Dear QUIC Working Group,
Last year, we shared our proposal for integrating Deadline-Aware Streams
into Multipath QUIC using DMTP [1] and we are very grateful for the
feedback received from both the QUIC WG as well as the team working on
the MP-QUIC extension.
Meanwhile, we have followed-up on the suggestion to propose an
additional extension on top of MP-QUIC and we are pleased to share that
we have now just uploaded a new I-D, Deadline Aware Streams in MP-QUIC
(draft-tjohn-quic-multipath-dmtp-00) which addresses this. As this is an
initial version, our main objective is to gauge interest and solicit
your feedback.
Brief Recap of the Proposal:
- Deadline Negotiation: Introduces a transport parameter and a
DEADLINE_CONTROL frame so that endpoints can coordinate explicit
deadlines for individual streams.
- Smart Retransmissions & FEC: Integrates concepts from DMTP to make
informed retransmission and scheduling decisions, and optionally use
FEC, all while leveraging multiple paths.
- Path-Aware Network Support: Takes advantage of path diversity (e.g.,
as offered by SCION) by mapping distinct paths into MP-QUIC path
identifiers, which can improve reliability for streams with strict
deadlines.
Motivation Recap:
As real-time applications and interactive use cases (teleoperation, live
streaming, gaming) become more prevalent, there is a growing interest in
mechanisms that help ensure data arrives before a specific deadline.
MP-QUIC provides the framework to use multiple paths, but it doesn’t
offer explicit support for deadline-aware streams. Our draft aims to
address that gap in a way that remains interoperable with unmodified
MP-QUIC endpoints.
Feedback & Next Steps:
We would greatly appreciate the Working Group’s input on the following
aspects:
- Adoption Interest: Would the WG be open to considering this extension
for an experimental track? Do you see this aligning with the direction
of QUIC’s multipath evolution?
- Technical Feasibility: Are there major gaps in the design that need
further exploration?
- Potential Challenges: Do you see significant hurdles that could limit
adoption?
You can find the text of the draft and its source here:
- Datatracker:
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-tjohn-quic-multipath-dmtp/
- GitHub: https://github.com/netsys-lab/mpquic-dmtp-draft
We truly appreciate the feedback received so far and we would be very
interested in continued input from this working group on whether and how
deadline signaling might best fit into the QUIC family of standards.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to your comments and any
guidance you may have.
Best regards,
Tony John
Research Associate
Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany
[1] https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/quic/TnKyqN6XnaUEYt9zyDXc1soN9DM/
