LXI Standard Evolution

1. LXI Standard Evolution David Owen, Technical Committee Chair LXI Consortium Business Development Manager Pickering Interfaces david.owen@pickeringtest.com LXI – “It’s About Your Time”

2. LXI Evolution • Describe the latest changes to the specification • Revision 1.2 to Revision 1.3 voting has now successfully completed • Where LXI goes to from here

3. The drivers for change • Adoption of 1588-2008 • To improve timing performance in the presence of LAN traffic • Follow the path being taken by network infrastructure providers • Does not impact Class C products • Addition of mDNS • To improve Discovery • Conversion of 1.2 Future Rules to Rules • During creation another primary driver emerged • Re-organisation of specification • Make it easier to read • Make preparation for any future evolution

4. Specification Re-organization • Sections renumbered • Rules and text grouped together by features to improve readability • Rule numbers have changed! • References to roadmap items have been removed • Intention is to handle in a different way • No future rules • Intention is to handle in a different way • Deal with a problem identified by LXI vendors • Deprecated clauses have been removed • Improve readability and flow of the specification • Simplified reorganizing the numbering specification

5. Migration to IEEE1588-2008 • Standard simply refers to IEEE1588 • Interpret as the latest version • IEEE1588-2008 (1588V2) • Creation of LXI IEEE1588 Profile • Separate stand alone specification • Defines the parameter ranges and detail of the IEEE1588 aspects • Separating provides easier maintenance of IEEE1588 aspects

6. IEEE1558 Web Page Changes • Changes to what appears on web pages • Web page examples in Appendix updated • These are simply guideline examples • They do reflect the minimum content required for devices supporting IEEE1588

7. What impact does 1588 change have? • It improves the timing accuracy in the presence of network delays • It accounts for the delays through infrastructure devices with high traffic loads • Measures the incoming and outgoing control message timing • It can coexist with 1588-2002 using separated domains • White paper on the issue will be available from the LXI Consortium

8. Adoption of mDNS Discovery • Discovery improvements • Standard used for discovery of devices like printers • Also known as Apple Bonjour, Rendezvous in earlier descriptions • Provides much faster Discovery • Easier programmatic integration • There is a limited time waiver on mDNS for some implementations

9. Section 2 LXI Unit Deletion • LXI Unit was an effort at defining half rack width dimensions and mechanical interface • References to LXI Unit removed • The standard has no physical restrictions on mechanical sizes or definitions • Still has guidance on other issues and rules governing indicators and interconnect locations

10. Changes to C Extended Features • Features that can be added to Class C that are usually part of Class B or Class A • In version1.2 WTB and LAN messaging identified as extended features • In 1.3 additional features are identified (Section 1.9) • 5 features – (LXI) 1588, WTB, LAN Messaging, Event Log, Time Stamping • Compliance requirements of features are positively identified • Helps organize the standard

11. Changes Class C Extended Features • Class model does NOT change • Class A,B,C are the class declarations that will be made • It will continue to be the focus of LXI • The 5 additional features are precisely defined to have a meaning in the standard • Use the protection of “LXI” in their description • Market forces will define how much take up there will be • Implementing all 5 features takes a Class C product to Class A

12. Why the Extended features? • It allows vendors to pick a smaller added feature set in support of specific markets • Saves investment in a full feature set • Particularly useful for Devices with low cost controller systems • It ensures these features have been third party tested for interoperability • Protects the feature description • Protects the LXI brand • The Device remains as Class C

13. Updated Conformance Sections • Simply reflect current rather past practice • Expect this to be moved to a separate document on a future revision

14. NVS and PVE Dates • NVS (New Version Start) • Consortium tests to 1.3 from October 2008 • Continues to test to 1.2 • PVE (Previous Version End) • November 2009 is the last time we test new products to 1.2 • mDNS Waiver • For products otherwise compliant to 1.3 waiver scheme in place • Vendor must be compliant by PVE date

15. Where does the standard go from here? (1) • Class C is unlikely to change from Version 1.3 • It will be the baseline for future versions • Change will only occur due to enforced change caused by technology migration

16. Where does the standard go from here? (2) • Focus moves to System level issues • Resource management • Arbitrate between different test processes demanding access to the same resources • Improved Web support for triggering • Aid to Debugging system level problems with trigger events between devices • LAN Triggers • WTB • Event Log • Make it easy to grab log data from multiple devices and combine the data in a meaningful way

17. Where does the standard go from here? (3) • The Consortium will continue to follow technology changes that could have an impact • IPV6 • PoE • None of these will have a short or medium term impact • The IT legacy of Ethernet will ensure continued support

18. Compliance Evolution • Great deal of ongoing work on compliance issues • Developing IEEE1588 procedures • Preparing for a date when self certification might be permitted • At present it is not, and that will not change for at least a year • It is likely to only apply to experienced members

19. System Level Analysis • Analyse the other system level issues that may need attention • Might include other features • State Management • Script management • Peer to Peer Communications • Any other issues found to influence adoption rates • Intent is still to use 1.3 as the baseline specification for Class C

20. When is the next Version? • Maybe two years away • But new features will be published in the interim • Vendors may chose to implement them • New features will be subject to testing before claiming as an LXI feature • Backward compatibility will be maintained • The LXI Consortium will continue to support an active and thriving specification evolution