Working Group last call for adding RFC6437 Flow Label support to Node Requirements bis document

This email starts a one week 6MAN Working Group last call for adding text and a reference to RFC6437 "IPv6 Flow Label Specification" to the Node Requirements bis document current in AUTH48 state.  The document is currently on hold in the RFC Editor waiting for resolution of this issue.  

The proposed text, first sent to the ipv6@ietf.org mailing list on November 2, 2011 (included below), is:

> All nodes SHOULD support RFC 6437, IPv6 Flow Label Specification, 
> defines the IPv6 Flow Label.  Specifically:
> 
>    "Forwarding nodes such as routers and load distributors MUST NOT
>     depend only on Flow Label values being uniformly distributed. "
> 
>    "It is therefore RECOMMENDED  that source hosts support the flow 
>     label by setting the flow label field for all packets of a given flow to the 
>     same value chosen from an approximation to a discrete uniform distribution. "

The chairs have discussed this with the Internet Area Directors and they recommended this course of action.  This topic is also on the agenda for the 6man session at the Taipei IETF.

Substantive comments and statements of support for taking this action should be sent to the mailing list.  This last call will end on November 17, 2011.

Regards,
Bob Hinden & Brian Haberman

Begin forwarded message:

> From: <john.loughney@nokia.com>
> Date: November 2, 2011 7:50:35 PM PDT
> To: <ipv6@ietf.org>
> Subject: Flow Label support in the Node Requirements bis document
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> There has been some discussions whether or not we should add support for the Flow Label in
> Soon to be RFC 6434 <draft-ietf-6man-node-req-bis-11.txt> As a straw man proposal, if we add
> Support, I would suggest the following text:
> 
> All nodes SHOULD support RFC 6437, IPv6 Flow Label Specification, 
> defines the IPv6 Flow Label.  Specifically:
> 
>    "Forwarding nodes such as routers and load distributors MUST NOT
>      depend only on Flow Label values being uniformly distributed. "
> 
>    "It is therefore RECOMMENDED  that source hosts support the flow 
>      label by setting the flow label field for all packets of a given flow to the 
>      same value chosen from  an approximation to a discrete uniform distribution. "
> 
> I'd like to ask the wg the following:
> 
> 1) Is the above text acceptable?
> 2) Do you support adding the text? If no, please suggest text, unless you do not support adding
>     Flow label support at all (please say so).
> 
> John
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