Tony,

there are two use cases:

1. Your application wants to exclude address that is anycast - an example of where this can be used internally by IGP is a TI-LFA or uloop, when picking up the address of the node over which we want to do the enforcement. There is a N bit as well, but in case there is no address with the N-bit, you want to exclude anycast addresses.

2. Your application want to use only anycast addresses - inter-domain SRTE with anycast address for ASBRs. SRTE is using the IGP topology provided by BGP-LS.

BTW, the A-bit exists in ISIS and OSPFv3. We are just filling the gap with this draft.

thanks,
Peter



On 20/03/2024 17:44, Tony Przygienda wrote:
I think the draft is somewhat superfluous and worse, can generate completely unclear semantics

1) First, seeing the justification I doubt we need that flag. if the only need is for the SR controller to know it's anycast since it computes some paths this can be done by configuring the prefix on the controller itself. It's all centralized anyway.

please see the TI-LFA, uloop use case that is internal to IGP.


2) OSPF today due to SPF limitations has a "baked-in weird anycast" since if prefixes are ECMP (from pont of view of a source) they become anycast, otherwise they ain't. I think the anycast SID suffers from same limi8ation and is hence not a "real anycast" (if _real anycast_ means something that independent of metrics balances on the prefix). Hence this draft saying "it's anycast" has completely unclear semantics to me, worse, possibly broken ones. What do I do as a router when this flag is not around but two instances of the prefix are ECMP to me? What do I do on another router when those two instances have anycast but they are not ECMP? What will happen if the ECMP is lost due to ABR re-advertising where the "flag must be preserved" . 3) There is one good use case from my experience and this is to differentiate between a prefix moving between routers (mobility) and real anycast. That needs however far more stuff in terms of timestamping the prefix. pascal wrote and added that very carefully to rift if there is desire here to add proper anycast semantics support to the protocol.

So I'm not in favor in adopting this unless the semantic is clearly written out for this flag and the according procedures specified (mobility? behavior on lack/presence of flag of normal routers etc). Saying "
It
    is useful for other routers to know that the advertisement is for an
    anycast identifier.
" is not a use case or justification for adding this.

if this is "anycast in case of SR computed paths that are not ECMP" then the draft needs to say so and call it "SR anycast" or some such stuff. If it is something else I'd like to understand the semantics of this flag before this is adopted.

-- tony




On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 5:10 PM Acee Lindem <[email protected]> wrote:

    Hi Ketan,

    On Mar 20, 2024, at 12:07, Ketan Talaulikar
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Sure, Acee. We can take that on :-)

    I hope it is ok that this is done post adoption?

    Yup. I realize this is a simple draft to fill an IGP gap but I did
    ask the question below. Hopefully, we can get to WG last call
    quickly.

    Thanks,
    Acee




    Thanks,
    Ketan


    On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 9:35 PM Acee Lindem <[email protected]>
    wrote:



        > On Mar 20, 2024, at 11:17 AM, Ketan Talaulikar
        <[email protected]> wrote:
        >
        > Hi Acee/Jie,
        >
        > The most common users of the anycast property of a prefix
        are external controllers/PCE that perform path computation
        exercises. As an example, knowing the anycast prefix of a
        pair of redundant ABRs allows that anycast prefix SID to be
        in a SRTE path across the ABRs with protection against one of
        those ABR nodes going down or getting disconnected. There are
        other use cases. An example of local use on the router by
        IGPs is to avoid picking anycast SIDs in the repair
        segment-list prepared for TI-LFA protection - this is because
        it could cause an undesirable path that may not be aligned
        during the FRR window and/or post-convergence.
        >
        > That said, since ISIS (RFC9352) and OSPFv3 (RFC9513) didn't
        have the burden of this justification of an use-case, I hope
        the same burden would not fall on this OSPFv2 document simply
        because it only has this one specific extension.

        But they also weren't added in a draft specifically devoted
        to the Anycast flag. It would be good to list the examples
        above as  potential use cases.


        Thanks,
        Acee



        >
        > Thanks,
        > Ketan
        >
        >
        > On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 8:16 PM Acee Lindem
        <[email protected]> wrote:
        > Hi Jie,
        >
        > I asked this when the flag was added to IS-IS and then to
        OSPFv3. I agree it would be good to know why knowing a prefix
        is an Anycast address is "useful" when the whole point is
        that you use the closest one (or some other criteria).
        >
        > Thanks,
        > Acee
        >
        > > On Mar 20, 2024, at 9:09 AM, Dongjie (Jimmy)
        <[email protected]> wrote:
        > >
        > > Hi authors,
        > >
        > > I just read this document. Maybe I didn't follow the
        previous discussion, but it seems in the current version it
        does not describe how this newly defined flag would be used
        by the receiving IGP nodes?
        > >
        > > Best regards,
        > > Jie
        > >
        > > -----Original Message-----
        > > From: Lsr <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Acee Lindem
        > > Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2024 4:43 AM
        > > To: lsr <[email protected]>
        > > Cc: [email protected]
        > > Subject: [Lsr] Working Group Adoption Poll for "Updates
        to Anycast Property advertisement for OSPFv2" -
        draft-chen-lsr-anycast-flag-06
        > >
        > >
        > > This starts the Working Group adoption call for
        draft-chen-lsr-anycast-flag. This is a simple OSPFv2
        maintenance draft adding an Anycast flag for IPv4 prefixes to
        align with IS-IS and OSPFv3.
        > >
        > > Please send your support or objection to this list before
        April 6th, 2024.
        > >
        > > Thanks,
        > > Acee
        > >
        > >
        > > _______________________________________________
        > > Lsr mailing list
        > > [email protected]
        > > https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/lsr
        >


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