Hi, Ketan:

 

I think you should notice, what I emphasized is the difference between UPA and 
“the normal LSA with LSinfinity Metric”, not “normal LSA”.  Please do not 
change the concept.

 

I think you should read carefully RFC 2328, to find the guideline within the 
base OSPF specification, for the procedure to “normal LSA with LSInfinity 
Metric“, also the UPA.

 

This document is obviously contradictory to the guideline in RFC 2328, whether 
it will update RFC 2328, or not update, it will fall into the dilemma.

 

I have given the reasoning analysis before, any expert doesn’t agree or find 
the hole in my logic, can point me out.

 

I am still wondering why such document can be passed the view of LSR WG, IESG 
Review.

 

Can Med, Gunter, Jim, or other experts find some wrong in my analysis at 
https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/lsr/ALytEQpW-K8JYn2YyJMjSqXxVgk/?  

For your convenience, I copy and paste here:

 

========================================================================================================

 

1)    UPA depends on LSA with LSInfinity metric.

 

2)    LSA with LSInfinity metric can’t pass the ABR(which is stated clearly in 
RFC 2328--(“Else, if the routing table cost equals or exceeds the value 
LSInfinity, a summary-LSA cannot be generated for this route.”))

 

3)    UPA, which is no different from the normal LSA with LSInfinity metric, 
can’t pass to the remote area if this document doesn’t’ update RFC 2328

 

 

If this document wants to update RFC 2328, it will fall into another 
contradictory:

 

1)    Remove the restriction in RFC 2328, that is, the sentence (“Else, if the 
routing table cost equals or exceeds the value LSInfinity, a summary-LSA cannot 
be generated for this route.”)

2)    The network will be filled with various false UPA trigger 
accidents-----that is to say, introduce the “disaster” into the 
network------because any reachable prefix with the metric lower than the 
LSInifinity value MAY become unreachable after several hops, advertised by the 
ABR as UPA, and trigger the FALSE action.

========================================================================================================

 

Best Regards

 

Aijun Wang

China Telecom

 

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On 
Behalf Of Ketan Talaulikar
Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2025 3:05 PM
To: Aijun Wang <[email protected]>
Cc: Paul Wouters <[email protected]>; [email protected]; James 
Guichard <[email protected]>; Gunter van de Velde 
<[email protected]>; The IESG <[email protected]>; 
[email protected]; [email protected]; 
[email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: [Lsr] Re: [Remind to the operators]Re: Ketan Talaulikar's No Objection 
on draft-ietf-lsr-igp-ureach-prefix-announce-10: (with COMMENT)

 

Hi Aijun,

 

I think we are going in circles (yet again), and I will stop now. To understand 
the difference between UPA and normal prefix reachability, please read the 
document.

 

Thanks,

Ketan

 

 

On Fri, Sep 26, 2025 at 8:08 PM Aijun Wang <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

Hi, Ketan:

 

What’s the difference between UPA and normal LSA with LSinfinity Metric?

 

If there is no difference, then should UPA obey the RFC2328?

 

If UPA obey the RFC 2328, then according to the description I quoted before, 
the advertisement of UPA can only to the neighbor area, and can’t be advertised 
further to the remote area that is not directly connected to the UPA original 
area.

 

 

Aijun Wang

China Telecom





On Sep 26, 2025, at 20:47, Ketan Talaulikar <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:



Hi Aijun,

 

Here is yet another (of several) attempts to explain this - if only in the hope 
of saving time of people in the appeals chain. Please check inline below.

 

 

On Fri, Sep 26, 2025 at 3:32 PM Aijun Wang <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

HI, Paul:

 

“I will leave this to the routing experts, as it is somewhat outside the area 
of my expertise. But I do note you seem to be

the only person seeing this as a problem.“

 

This is also my expectation-----for the routing experts to answer the core 
question.

As I said before, until now(even some persons say that I raised it again and 
again), only Ketan as the routing AD, has tried to face the question.  

 

Here I just summary it again the FLAW of this protocol when it is in 
deployment, I would like to Med, Ketan, Jim or Gunter can response my following 
reasoning:

========================================================================================================

1)    UPA depends on LSA with LSInfinity metric.

