Several types of access links in widespread use for Internet
connectivity
today have characteristics that affect the operation Internet protocols
and
services. Low-bandwidth, high latency links patched over telephone 
lines
via
modems are one common example. Radio links in wireless networks (such 
as
GSM, IS-95, GPRS and 802.11) are another example. These links often 
have
undesirable characteristics such as high loss, high delay and low
reliability.


Transport intermediaries have been used to enhance the performance of
problematic links in the past (see RFC 3135). This BoF investigates
further
work in support of transport intermediaries that provide assistance to
access links, including (but not exclusively) wireless links, primarily
in
the areas of security protocol interaction with transport 
intermediaries
and
response to changing link conditions. In particular, existing
intermediaries
used for these purposes interfere with IPSec and may weaken overall
end-to-end security - work is therefore necessary to determine how to
request, authenticate and authorize the services of intermediaries, and
when
possible to mitigate the interference of intermediaries in security.


This work focuses on support for TCP initially but does not preclude
consideration of other transport-layer protocols. The relationship of
transport intermediaries to devices constrained by OPES and UNSAF is
also
critical to the architectural framework.


Reading:


http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-faynberg-intermediary-transpo
r
t-00
.txt
(Note that a revised version of this draft will be available soon.)
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-dawkins-trigtran-framework-00
.
txt
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-dawkins-trigtran-probstmt-01.
t
xt