Internet DRAFT - draft-du-apn6-data-driven-accounting

draft-du-apn6-data-driven-accounting







Network Working Group                                              Z. Du
Internet-Draft                                                    P. Liu
Intended status: Standards Track                                 L. Geng
Expires: May 6, 2021                                        China Mobile
                                                        November 2, 2020


      Data-driven Accounting in Application-aware IPv6 Networking
                draft-du-apn6-data-driven-accounting-00

Abstract

   This document introduces a new usecase of Application-aware IPv6
   Networking to enable data-driven accounting.

Requirements Language

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
   document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
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   This Internet-Draft will expire on May 6, 2021.

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   Copyright (c) 2020 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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   (https://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
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   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect



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   to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must
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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Current Mechanism in APN6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  Data-driven Accounting Usecase  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  General Process of the Data-driven Accounting . . . . . . . .   4
   5.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   8.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     8.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     8.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5

1.  Introduction

   Application-aware IPv6 Networking is a kind of self-identified
   mechanism per packet.  In the mechanism of APN6
   [I-D.li-apn6-problem-statement-usecases], an IPv6 packet can carry
   the APP ID information and SLA requirements of the traffic in its
   Extension Headers.  Therefore, the network equipment can analyze them
   in each packet and handle the packet accordingly.

   In this mechanism, different user traffic can get different
   treatments so that the network resource can be used more efficiently.
   As the emergence of various new services with various requirements,
   the same treatment for all traffic cannot continue to be sustainable
   in future.

   Current usecases in APN6 only mention different treatments of the
   traffic, but do not mention the way to account, which is essential
   for the operator.  If the operators can charge for APN services
   properly, the APN technologies will be adopted more quickly.

   This document introduces the usecase and the general process about
   the data-driven accounting in APN6.

2.  Current Mechanism in APN6

   As shown in Figure 1, the APN framework [I-D.li-apn-framework]
   includes App (Client and Server), App-aware Edge, App-aware-process
   Head-End, App-aware-process Mid-Point, and App-aware-process End-
   Point.



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  Client                                                         Server
  +-----+                                                        +-----+
  |App x|-\                                                   /->|App x|
  +-----+ |   +-----+ +---------+   +---------+   +---------+ |  +-----+
           \->|App- | |App-aware|-A-|App-aware|-A-|App-aware|-/
  User side   |aware|-|process  |-B-|process  |-B-|process  |
           /->|Edge | |Head-End |-C-|Mid-Point|-C-|End-Point|-\
  +-----+ |   +-----+ +---------+   +---------+   +---------+ |  +-----+
  |App y|-/                                                   \->|App y|
  +-----+           ---------  Uplink   ---------->              +-----+

               Figure 1: Framework and Key Components in APN6


   The data-driven process of APN6 is described below.

   The APP or the APP-aware Edge will generate an APN packet which
   carries the application characteristic information in the
   encapsulation.  The information may include application-aware
   identification, such as SLA level, application ID, user ID, flow ID,
   etc., and network performance requirements, such as bandwidth,
   latency, jitter, packet loss ratio, etc.  The former is recorded in
   the Application-aware ID Options, and the latter is recorded in the
   Service-Para Options defined in the [I-D.li-apn-framework].

   App-aware-process Head-End can read that information and steer the
   packet into a given policy which satisfies the application
   requirements.  It is supposed that a set of paths, tunnels or SR
   policies, exist between the App-aware-process Head-End and the App-
   aware-process End-Point.  App-aware-process Head-End can find one
   existing path or establish a new one for the traffic.

3.  Data-driven Accounting Usecase

   In the APN architecture, a client can send both normal IPv6 packets
   and APN encapsulated packets simultaneously, which may trigger
   complicated accounting/charging mechanisms.

   As the treatment of the APN packets may be various according to
   multiple factors, such as the time of accessing the network, the
   network conditions, etc., a flexible accounting mechanism is needed.
   In addition, it is better that the accounting mechanism can support
   negotiations between the client and the accounting point.

   For example, a user occasionally needs to transfer an import file or
   attend an important meeting, they can use this APN-based data-driven
   mechanism to trigger a better network service and pay a reasonable
   amount of money.



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4.  General Process of the Data-driven Accounting

   The general process of data-driven accounting is described as below.

   Firstly, the client inform the the accounting point, which is
   normally also the gateway of the client, about the requirement of the
   traffic, and optionally including the cost the user can offer.

   Secondly, the network provide the service accordingly.

   Thirdly, the client can do the accounting itself, and occasionally
   send a specific APN packet to the accounting point to align the
   accounting information.

   Fourthly, the network confirm the accounting information received
   from the client, and make a decision about further treatment of the
   traffic.

   Finally, the client may terminate the service and the accounting.

   As the client and the accounting point can negotiate by using this
   APN mechanism, a more flexible accounting mechanism is enabled.  In
   this mechanism, the client can participate the accounting, and the
   accounting point needs to confirm the legality of the APN accounting
   packets.  Therefore, the APN accounting packet should include
   accounting information of the flow and the signature of the client
   for the packet.

   The accounting point can notify the client about an SRv6 Accounting
   Function before the service accessing.  In this case, the accounting
   information and the signature can be carried in the SRv6 SID list or
   some other places of the SRH.

5.  IANA Considerations

   TBD.

6.  Security Considerations

   TBD.

7.  Acknowledgements

   TBD.







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8.  References

8.1.  Normative References

   [I-D.li-apn-framework]
              Li, Z., Peng, S., Voyer, D., Li, C., Geng, L., Cao, C.,
              Ebisawa, K., Previdi, S., and J. Guichard, "Application-
              aware Networking (APN) Framework", draft-li-apn-
              framework-01 (work in progress), September 2020.

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.

8.2.  Informative References

   [I-D.li-apn6-problem-statement-usecases]
              Li, Z., Peng, S., Voyer, D., Xie, C., Liu, P., Liu, C.,
              Ebisawa, K., Previdi, S., and J. Guichard, "Problem
              Statement and Use Cases of Application-aware IPv6
              Networking (APN6)", draft-li-apn6-problem-statement-
              usecases-01 (work in progress), November 2019.

Authors' Addresses

   Zongpeng Du
   China Mobile
   No.32 XuanWuMen West Street
   Beijing  100053
   China

   Email: duzongpeng@foxmail.com


   Peng Liu
   China Mobile
   No.32 XuanWuMen West Street
   Beijing  100053
   China

   Email: liupengyjy@chinamobile.com









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   Liang Geng
   China Mobile
   No.32 XuanWuMen West Street
   Beijing  100053
   China

   Email: gengliang@chinamobile.com












































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