Workshop on the Next Era of NEtwork Management OPerationS (NEMOPS)

29/10/2024

By Dhruv Dhody IAB Member

Originally published in IETF News

A workshop organized by the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) aims to chart a path for the development of future network management protocols and techniques. The Next Era of Network Management Operations (NEMOPS) workshop will begin by assessing the impacts of the previous IAB workshop on both network operations and protocol development.

Note: Paper submission deadline extended to: 2024-11-17 (anywhere on Earth)

Recommendations from the NEMOPS workshop are expected to inform efforts of standardization development organizations such as the IETF, groups such as the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF), as well as implementers, operational groups and other entities around the world.

The NEMOPS workshop builds on a 2002 workshop that 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].

Much has changed in the Internet’s operation and technological foundations in the 22 years since that IAB workshop. So, as a first step, the NEMOPS workshop will review the outcomes and results of the 2002 workshop and identify any operational barriers that prevented these technologies from being widely implemented. It will also sketch new requirements for future network management operations in a collaborative manner with the industry, network operators and protocol engineers, and develop a suggested plan of action and recommendations for the IETF.

Some members of the workshop program committee will engage in outreach at network operator events (such as RIPE, NANOG, APRICOT, AutoConn, etc.) to gather valuable insights and requirements from individuals who may not be directly participating in the workshop or the IETF.

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, with full details available on the NEMOPS workshop webpage.

Additionally, we request network operators complete a survey to help us better understand current network management practices, challenges, and future needs. The survey responses will provide valuable input for the workshop.

The workshop will be held online, 3-5 December 2024, and anyone can sign up for the nemops-interest@iab.org mailing list to keep track of further announcements and workshop-related discussions.

Feel free to contact the Program Committee with any further questions via nemops-workshop-pc@iab.org.