UPDATE: here is the link to the operator survey!
UPDATE: deadline extended till 17 November 2024
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), founded in 1986, is the premier standards development organization (SDO) for the Internet. The IETF makes voluntary standards that are often adopted by Internet users, network operators, and equipment vendors, and it thus helps shape the trajectory of the development of the Internet (But in no way does the IETF control, or even patrol, the Internet).
As such, the IETF resolves, via standardization, the operator most important problems.
The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) helps, on regular basis, shaping the future IETF direction, with workshops. As an example, 22 years ago, the IAB organized the “IAB Workshop on Network Management” workshop, which aimed to establish a dialog between network operators and protocol developers, and to guide the IETF work on network management protocols. The outcome of that workshop was documented in “Overview of the 2002 IAB Network Management Workshop” [RFC3535], which identified 14 operator requirements for consideration in future network management protocol design and related data models, along with some recommendations for the IETF. Those requirements were instrumental in developing first the NETCONF protocol (in the NETCONF Working Group) [RFC6241], the associated YANG data modeling language (in the NETMOD Working Group)[RFC6020] [RFC7950], the RESTCONF protocol [RFC8040], and most recently CORECONF [I-D.ietf-core-comi].
22 years later, it’s time to organize a similar workhop, collecting new operator requirements. This is the “Next Era of NEtwork Management OPerationS (NEMOPS)” workshop, which will be held online, 3-5 December 2024. Anyone can sign up for the nemops-interest@iab.org mailing list to keep track of further announcements and workshop-related discussions.
This new workshop aims to discuss the following key topics:
- Review the outcomes and results of the 2002 workshop (current deployments, state of the art) and identify any operational barriers that prevent these technologies from being widely implemented (limitations, hurdles).
- Sketch new requirements for future network management operations in a collaborative manner with the industry, network operators, and protocol engineers.
- Develop a plan of action and recommendations for the IETF.
How to participate?
- Workshop participation will be by invitation based on “position paper” or “expression of interest” submissions, though even those not planning to participate are invited to submit position papers on workshop topics. Submissions are due by 17 November 2024.
- Providing feedback via the survey.
- Talking to us (the program committee), as we will engage in outreach at network operator events.
Part of this outreach initiative, I will personally go to LACNIC/LACNOG 42 (Paraguay, Oct 7th to Oct 11th) to advocate this workshop and collect feedback. After that, I will travel to RIPE 89 (Prague/Czechia, Oct 28th to Nov 1st), with the same mission. Special thanks to Carlos Martinez Cagnazzo (CTO LACNIC) and to Mirjam Kühne (RIPE chair) for helping with the arrangements. Note that NANOG & Autocon will also be covered part of this outreach effort, but by other committee members.
Let’s connect live at LACNIC/LACNOG 42 and RIPE 89.
For more details, see the official page at https://www.ietf.org/blog/iab-nemops-workshop-cfp/