Network Working Group M. Allen Internet Draft Novell, Inc. June, 1992 IPX PPP Internetwork Packet Exchange Control Protocol [IPXCP] Status of this Memo This document is an Internet Draft. Internet Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its Areas, and its Working Groups. Note that other groups may also distribute working documents as Internet Drafts. Internet Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months. Internet Drafts may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is not appropriate to use Internet Drafts as reference material or to cite them other that as a ''working draft'' or ''work in progress.'' Please check the 1id-abstracts.txt listing contained in the internet-drafts Shadow Directories on nic.ddn.mil, nnsc.nsf.net, nic.nordu.net, ftp.nisc.sri.com, or munnari.oz.au to learn the current status of any Internet Draft. This proposal is the product of the Point-to-Point Protocol Working Group of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Comments on this memo should be submitted to the ietf- ppp@ucdavis.edu mailing list. The expiration date is 12/15/92. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. Abstract The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) [1] provides a standard method of encapsulating Network Layer protocol information over point-to-point links. PPP also defines an extensible Link Control Protocol, and proposes a family of Network Control Protocols (NCPs) for establishing and configuring different network-layer protocols. This document defines the NCP for establishing and configuring the IPX protocol over PPP and MUST be used in conjunction with the Informational RFC "Novell IPX Over Various WAN Media", June 1992, Michael Allen. Allen [Page 1] Internet Draft IPXCP June 1992 1. Introduction PPP has three main components: a. A method for encapsulating datagrams over serial links. b. A Link Control Protocol (LCP) for establishing, configuring, and testing the data-link connection. c. A family of Network Control Protocols (NCPs) for establishing and configuring different network-layer protocols. PPP is designed to allow the simultaneous use of multiple network-layer protocols. In order to establish communications over a point-to-point link, each end of the PPP link must first send LCP packets to configure and test the data link. After the link has been established and optional facilities have been negotiated as needed by the LCP, PPP must send NCP packets to choose and configure one or more network-layer protocols. Once each of the chosen network-layer protocols has been configured, datagrams from each network-layer protocol can be sent over the link. The link will remain configured for communications until explicit LCP or NCP packets close the link down, or until some external event occurs (an inactivity timer expires or network administrator intervention). 2. IPX PPP Network Control Protocol (NCP) The IPX Control Protocol (IPXCP) is responsible for configuring, enabling, and disabling the IPX protocol modules on both ends of the point-to-point link. IPXCP uses the same packet exchange mechanism as the Link Control Protocol (LCP). IPXCP packets may not be exchanged until PPP has reached the Network-Layer Protocol phase. IPXCP packets received before this phase is reached should be silently discarded. The IPX Control Protocol is exactly the same as the Link Control Protocol [1] with the following exceptions: Data Link Layer Protocol Field Exactly one IPXCP packet is encapsulated in the Information field of PPP Data Link Layer frames where the Protocol field indicates type hex 802B (IPX Control Protocol). Allen [Page 2] Internet Draft IPXCP June 1992 Code field Only Codes 1 through 7 (Configure-Request, Configure- Ack, Configure-Nak, Configure-Reject, Terminate- Request, Terminate-Ack and Code-Reject) are used. Other Codes should be treated as unrecognized and should result in CodeRejects. Timeouts IPXCP packets may not be exchanged until PPP has reached the Network- Layer Protocol phase. An implementation should be prepared to wait for Authentication and Link Quality Determination to finish before timing out waiting for a Configure-Ack or other response. It is suggested that an implementation give up only after user intervention or a configurable amount of time. Configuration Option Types Since IPX is intended to use a variety of data link mechanisms transparently (emulated or otherwise), end- to-end knowledge of IPX specifics are included in the IPX WAN protocol defined in [Ref 5] (which includes use over PPP). Therefore no configuration options are used. Sending IPX Datagrams Before any IPX packets may be communicated, PPP must reach the Network-Layer Protocol phase, and the IPX Control Protocol must reach the Opened state. Exactly one IPX packet is encapsulated in the Information field of PPP Data Link Layer frames where the Protocol field indicates type hex 002B (IPX Protocol). The maximum length of an IPX packet transmitted over a PPP link is the same as the maximum length of the Information field of a PPP data link layer frame. 3. IPXCP Configuration Options There are currently no configuration options defined for the IPX Control Protocol. 4. Security Considerations Security issues are not discussed in this memo. Allen [Page 3] Internet Draft IPXCP June 1992 5. References [1] Simpson, W. A., "The Point-to-Point Protocol for the Transmission of Multi-Protocol of Datagrams Over Point- toPoint Links", RFC 1331, May 1992. [2] Postel, J., "Internet Protocol", RFC 791, USC/Information Sciences Institute, September 1981. [3] Reynolds, J., Postel,J., "Assigned Numbers", RFC 1060, USC/Information Sciences Institute, March 1990. [4] Novell, Inc., "NetWare System Interface Technical Overview", Novell Part Number 883-001143-001 [5] Allen, M., "Novell IPX Over Various WAN Media", Novell, Inc., June 1992. 6. Acknowledgments Most of the text in this document was taken from RFC 1331, May 1992. 7. Obsoletes This document obsoletes an earlier document produced in January 1992 which limited this Internet Draft to IPX with a RIP/SAP only routing protocol. This document does not impose this restriction, but instead references an Informational RFC describing how Novell operates over ALL WAN media and negotiates the routing protocol at an IPX level using IPX packets [Ref 5]. 8. Expiration Date The expiration date of this document is 12/15/92. Allen [Page 4] Internet Draft IPXCP June 1992 9. Contact Points Chair's Address: The working group can be contacted via the current chair: Brian Lloyd Lloyd & Associates 3420 Sudbury Road Cameron Park, California 95682 Phone: (916) 676-1147 EMail: brian@ray.lloyd.com Author's Address: Michael Allen Novell, Inc., 2180, Fortune Drive, San Jose, CA 95131 EMail: MALLEN@NOVELL.COM Allen [Page 5]