[R-C] RTCWEB Congestion Control Standardization

[Harald Alvestrand]

On 10/10/2011 11:22 AM, Magnus Westerlund wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I want to lift an important non-technical topic for discussion. Namely,
> what is needed in the specifications and how to get that to happen.
>
>
> It is clear that RTCWEB can't be the home to specify any new congestion
> control algorithms or procedures. That needs to be defined elsewhere.
>
> Looking at what is available from a specification point of view, I think
> the only that is fully specified for RTP is TFRC in DCCP.
>
> The technical discussion appears to be desiring something else. Thus I
> think we need to have the discussion of how to get that written up in a
> specification eventually. What is the plan here? From my perspective we
> will need something that is acceptable to get the RTCWEB's RTP usage
> specification through IESG.
>   Especially as we have identified clear
> security threats to no having congestion control in the browser part
> preventing significant over uses.
To me, this logic looks somewhat convoluted.
The fact that we have security threats that can be alleviated using 
congestion control means, to me, that for the good of the Internet, we 
need to have those mechanisms in place.

The IESG are supposed to care about the Internet, not about some obscure 
agenda irrelevant to real life.
> So what are our alternative here?
>
> 1) Pick TFRC for now while developing something better? Possibly ensure
> that the RTP mapping gets published in a reasonable time frame.
>
> 2) Try to write clear requirements on the implementation, but no
> specification and hopes that goes through?
>
> 3) Develop something and delay the publication of any part that needs
> this until it is done?
>
> 4) ?
>
> Regarding 3), I don't see how that is going to complete in less than 2
> more likely 3 years. Spin up a TSV WG, develop a solution. Simulate and
> discuss corner cases for a while before getting good enough out.
I would vote for 2) in parallel with 3) - get a set of requirements 
together that can be tested, and have something that minimally passes 
the test (and ideally works well). Then publish, and let the chips fall 
where they may.

I'm not willing to concede the field to the "everything takes two years" 
meme.
In the extreme, I'd be willing to concede that "the Internet runs on 
internet-drafts" and spend significant time iterating over essentialy 
the same solutions before publication.

If we don't attempt to boil the ocean and achieve perfection in our 
requirements, I think it's possible to get there from here.

> So what are your views on this issue?
>
> Cheers
>
> Magnus Westerlund
>
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