[PANRG] Thoughts on what IPREF can do for PANRG

[waldemar <[e-mail]>]

I wanted to summarize my two conversations with the SCION team and also 
share some thoughts stemming from these conversations.

IPREF (IP Addressing with References) is a method to traverse different 
address spaces, such as NAT/NAT6/filters as well as cross protocol such 
as IPv4/IPv6, or any other reasonably IP-like protocol like SCION.

https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-augustyn-intarea-ipref/

The first conversation was prompted by a remark about the need to figure 
out how to advertise SCION services through DNS. I simply informed the 
team that IPREF has a DNS solution that might be looked as an example of 
how non standard addresses may be advertised.

Later, while listening to various paths considered for bringing SCION 
from IRTF to IETF, I realized that IPREF is well positioned to play a 
significant role in the process. This led to another conversation with 
the team, where I pointed out that while the path of SCION drafts might 
go through informational submissions, and might take time, there is a 
complementary path, aided by IPREF, that can pave the way for SCION into 
mainstream. IPREF already can bridge IPv4 and IPv6. It can bridge SCION 
as well. It is advantageous to SCION for IPREF to be in place by the 
time SCION contemplates a mainstream push. I think IPREF is a key 
technology to any project within the PANRG IRTF group. It should be in 
the mix of technologies supported by PANRG. It fits under the last 
bullet item of the PANRG charter.

IPREF is useful with many innovative projects beyond PANRG. It finds its 
use as a transitioning tool for IPv6, as a key enabling technology for 
many projects in the Decentralized Internet research group, for 
peer-to-peer applications, and many more. Its strength lies in what it 
does not do.

(a) No negotiations.

IPREF accomplishes its objective of passing packets through various 
address spaces without any sort of negotiations or any common 
configurations. There is no control protocol, there is no 'control plane'.

(b) No new address spaces.

IPREF does not define any new address spaces or any meta-spaces. 
Instead, it uses references to addresses from existing address spaces. 
New innovative protocols do not have to worry whether they 'fit IPREF'. 
They automatically do if relevant addresses may be pointed to.

(c) No routing.

IPREF does not route. It always drops down to native protocols employed 
by local address spaces for packet forwarding within that space.

(d) Symmetric, peer-to-peer.

IPREF does not rely on client/server mode, it works in any 
configuration, including peer-to-peer.

(e) No centralization.

IPREF is decentralized. All configuration, behavior, allocation of 
references is controlled by local admins.


Waldemar Augustyn