Re: ipv6nd-02.txt & autoconfig

[Grenville Armitage <[e-mail]>]

Disclaimer: This is grumpy response.

>>> The SEL field is for _internal_ routing of an incoming call
>>> once the physical ATM interface has been located (routed to) using
>>> the top 19 bytes. i.e. the top 19 bytes denote the physical host,
>>> and SEL can be used internally to the physical hosts (end systems)
>>>  - aka logical ATM interfaces. This not a new idea.
>>
>>I guess my point is that the SEL should be viewed as an ATM-only neat-o
>>feature. It should not be used to map to different IP addresses.

Bert, did you actually digest the paragraph you responded to? SEL field
_is_ a neat-o feature, but it _is_ used to create logical ATM interfaces.
End of story. Over a logical ATM interface you can layer instances of
whatever higher layer interfaces you damn well please. You can have
multiprotocol interfaces, or you can decide that only one higher layer
protocol is associated with the internal termination point represented
by a given SEL. This has nothing to do with IP.

What _does_ have something to do with IPv6 is that since multiple IPv6
interfaces are likely to exist, and require unique link-local IPv6 addresses
despite being associated with the same physical ATM NIC, you need some
mechanism of constructing magic 48 bit tokens. How the underlying logical 
_ATM_ interface is identified during call SETUP is orthogonal. Lets
focus on that, shall we?

(btw, for at least one real world example check out FORE's qaa* interfaces,
and their association with the local ESI+SEL.)

	[..]
>>For example, using the AEREQUIPA model, the SEL would only be used if
>>the two end systems are both ATM. After all, you've already 19 bytes of
>>ATM address to play with, compared with the 16 bytes of IPv6. What's the
>>big deal? 

I give up. I can't see your point.

gja