Technical Summary
This document defines the Static Context Header Compression (SCHC)
framework, which provides both header compression and fragmentation
functionalities. SCHC has been tailored for Low Power Wide Area
Networks (LPWAN).
SCHC compression is based on a common static context stored in both
the LPWAN devices and the network side. This document defines a
header compression mechanism and its application to compress IPv6/UDP
headers.
This document also specifies a fragmentation and reassembly mechanism
that is used to support the IPv6 MTU requirement over the LPWAN
technologies. Fragmentation is needed for IPv6 datagrams that, after
SCHC compression or when such compression was not possible, still
exceed the layer two maximum payload size.
The SCHC header compression and fragmentation mechanisms are
independent of the specific LPWAN technology over which they are
used. Note that this document defines generic functionalities and
advisedly offers flexibility with regard to parameter settings and
mechanism choices. Such settings and choices are expected to be made
in other technology-specific documents.
Working Group Summary
The WGLC comments were rich but did not show
fundamental issues in the design. The 30 open tickets lead mostly to editorial
changes that helped clarify the text ann avoid misinterpretation. We spent the
last IETF meeting and multiple interim going through the tickets and addressed
them concensualy.
Document Quality
The protocol has been implemented and demonstrated over LoRa and SigFox
technologies. There is only one vendor proposing a stack at this point.
The reviewers are acknowledged in the document. The original
shepherd was Dominique Barthel. He went so deep in the process, proposing
edits and helping with the corrected text, that the chairs asked him to move
to a co-author position, and took over shepherding, not because he was not
good enough, but because he did too well at it.
Personnel
The Document Shepherd is Pascal Thubert. The Responsible Area Director is Suresh Krishnan.