information exchanged in this   way could be the full TE information from the AS, an aggregation of   that information, or a representation of the potential connectivity   across the AS.  Furthermore, that information could be updated   frequently (for example, for every new LSP that is set up across the   AS) or only at threshold-crossing events.   There are a number of discussion points associated with the use of   [BGP-TE] concerning the volume of information, the rate of churn of   information, the confidentiality of information, the accuracy of   aggregated or potential-connectivity information, and the processing   required to generate aggregated information.  The PCE architectureKing & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 26]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   and the architecture enabled by [BGP-TE] make different assumptions   about the operational objectives of the networks, and this document   does not attempt to make one of the approaches "right" and the other   "wrong".  Instead, this work assumes that a decision has been made to   utilize the PCE architecture.6.1.  Use of BGP for TED Synchronization   Indeed, [BGP-TE] may have some uses within the PCE model.  For   example, [BGP-TE] could be used as a "northbound" TE advertisement   such that a PCE does not need to listen to an IGP in its domain, but   has its TED populated by messages received (for example) from a Route   Reflector.  Furthermore, the inter-domain connectivity and   capabilities that are required information for a parent PCE could be   obtained as a filtered subset of the information available in   [BGP-TE].  This scenario is discussed further in [PCE-AREA-AS].7.  Management Considerations   General PCE management considerations are discussed in [RFC4655].  In   the case of the hierarchical PCE architecture, there are additional   management considerations.   The administrative entity responsible for the management of the   parent PCEs must be determined.  In the case of multi-domains (e.g.,   IGP areas or multiple ASes) within a single service provider network,   the management responsibility for the parent PCE would most likely be   handled by the service provider.  In the case of multiple ASes within   different service provider networks, it may be necessary for a third   party to manage the parent PCEs according to commercial and policy   agreements from each of the participating service providers.7.1.  Control of Function and Policy7.1.1.  Child PCE   Support of the hierarchical procedure will be controlled by the   management organization responsible for each child PCE.  A child PCE   must be configured with the address of its parent PCE in order for it   to interact with its parent PCE.  The child PCE must also be   authorized to peer with the parent PCE.7.1.2.  Parent PCE   The parent PCE must only accept path computation requests from   authorized child PCEs.  If a parent PCE receives requests from an   unauthorized child PCE, the request should be dropped.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 27]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   This means that a parent PCE must be configured with the identities   and security credentials of all of its child PCEs, or there must be   some form of shared secret that allows an unknown child PCE to be   authorized by the parent PCE.7.1.3.  Policy Control   It may be necessary to maintain a policy module on the parent PCE   [RFC5394].  This would allow the parent PCE to apply commercially   relevant constraints such as SLAs, security, peering preferences, and   monetary costs.   It may also be necessary for the parent PCE to limit end-to-end path   selection by including or excluding specific domains based on   commercial relationships, security implications, and reliability.7.2.  Information and Data Models   A PCEP MIB module is defined in [PCEP-MIB] that describes managed   objects for modeling of PCEP communication.  An additional PCEP MIB   will be required to report parent PCE and child PCE information,   including:   o  parent PCE configuration and status,   o  child PCE configuration and information,   o  notifications to indicate session changes between parent PCEs and      child PCEs, and   o  notification of parent PCE TED updates and changes.7.3.  Liveness Detection and Monitoring   The hierarchical procedure requires interaction with multiple PCEs.   Once a child PCE requests an end-to-end path, a sequence of events   occurs that requires interaction between the parent PCE and each   child PCE.  If a child PCE is not operational, and an alternate   transit domain is not available, then a failure must be reported.7.4.  Verifying Correct Operation   Verifying the correct operation of a parent PCE can be performed by   monitoring a set of parameters.  The parent PCE implementation should   provide the following parameters monitored by the parent PCE:King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 28]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   o  number of child PCE requests,   o  number of successful hierarchical PCE procedures completions on a      per-PCE-peer basis,   o  number of hierarchical PCE procedure completion failures on a per-      PCE-peer basis, and   o  number of hierarchical PCE procedure requests from unauthorized      child PCEs.7.5.  Impact on Network Operation   The hierarchical PCE procedure is a multiple-PCE path computation   scheme.  Subsequent requests to and from the child and parent PCEs do   not differ from other path computation requests and should not have   any significant impact on network operations.8.  Security Considerations   The hierarchical PCE procedure relies on PCEP and inherits the   security requirements defined in [RFC5440].  As noted inSection 7,   there is a security relationship between child and parent PCEs.  This   relationship, like any PCEP relationship, assumes pre-configuration   of identities, authority, and keys, or can operate through any key   distribution mechanism outside the scope of PCEP.  As PCEP operates   over TCP, it may make use of any TCP security mechanism.   The hierarchical PCE architecture makes use of PCE policy [RFC5394]   and the security aspects of the PCE Communication Protocol documented   in [RFC5440].  It is expected that the parent PCE will require all   child PCEs to use full security when communicating with the parent   and that security will be maintained by not supporting the discovery   by a parent of child PCEs.   PCE operation also relies on information used to build the TED.   