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http2 window size setting
draft-chen-httpbis-window-size-00

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This is an older version of an Internet-Draft whose latest revision state is "Expired".
Authors Meiling Chen , Li Su
Last updated 2020-12-13
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draft-chen-httpbis-window-size-00
httpbis                                                          M. Chen
Internet-Draft                                                    Li. Su
Intended status: Standards Track                            China Mobile
Expires: June 17, 2021                                 December 14, 2020

                       http2 window size setting
                   draft-chen-httpbis-window-size-00

Abstract

   This document proposed the minimum value setting mechanism of HTTP2.0
   Window and Window_update, and a Window_update frame sending
   mechanism.

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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   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on June 17, 2021.

Copyright Notice

   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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   described in the Simplified BSD License.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  Setting minimum window size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     3.1.  Setting new parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     3.2.  new parameter setup process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Setting minimum window update size  . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     4.1.  Setting new parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     4.2.  new parameter setup process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   6.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   7.  Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   8.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6

1.  Introduction

   The following content is from RFC 7540[RFC7540]

   Both endpoints can adjust the initial window size for new streams by
   including a value for SETTINGS_INITIAL_WINDOW_SIZE in the SETTINGS
   frame that forms part of the connection preface.  The connection
   flow-control window can only be changed using WINDOW_UPDATE frames.

   SETTINGS_INITIAL_WINDOW_SIZE (0x4): Indicates the sender's initial
   window size (in octets) for stream-level flow control.  The initial
   value is 2^16-1 (65,535) octets.  Only DATA frames are subject to
   flow control.

   HTTP/2 defines only the format and semantics of WINDOW_UPDATE frames,
   and does not specify how the receiver decides when to send frames,
   what values to send, or how the sender chooses to send packets.  And
   RFC 7540 just Specifies the maximum value of Window and the Window
   Size Increment, But there is no obvious rule about minimum values.
   The implementation can choose any algorithm that meets the
   requirements.

   In the current network, there is no standard minimum setting, which
   leads to the inconsistency of message processing between
   communication parties, which may led to the situation that the
   message will be determined as an attack by the recipient, actually
   frequent window_UPDATE frames can result in a denial of service.

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2.  Terminology

   The readers should be familiar with the terms defined in.

   In addition, this document makes use of the following terms:

   Window_update:  The WINDOW_UPDATE frame (type=0x8) is used to
      implement flow control;

   SETTING  The SETTING frame (type=0x4) is used to transmitting
      configuration informations which will affect the communication
      process of the data stream.

3.  Setting minimum window size

   The parameter of Setting frame in RFC 7540 does not have the function
   of Setting the minimum window size.  This chapter proposes to add
   this new parameter for Setting.  The SETTINGS frame (type=0x4)
   conveys configuration parameters that affect how endpoints
   communicate, such as preferences and constraints on peer behavior.
   The SETTINGS frame is also used to acknowledge the receipt of those
   parameters.

3.1.  Setting new parameter

   The following new parameter is defined.

   SETTINGS_MINIMUM_WINDOW_SIZE(0x7): Indicates the minimum window size
   set by the sender.  Allows the sender to inform the remote endpoint
   of the minimum window size.  For example, when set to 128 Bytes, the
   minimum window size is 128 Bytes.

   If the sender sends the last Data frame and the Window decreases to
   less than the minimum Window, it will stop sending Data frame until
   it receives window_UPDATE frame to increase the Window, and the
   modified Window value is greater than the minimum set Window, then it
   can start sending Data frame again.  Note that this is more detail
   than RFC7540 discribed, where Data frames can be sent as long as the
   Window value is greater than zero.

3.2.  new parameter setup process

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   +------+             +--------+
   |sender|             |receiver|
   +--+---+             +----+---+
      |      SETTING         |
      +--------------------->+
      |   identifier:0x04    | Set the initial
      |                      |  window size
      |      SETTING         |
      <----------------------+
      |   Flags:ACK          |
      |                      |
      |      SETTING         |
      +--------------------->+
      |  identifier:0x07     | Set the Minimum
      |                      | window size
      |      SETTING         |
      +<---------------------+
      |   Flags:ACK          |
      |                      |

    Figure 1: the process of setting window size

   First, set the initial window size with the identifier
   SETTINGS_INITIAL_WINDOW_SIZE (0x4), values above the maximum flow-
   control window size of 2^31-1 MUST be treated as a connection error
   of type FLOW_CONTROL_ERROR.  An ACK is received to indicate that the
   setup is complete.