2)    LSA with LSInfinity metric can’t pass the ABR(which is stated clearly in 
RFC 2328--(“Else, if the routing table cost equals or exceeds the value 
LSInfinity, a summary-LSA cannot be generated for this route.”))

3)    UPA, which is no different from the normal LSA with LSInfinity metric, 
can’t pass to the remote area if this document doesn’t’ update RFC 2328

 

KT> This document, along with introducing the UPA, opens up an exception to 
that handling of LSInfinity during propagation in RFC238 for UPAs alone (i.e., 
not for regular LSAs) (I hope by now you know which section of the document I 
am referring to!). This is why the document is not an update to RFC2328 since 
that base protocol behavior remains unchanged and unaffected.

 

 

If this document wants to update RFC 2328, it will fall into another 
contradictory:

1)    Remove the restriction in RFC 2328, that is, the sentence (“Else, if the 
routing table cost equals or exceeds the value LSInfinity, a summary-LSA cannot 
be generated for this route.”)
2)    The network will be filled with various false UPA trigger 
accidents-----that is to say, introduce the “disaster” into the 
network------because any reachable prefix with the metric lower than the 
LSInifinity value MAY become unreachable after several hops, advertised by the 
ABR as UPA, and trigger the FALSE action.

 

KT> Please see the previous comment to explain why there is no contradiction. 
There is no need to remove the restriction in RFC2328. This document does not 
do that.

 

Thanks,

Ketan

 

========================================================================================================
 

I know IESG has passed this document based on the consensus ballot. 

But, if no routing ADs or experts can respond the above reasoning(if some 
persons feel the above reasoning has been answered, please give me the link 
directly), I will try to appeal to IAB, to let some experts solve the above 
puzzle.

 

The authors of this draft can also respond.

And one reminder of the overlong process-----I have raised the useless of “UP” 
flag from the beginning of its proposal, and until now, although other AD has 
raised the concerns, the author refuses to make any change.-----this is just 
another example, to show how it is difficult to convince the author.

 

Best Regards

 

Aijun Wang

China Telecom

 

 

From: Paul Wouters [mailto:[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 
] 
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2025 10:14 PM
To: Aijun Wang <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >
Cc: Ketan Talaulikar <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >; 
The IESG <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >; 
[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> ; 
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> ; [email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> ; [email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> 
Subject: Re: [Lsr] Re: [Remind to the operators]Re: Ketan Talaulikar's No 
Objection on draft-ietf-lsr-igp-ureach-prefix-announce-10: (with COMMENT)

 

 

On Thu, Sep 25, 2025 at 5:43 AM Aijun Wang <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

Hi. Paul:

 

Thanks for your constructive responses.

 

For the issue 1), as I respond to Ketan at  
<https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/lsr/ev2A1DBxSl0DkbwSiAQ2UP1yf3Y/> 
https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/lsr/ev2A1DBxSl0DkbwSiAQ2UP1yf3Y/, it is 
impossible to “extends the base OSPF protocol behavior specifically for UPAs 
alone to allow their propagation.”----The UPA is no different from the “normal 
LSA with Infinity metric”.  Extend RFC 2328 in such manner is equal to Update 
RFC 2328-----But currently, there is no content, or obvious label at the header 
of this document that indicates it will update RFC 2328.

 

Unfortunately the Updates: header is interpreted differently by different 
people/areas. If extensions can be implemented without requiring modification 
of the existing protocol, then usually the Updates: clause is not used. Only if 
an extension would require core protocol modifications would an Update: clause 
be added.

 

 

 Even to update the RFC 2328, that is to say, erase or relax the description of 
“Else, if the routing table cost equals or exceeds the value LSInfinity, a 
summary-LSA cannot be generated for this route.“, will lead to issue 2), that a 
prefix is reachable in one area, will become unreachable in other area, and 
trigger the unexpected switchover, or, connect loss.   This is what I call may 
be the “disaster”.

 

 

Solution to above issue is not depend on the LSInfinity to indicate the “UPA”, 
just use the explicit “U” flag.

 

I will leave this to the routing experts, as it is somewhat outside the area of 
my expertise. But I do note you seem to be

the only person seeing this as a problem.