Attacks on a PCE system may be achieved by falsifying or impeding   this flow of information.  The child PCE TEDs are constructed as   described in [RFC4655] and are unchanged in this document: if the PCE   listens to the IGP for this information, then normal IGP security   measures may be applied, and it should be noted that an IGP routing   system is generally assumed to be a trusted domain such that router   subversion is not a risk.  The parent PCE TED is constructed as   described in this document and may involve:King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 29]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   -  multiple parent-child relationships using PCEP (as already      described)   -  the parent PCE listening to child domain IGPs (with the same      security features as a child PCE listening to its IGP)   -  an external mechanism (such as [BGP-TE]), which will need to be      authorized and secured.   Any multi-domain operation necessarily involves the exchange of   information across domain boundaries.  This is bound to represent a   significant security and confidentiality risk especially when the   child domains are controlled by different commercial concerns.  PCEP   allows individual PCEs to maintain confidentiality of their domain   path information using path-keys [RFC5520], and the hierarchical PCE   architecture is specifically designed to enable as much isolation of   domain topology and capabilities information as is possible.   For further considerations of the security issues related to inter-AS   path computation, see [RFC5376].9.  Acknowledgements   The authors would like to thank David Amzallag, Oscar Gonzalez de   Dios, Franz Rambach, Ramon Casellas, Olivier Dugeon, Filippo Cugini,   Dhruv Dhody, and Julien Meuric for their comments and suggestions.10.  References10.1.  Normative References   [RFC4655]     Farrel, A., Vasseur, J.-P., and J. Ash, "A Path                 Computation Element (PCE)-Based Architecture",RFC4655, August 2006.   [RFC5152]     Vasseur, JP., Ed., Ayyangar, A., Ed., and R. Zhang, "A                 Per-Domain Path Computation Method for Establishing                 Inter-Domain Traffic Engineering (TE) Label Switched                 Paths (LSPs)",RFC 5152, February 2008.   [RFC5394]     Bryskin, I., Papadimitriou, D., Berger, L., and J. Ash,                 "Policy-Enabled Path Computation Framework",RFC 5394,                 December 2008.   [RFC5440]     Vasseur, JP., Ed., and JL. Le Roux, Ed., "Path                 Computation Element (PCE) Communication Protocol                 (PCEP)",RFC 5440, March 2009.King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 30]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   [RFC5441]     Vasseur, JP., Ed., Zhang, R., Bitar, N., and JL. Le                 Roux, "A Backward-Recursive PCE-Based Computation                 (BRPC) Procedure to Compute Shortest Constrained Inter-                 Domain Traffic Engineering Label Switched Paths",RFC5441, April 2009.   [RFC5520]     Bradford, R., Ed., Vasseur, JP., and A. Farrel,                 "Preserving Topology Confidentiality in Inter-Domain                 Path Computation Using a Path-Key-Based Mechanism",RFC5520, April 2009.10.2.  Informative References   [RFC4105]     Le Roux, J.-L., Ed., Vasseur, J.-P., Ed., and J. Boyle,                 Ed., "Requirements for Inter-Area MPLS Traffic                 Engineering",RFC 4105, June 2005.   [RFC4216]     Zhang, R., Ed., and J.-P. Vasseur, Ed., "MPLS Inter-                 Autonomous System (AS) Traffic Engineering (TE)                 Requirements",RFC 4216, November 2005.   [RFC4726]     Farrel, A., Vasseur, J.-P., and A. Ayyangar, "A                 Framework for Inter-Domain Multiprotocol Label                 Switching Traffic Engineering",RFC 4726, November                 2006.   [RFC5316]     Chen, M., Zhang, R., and X. Duan, "ISIS Extensions in                 Support of Inter-Autonomous System (AS) MPLS and GMPLS                 Traffic Engineering",RFC 5316, December 2008.   [RFC5376]     Bitar, N., Zhang, R., and K. Kumaki, "Inter-AS                 Requirements for the Path Computation Element                 Communication Protocol (PCECP)",RFC 5376, November                 2008.   [RFC5392]     Chen, M., Zhang, R., and X. Duan, "OSPF Extensions in                 Support of Inter-Autonomous System (AS) MPLS and GMPLS                 Traffic Engineering",RFC 5392, January 2009.   [RFC5541]     Le Roux, JL., Vasseur, JP., and Y. Lee, "Encoding of                 Objective Functions in the Path Computation Element                 Communication Protocol (PCEP)",RFC 5541, June 2009.   [G-8080]      ITU-T Recommendation G.8080/Y.1304, Architecture for                 the automatically switched optical network (ASON).King & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 31]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012   [G-7715]      ITU-T Recommendation G.7715 (2002), Architecture and                 Requirements for the Automatically Switched Optical                 Network (ASON).   [G-7715-2]    ITU-T Recommendation G.7715.2 (2007), ASON routing                 architecture and requirements for remote route query.   [BGP-TE]      Gredler, H., Medved, J., Previdi, S., Farrel, A., and                 S. Ray, "North-Bound Distribution of Link-State and TE                 Information using BGP", Work in Progress, October 2012.   [PCE-AREA-AS] King, D., Meuric, J., Dugeon, O., Zhao, Q., Gonzalez de                 Dios, O., and F. Chico, "Applicability of the Path                 Computation Element to Inter-Area and Inter-AS MPLS and                 GMPLS Traffic Engineering", Work in Progress, January                 2012.   [PCEP-MIB]    Koushik, A., Emile, S., Zhao, Q., King, D., and J.                 Hardwick, "PCE communication protocol (PCEP) Management                 Information Base", Work in Progress, July 2012.11.  Contributors   Quintin Zhao   Huawei Technology   125 Nagog Technology Park   Acton, MA  01719   US   EMail: qzhao@huawei.com   Fatai Zhang   Huawei Technologies   F3-5-B R&D Center, Huawei Base   Bantian, Longgang District   Shenzhen 518129   P.R. China   EMail: zhangfatai@huawei.comKing & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 32]

RFC 6805                 PCE Hierarchy Framework           November 2012Authors' Addresses   Daniel King   Old Dog Consulting   UK   EMail: daniel@olddog.co.uk   Adrian Farrel   Old Dog Consulting   UK   EMail: adrian@olddog.co.ukKing & Farrel                 Informational                    [Page 33]

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