IP/MPLS OAM: challenges and directions

This paper reflects different understandings and positions on IP/MPLS OAM functions and management applications, as perceived by representatives from industry and academia. There is a clear effort to improve the state-of-the-art and to apply lessons learnt from the Ethernet/ATM approaches. A series of questions on the short-term, mid-term and long-term directions definitively arises, especially with regard to the separation of control and management functions. The questions mentioned below do not exhaustively cover the topic. Instead, the questions serve as a starting point for a discussion on methodologies to apply, on engineering requirements to consider, and on the technical challenges to resolve harnessing this next stage of evolution of heterogeneous networking. The panel guests present their perception on these issues. What are the lessons learnt from ATM and Ethernet OAM techniques that are oriented to a single network technology? What is equivalent of OAM appropriate for IP/[G]MPLS (it has to be more at link level rather than connection level)? What MPLS MIB information is intended to support OAM functions? What are the challenges on OAM in hybrid and multi-layer networks? How management systems of next generation networks (NGN) and GRID networks make use of the OAM functions and what else is needed to smoothen the control-management interactions? What is the impact of convergent IP networking and autonomic networking on OAM functions and their distribution? How much proactiveness can management applications achieve with and without OAM functionalities.