Repository : ssh://git@open-mesh.org/doc

On branches: backup-redmine/2017-07-13,master

commit 0ec9a6177e306e32afc5bdeeebc7f5a436527970 Author: Simon Wunderlich sw@simonwunderlich.de Date: Sun Aug 21 19:45:34 2011 +0000

doc: batman-adv/Packet-types

0ec9a6177e306e32afc5bdeeebc7f5a436527970 batman-adv/Packet-types.textile | 80 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 80 insertions(+)

diff --git a/batman-adv/Packet-types.textile b/batman-adv/Packet-types.textile new file mode 100644 index 00000000..ee77af65 --- /dev/null +++ b/batman-adv/Packet-types.textile @@ -0,0 +1,80 @@ +h1. Packet-types + +??This page is work-in-progress and will be part of the new BATMAN V algorithm later?? +??The content of this page is a suggestion and may change without further notice?? + +h2. Introduction + +One point critized during the development of batman-adv was that the compatibility version has been increased with each change in the protocol - this field did not ensure backward-compatibility, but made sure that only nodes with the same compatibility version would mesh with each other. + +To allow real backward compatibility and make sure that no updates on other nodes have to be done when a new feature is added in batman-adv, a new extensible packet format is necessary. + +This approach consists of two parts: + 1. Allow extensions for OGMs, the main routing and information packet format of batman-adv + 2. Classify further packet types to make adding new packet types easier + +h2. Adding extensions to the OGMs + +As the main batman-adv packet type, the OGMs transport routing information as well as capability or additional information of the node. + +Therefore, the OGM will be split into two parts: + + * Routing part, which is only needed for routing + * Information part, which includes information of the node such as TT changes, gateway information, vis information, ... + +The idea is to be able to split the routing part from the information part. The information part of an OGM may then be replaced with another, more up to date information part of another OGM. + +The Information Part will not have a static structure, but will consist of TLVs (Type Length Value) fields, which contain the information for corresponding subsystem. Each TLV consists of: + + * (1 byte) Type: The type of information. We may add additional types later + * (1 byte) Length: Number of bytes we transport within this TLV + * ($Length byte): The actual information for this bit + +TLVs which we have so far: + + * Gateway Information: Announce the Gateway. If this TLV is not present, this node is no gateway + * TT Information: Information about the latest TT diff + * VIS Information: Have this field if the node is a vis server (length = 0) + * Capabilities: Announce the hosts Capabilities with a bit field (for later extension, e.g. to announce network coding, multicast capability, ...) + +h3. OGM packet type: + +<pre> + 0 1 2 3 + 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 + +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +0x00 | Packet Type | Version | TTL | TQ | + +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +0x04 | Sequence Number | + +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +0x08 | Interval | + +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +0x0C | Originator Address | + +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +0x10 | Originator Address | ... + +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +</pre> + + +h2. Basic Packet Format + +As most packet types in batman-adv use the basic routing capabilities of batman-adv in a way, we can classify them in groups. As most packet types added later still use the basic routing (e.g. an Roaming-adv packet is using unicast transport), it may be added to the unicast packet types and can still be forwarded by an older, non-compatible node. The "old" node does not know how to handle the content, it is enough that it can forward the packet. However, it must be made sure that the destination finally is capable of understanding the new content. + +The packet types as known so far can therefore be classified in the following sections: + + * (00) local broadcasts: Is only emitted by one node and not further sent. Examples: ELP, (maybe network coding packets?) + * (01) global broadcasts: Is flooded through the whole mesh, using a sequence number mechanism. Examples: Broadcasts, OGMs + * (10) unicast: Unicast packets are sent via the routes established by batman-adv. Examples: unicast, unicast_frag, tt_query, icmp, roam_adv, vis + * (11) multicast: Multicast packets (this must be refined later). Examples: Tracker packets, multicast data. + +All packets within one class share the same routing information (TODO: describe this). For example, unicast packets will include ttl, ttvn and destination, or broadcast packets will include a sequence number, ttl and originator address. + +Packet types are prefixed according their class. For example, unicast packets have "10" as their most significant bits. The packets within one class get their own packet type numbers assigned, e.g.: + + * 128 - unicast + * 129 - unicast_frag + * 130 - tt_query + * 131 - ICMP + .... + +If a new feature XY is added which uses unicast capabilities, it will get assigned a packet type number within the unicast class (say 142). An "old" node will not know how to interpret the new feature, but it can easily forward the packet as the routing information (destination, ttvn, TTL, ...) is shared. \ No newline at end of file