FCIP: Loss of connection in multi-connection LEP

["Reinholds" <reinholds@mediaone.net>]

I am having a hard time understanding how we are supposed to deal with TCP
connections that become unresponsive when there are multiple TCP connections
between a LEP.

How is recovery supposed to work? Clause 15.5.4.1 (Rev 5.3 - Jan 22) appears
to require that all FC flows continue to be sent on the connection for all
time. When a connection is deemed unresponsive by one end, when can the
effected flows be moved to another connection (if ever)? If a new connection
is established and a special frame not sent, is this considered to be the
"same DE" allowing continued transmission of frames of the impacted flows?
Is appears to be possible to use an already existing connection (see 16.3.1)
but if this is the case there is a possibility of delivering out of order
frames, especially if one can not gracefully close a TCP connection (no FIN
ACK is received).

Barry Reinhold
Principal Architect
Trebia Networks
barry.reinhold@trebia.com
603-868-5144/603-659-0885/978-929-0830 x138