The Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP)

Abstract

This document describes a network-layer-based protocol that enables separation of IP addresses into two new numbering spaces: Endpoint Identifiers (EIDs) and Routing Locators (RLOCs). No changes are required to either host protocol stacks or to the core of the Internet infrastructure. The Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP) can be incrementally deployed, without a flag day, and offers Traffic Engineering, multihoming, and mobility benefits to early adopters, even when there are relatively few LISP-capable sites. Design and development of LISP was largely motivated by the problem statement produced by the October 2006 IAB Routing and Addressing Workshop. This document defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet community.