[manet] Re: MANET WG Charter and MANET Internetworking

With regard to the charter, there are two protocols the WG created that aren’t mentioned. The first is NHDP. That originated as part of OLSR, and you can consider it to be part of OLSRv2 and thus not needing specific reference. But it was separated out because some people thought they had uses for it outside OLSRv2. Should it thus be explicitly mentioned alongside OLSRv2 as a supported protocol? (I could go either way on that, but I think it worth considering.)

The second is SMF. Do we consider this an experiment that has run its course?

(There’s also the format in RFC 5444, but not changing that I think is a good thing. But note RFC 8245.)

With regard to Fred’s proposed text, I think it’s too specific, it’s presupposing part of the solution.

But considering the broader question should there be work on handling MANETs as anything other than fixed attachment stub networks? Or even just ensuring those work seamlessly? The obvious answer is yes, that’s something the WG should cover. But it’s worth asking why, in that case, why was the last attempt in this area separated out as a separate WG (Autoconf)? I think the key issue was that the IETF was quite happy with a MANET WG that proposed solutions in its area - but as long as it didn’t mean something had to be done in the rest of the Internet. A new address type use only in a MANET was OK (we’ve already got one), but Autoconf’s main issue - and really all it achieved - was to keep people happy that MANETs didn’t break the “all the world is ethernet” view of subnetworks, I.e. that they are all informed. It was quite an uphill struggle to convince people that radio isn’t like that. The solution of course was that MANET nodes are routers, and subnets can be within platforms, but not across platforms,s - except that possibly the whole MANET can look like a subnet to the outside world. But how? And here was where Autoconf ran into the ground and Fred is right, there is work here. Which might go down Fred’s route, but that’s not the starting point. What existing art is there?

All of course, at least in my opinion and recollection.

As ever of course, the killer question for the WG is that it’s easy to say what MANET could do - I just did - but the issue is who will do the work. And for how long. Work out how long you think the work should take and it will be longer, and not just slightly longer. We all know that, but think this time it will be better. On which subject there’s an anecdote that just was so familiar in Kahnemann’s Thinking Fast and Slow. (On a syllabus, not a protocol, but the point is the same.)

As for me, I can advise (and even write one draft) on OLSRv2 (including NHDP and other related matters) but unless a long shot happens - and it hasn’t for nearly a year - that’s about my limit.

Christopher


> On 26 Jun 2025, at 18:38, Donald Eastlake <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> We have been working on a draft new Charter for the MANET WG for some
> time. One question that needs to be resolved is whether, as a WG, we
> want the scope to include the questions Fred Templin has presented,
> for example here:
> https://datatracker.ietf.org/meeting/122/materials/slides-122-manet-manet-internetworking-01
> https://datatracker.ietf.org/meeting/121/materials/slides-121-manet-aeroomni-autoconfiguration-services-for-manet-internetworking-00
> 
> Please respond with your thoughts on this. Note the question is not
> whether to include a particular solution but whether or not the
> problem should be covered by the Charter.
> 
> After we agree on the new Charter, it will still have to go through
> multiple steps of approval. The most recent draft is here:
> https://datatracker.ietf.org/meeting/122/materials/slides-122-manet-draft-charter-text-ietf-122-01
> Comments on any aspect of the draft are welcome.
> 
> Thanks,
> Donald
> ===============================
> Donald E. Eastlake 3rd   +1-508-333-2270 (cell)
> 2386 Panoramic Circle, Apopka, FL 32703 USA
> [email protected]
> 
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