Protocol Action: Multiprotocol Interconnect over Frame Relay to Draft Standard

[IESG Secretary <[e-mail]>]

  The IESG has approved the Internet Draft "Multiprotocol Interconnect
  over Frame Relay" <draft-ietf-iplpdn-framerelay-05.txt> as a Draft
  Standard. This document is the product of the IP over Large Public
  Data Networks Working Group. This work is current assigned to the
  Internet Area. The IESG contact persons are Stev Knowles and David
  Piscitello.                                     
 
Technical Summary
 
  This document describes an encapsulation method for carrying network
  interconnect traffic over a Frame Relay backbone.  It covers aspects
  of both Bridging and Routing.  Systems with the ability to transfer
  both this encapsulation method, and others must have a prior
  knowledge of which virtual circuits will carry which encapsulation
  method and this encapsulation must only be used over virtual circuits
  that have been explicitly configured for its use.

Working Group Summary

  This document is a product of the IP over Large Public Data Networks
  (IPLPDN) Working Group. The changes and recommendations are approved by
  the working group, and correct errors discovered during implementation
  and field experience with Proposed RFC 1294.

Protocol Quality

  RFC 1294 encapsulation has been implemented by over 2 dozen vendors.
  It is the basis for both the Frame Relay Forum's "Multiprotocol
  Encapsulation Implementation Agreement" and encapsulation conventions
  stated in the ANSI T1.617 Standard. Presently, there is limited
  implementation experience with the optional XID processing (only
  needed by vendors that do direct SNA encapsulation over Frame Relay
  and want to run complete Q.922. There appears to be a minimum number
  of vendors who claim to have implemented the fragmentation and
  reassembly protocol required over Frame Relay networks that cannot
  accommodate the 576 octet MSS required by IP from the underlying
  network interface.