   Then, set the minimum window size with the identifier
   SETTINGS_MINIMUM_WINDOW_SIZE(0x7), ACK is received to indicate that
   the minimum window size setup is complete.  A FLOW_CONTROL_ERROR
   error is thrown when the following SETTINGS_MINIMUM_WINDOW_SIZE set
   in the Setting frame is below the negociative initial minimum value.

4.  Setting minimum window update size

   The WINDOW_UPDATE frame (type=0x8) is used to implement flow control.
   The payload of a WINDOW_UPDATE frame is one reserved bit plus an
   unsigned 31-bit integer indicating the number of octets that the
   sender can transmit in addition to the existing flow-control window.
   the unsigned 31-bit integer is knew as Window Size Increment and the
   Size range is (1, 2^31-1), that means the default minimum is 1.  So
   this could lead to a problem, frequent sending of Window_UPDATE
   frames with small value of Window Size Increment(such as 1 byte) will
   result in the consumption of computing and network resources, and in
   some cases can even trigger a denial of service attack.

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   We propose to add new parameter of SETTING frame for Implementation
   that set a minimum update window value, It's actually the Window Size
   Increment.

4.1.  Setting new parameter

   The following new parameter is defined.

   SETTINGS_MINIMUM_WINDOW_UPDATE(0x8):Indicates that the sender has set
   the minimum window_UPDATE update size.  For example, when set to 128
   Bytes, the minimum window update size is 128 Bytes.

   If the buffering data processed by receriver at one time is less than
   the minimum window update value, it needs to accumulate to the
   minimum value before sending Window_update once to update the traffic
   window.

4.2.  new parameter setup process

   +------+                 +--------+
   |Sender|                 |Receiver|
   +--+---+                 +----+---+
      |                          |
      |                          |
      |     Setting              |
      +-------------------------->
      |   Identifier:0x08        |
      |                          |
      |                          |
      |     Setting              |
      <--------------------------+
      |     Flags:ACK            |
      |                          |
      |                          |
      |                          |
      |    Window_update         |
      +-------------------------->
      |   Window size increment  |
      |                          |
      |                          |

    Figure 2: the process of setting window_update size

   First, set the minimum window_update size with the identifier
   SETTINGS_MINIMUM_WINDOW_UPDATE(0x8), An ACK is received to indicate
   that the setup is complete.  Minimum window_update policy can only be
   enabled if SETTINGS_MINIMUM_WINDOW_UPDATE is set.

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   Then, only when the cumulative amount of processing is greater than
   the value of SETTINGS_MINIMUM_WINDOW_UPDATE, can an window_update
   frame be sent which will inform the peer to increase the window
   value.  When the following Window Size Increment value in a
   Window_update frame is less than the set negociative initial minimum,
   a FRAME_SIZE_ERROR error is thrown.

5.  Security Considerations

   It solves the attack problem caused by the failure to set the minimum
   value of window and window update frame, such as CVE-2019-9511, and
   avoids the link congestion caused by small incremental update.

6.  IANA Considerations

   This document does not require any action from IANA.

7.  Acknowledgement

   TBD

8.  Informative References

   [RFC7540]  Belshe, M., Peon, R., and M. Thomson, Ed., "Hypertext
              Transfer Protocol Version 2 (HTTP/2)", RFC 7540,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC7540, May 2015,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7540>.

Authors' Addresses

   Meiling Chen
   China Mobile
   32, Xuanwumen West
   BeiJing, BeiJing  100053
   China

   Email:
            chenmeiling@chinamobile.com

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   Li Su
   China Mobile

               32, Xuanwumen West

               BeiJing

               100053

               China

   Email:
             suli@chinamobile.com

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