The IP over ATM Mailing List Archive by date

[Grenville Armitage <gja@thumper.bellcore.com>]

Okay, some subjective history....

>>Since we are in last call, can someone just summarise for the
>>list the arguments that lead to MARS extending the control packet 
>>formats from ATM-ARP in RFC 1577, rather than those proposed for use in 
>>NHRP.

At the time there was a defined protocol - RFC1577. It seemed
reasonable to build on it, given that the required functionality was
in most ways an evolution of the ATMARP query/response model.

NHRP may have its attractions, but the value of its control
packet format has not been one of them (IMHO). At the time it was
an I-D with no greater claim to fame than that it was the center
of controversy over where, when, and how it would even work.

Regardless of the above, the progress of time has resulted in
the MARS control packet format evolving much quicker than NHRP.
Now, with ipmc-08 out, your question could arguably be phrased
the other way. Who will volunteer to morf NHRP control messages
onto the ipmc-08 base control message format?

(section 4.2 and 4.3 of ipmc-08 are key here.)

cheers,
gja