RE: Future Plans for the IEEE 802.5 Token Ring Working Group
All, FYI, the following note reflects the draft presents the draft
presented at the Exec meeting in Kauai. Please feel free to distribute
this note as appropriate.
Buzz, per our discussion in Kauai, please send me the email list of all
those past and present 802 participants that have shown interest in Token
Ring. I will be sending this note to them as well.
Thank you.
Best regards.
Robert D. Love
Program Manager, IBM ACS - US
Chair IEEE 802.5 Token Ring Working Group
IBM
500 Park Offices Phone: 919 543-2746
P. O. Box 12195 CNPA/656 Fax: 419 715-0359
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA E-Mail: rdlove@us.ibm.com
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-stds-802-5@ieee.org [mailto:owner-stds-802-5@ieee.org]On
Behalf Of rdlove@us.ibm.com
Sent: Monday, November 22, 1999 9:49 AM
To: stds-802-5@mail.ieee.org
Subject: Future Plans for the IEEE 802.5 Token Ring Working Group
All, one result of out November plenary meeting was the development of the
following position paper on 802.5 plans. In the coming weeks I will be
taking addtional steps in keeping with this position including a wider
circulation of this message with the objective of adding to the IEEE 802.5
reflector other interested parties that would be willing to review our
technical documents and output. You can assist by distributing this note
to those you know (and especially within your companies) that may wish to
participate. I intend to add to ourIEEE 802.5 Token Ring reflector anyone
that requests joining from this point until further notice.
Subject: Future Plans for the IEEE 802.5 Token Ring Working Group
The IEEE 802.5 Token Ring Working Group is now looking into the best short
and long term strategies for advancing the work on Token Ring. While there
is general agreement that the vast majority of the work has now been
successfully completed, there are still open work items including
maintenance issues and some minor enhancements. It is important that this
work progress in the most efficient manner possible, and with the broadest
possible review. The working group has seen a significant decrease in the
number of its voting members over the last two years. This decrease
prompts us to seek ways of maintaining and broadening the pool of experts
available to contribute to and review our documents. As we look at the
types of changes we may make, we note that there has already been a
significant shift from progressing our work at meetings to electronic
methods of working via the email reflector and the IEEE 802.5 web site. In
line with this trend, one possibility is to move to a methodology that will
allow us to advance most or all of our work electronically, without being
encumbered by the requirement for face-to-face meetings. It would be
desirable to expand our cadre of experts to include all those with an
interest in Token Ring. No specific timeframe has been determined for
moving to such a new mode of operation, although it is likely to happen
some time in the year 2000. To meet this goal, we are establishing a call
for interest and participation which is being widely distributed, and
posted on our 802.5 Web site (www.8025.org).
Call for Interest and Participation
To prepare for changes to our mode of operation we are now opening up the
IEEE 802.5 reflector to all interested parties that would like to
participate electronically in the development and review of IEEE 802.5
documents. The working group would further appreciate those individuals
identify themselves if they are willing to serve in the cadre of experts
and interested parties willing to review documents. Please send any such
requests to join the group, and willingness to participate to the IEEE
802.5 reflector (stds-802-5@mail.ieee.org) or to me (rdlove@us.ibm.com).
Status of open work items in 802.5:
802.5t 100 Mbit/s Token Ring. The draft has been conditionally approved by
the IEEE pending resolution of patent issues (patents that apply to 100
Megabit/s Ethernet Physical layer may apply to 100 Mbit/s Token Ring as
well). It is expected that all patent issues will be resolved by mid
December with publication of 802.5t by the end of the year.
802.5v Gigabit Token Ring - 802.5 recirculation ballot closed with no
negative comments. LMSC sponsor ballot due to start in December.
802.5w Corrigenda to 802.5:1998 and its Amd.1:1998. The LMSC Sponsor
ballot closed with no negative votes. Changes implemented to address
comments will require an LMSC Sponsor recirculation ballot. Expect close
of comments by mid December in time for approval of 802.5w at the January
IEEE Standards Board meeting.
802.5x - Source Routing for VLANs - Call for interest to be posted to the
reflector - withdraw in March 2000 unless sufficient interest is expressed
and an editor is forthcoming.
802.5z Link Aggregation: A first draft was presented at the November
plenary meeting and adopted by the task force.
Best regards.
Robert D. Love
Program Manager, IBM ACS - US
Chair IEEE 802.5 Token Ring Working Group
IBM
500 Park Offices Phone: 919 543-2746
P. O. Box 12195 CNPA/656 Fax: 419 715-0359
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA E-Mail: rdlove@us.ibm.com