Technical Summary
This document extends BGP so a BGP speaker can advertise multiple paths
rather than a single best path to peers. It proposes a new NLRI encoding
extension to carry a Path Identifier, and a new capability to negotiate the
carrying of additional paths. These additional paths are intended to used to
eliminate path oscillation, in a number of situations where advertising
multiple paths can improve network convergence, and in a number of
situations where BGP is used in "high fan out" equal cost multipath network
topologies to provide optimal path availability.
Working Group Summary
The working group has reached consensus on moving this document forward at
this point.
Document Quality
The extension to BGP is straightforward; while there has been some
difficulty in coming to consensus on the benefits provided versus the
difficulty in implementing the extensions, the value of the concept has been
proven in deployment scenarios and use cases enough to justify moving
forward with this document. The document has passed through ten revisions
over a number of years, and has been discussed both on and off the relevant
lists by a number of experts in the development and deployment of BGP.
Personnel
AD: Alia Atlas
Shepherd: Russ White