 

Paul 

 

 

 

Best Regards

 

Aijun Wang

China Telecom

 

From:  <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] 
[mailto: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]] On 
Behalf Of Paul Wouters
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2025 12:31 AM
To: Aijun Wang < <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]>
Cc: Ketan Talaulikar < <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]>; 
The IESG < <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]>;  
<mailto:[email protected]> 
[email protected];  
<mailto:[email protected]> [email protected];  <mailto:[email protected]> 
[email protected];  <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]
Subject: [Lsr] Re: [Remind to the operators]Re: Ketan Talaulikar's No Objection 
on draft-ietf-lsr-igp-ureach-prefix-announce-10: (with COMMENT)

 

 

Aijuan,

 

On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 12:08 PM Aijun Wang <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

Hi, all experts:

 

I noticed that during the Ketan and Med’s review of this document, they all 
recommended that the “operation consideration” part should be added but the 
authors refused.

 

Here I want to remind the operators that focus on the UPA feature, that the 
protocol extension defined in this document is implementable, but NOT practical 
to be deployed in the network.

 

Any operator try to adopt this feature in their network should be aware that 
the following issues:

 

1) The UPA propagation between the areas is conflict with the base OSPF 
standard(RFC 2328). 

 

That is to say, according to the description in RFC 2328, UPA can’t be 
propagated further to the remote area(only to the neighbor area).

 

For details explanation, please review the discussions at 
https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/lsr/ev2A1DBxSl0DkbwSiAQ2UP1yf3Y/ (Until 
now, only Ketan faces the question directly, but failed to give the reasonable 
explanation)

 

The quotes link gives an answer Ketan has given many times:

 

 

www.ietf.org/archive/id/draft-ietf-lsr-igp-ureach-prefix-announce-09.html#section-4.2
 
<https://www.ietf.org/archive/id/draft-ietf-lsr-igp-ureach-prefix-announce-09.html#section-4.2>
  - this document extends the base OSPF protocol behavior specifically for UPAs 
alone to allow their propagation. Therefore, this is not in conflict with 
RFC2328.

 

The link states:

 


4.2.  
<https://www.ietf.org/archive/id/draft-ietf-lsr-igp-ureach-prefix-announce-09.html#section-4.2>
 Propagation of UPA in OSPF 
<https://www.ietf.org/archive/id/draft-ietf-lsr-igp-ureach-prefix-announce-09.html#name-propagation-of-upa-in-ospf>
  


OSPF ABRs or ASBRs, which would be responsible for propagating UPA 
advertisements into other areas MUST recognize such advertisements.

Advertising prefix reachability between OSPF areas assumes prefix reachability 
in a source area. Such requirement of reachability MUST NOT be applied for 
UPAs, as they are propagating unreachability.

 

At best I could see giving Operational Considerations guidance of deploying 
this in a mixed environment where some, but not all devices

suport this feature. If you really believe that is a concern, please write a 
sentence of two on how operators should handle this. This could

be as simple as "dont enable this feature until all your devices support it". 
If you cannot give such a short operational advise sentence for

consideration, I will assume the issue need no further addressing.

 

2) The exploitation of LSInfinity feature is one disaster to the operator’s 
network.

 

One can easily imagine the confusion scenario: One prefix with metric set to 
slightly lower than LSInfinity will become “unreachable” after several hops 
because the accumulated cost will exceed the LSInfinity.

 

Same as above - instead of simply saying "disaster", try to give constructive 
operational consideration sentences. 

 

I noticed until now, among the IESG reviewers, only Med is from the operator, 
but ignored also the above issues( I appreciate that Med insisted that UP flag 
was unnecessary, despite of the authors’ unsound resistance to change——Until 
now, there is no vendor implement the U flag, not to mention UP flag).

 

The above issues are so obvious, I am wondering why it can pass the final IESG 
review.

 

It can pass review because you have not convinced anyone beyond yourself that 
there is a problem.

 

Is it necessary to appeal to the IAB after the IESG’s review to pass this 
document?

 

Can IAB amend the so called consensus procedure to eliminate such standards 
that have flaws, or challenging to be deployed in the operator’s network? 

 

The consensus being questioned by a single individual is hardly convincing. 
Where are the other operators?

Until now, we have never seen a single individual predicting the demise of the 
internet, and being correct.

 

I am wondering. 

Can anyone give some suggestions, or explain the solutions to above issues?

 

See above. Write constructive text that you think would give proper warning on 
how/when to use these features or not.

 

Paul

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