Segment Routing Morning Rant

One of the questions that i usually get asked when a do Segment Routing presentations. What is so special about SR? yet another protocol. 

First, let me clarify once and for all. 

It is not a protocol, it is an architecture that leverages source routing. A paradigm that was first introduced in the early version of IPv4 then used IPv6. However, it got deprecated mainly because it was used in amplification attacks. 

Second: SR architecture/framework can be instantiated over two existing data planes MPLS & IPv6. The keyword here is existing. No new hardware required, just a software upgrade -at least for basic SR support-.

Third, what excites me more about SR-MPLS, is that for once we needed less to do more: fewer protocols, fewer states, less synchronization, less headache ;) don't talk to me about how great and robust is RSVP-TE. I will RIP (Routing Information Protocol) your heart and give it as a sacrifice. Guess what, we don't need resource reservation we never did. No one in their right mind will do a full RSVP-TE mesh. 

Finally, what SR did. is a shift in how we (IETF) develop solutions. For once (i exaggerate ;) we cared more about simplification than on how to build a super use case with a supper protocol that has cutting-edge soft-state synchronization, hold down timers, 1 trillion TLV types, etc.

Mistakes:

Ahhh simplification, it is concept not so easy to grasp especially when you used to IETF's RFCs and Drafts. Simplifying is a spiritual state of mind once achieved you will see clearly. You will stop racing to write a new IETF Drafts, and for once you will be able to read between the lines.