RFC 9689: Use Cases for a PCE as a Central Controller (PCECC)
In plain English — editorial summary, not part of the RFC
The PCE is a core component of a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) system. It can be used to compute optimal paths for network traffic and update existing paths to reflect changes in the network or traffic demands. The PCE was developed to derive Traffic Engineering (TE) paths in MPLS networks, which are supplied to the headend of the paths using the Path Computation Element Communication Protocol (PCEP). SDN has much broader applicability than signalled MPLS TE networks, and the PCE may be used to determine paths in a range of use cases including static Label-Switched Paths (LSPs), Segment Routing (SR), Service Function Chaining (SFC), and most forms of a routed or switched network. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider PCEP as a control protocol for use in these environments to allow the PCE to be fully enabled as a central controller. A PCE as a Central Controller (PCECC) can simplify the processing of a distributed control plane by blending it with elements of SDN without necessarily completely replacing it. This document describes general considerations for PCECC deployment and examines its applicability and benefits, as well as its challenges and limitations, through a number of use cases. PCEP extensions, which are required for the PCECC use cases, are covered in separate documents.
Document record
- Document ID
- RFC9689
- Published
- December 2024
- Authors
- Z. Li; D. Dhody; Q. Zhao; Z. Ke; B. Khasanov
- Status
- INFORMATIONAL
- Stream
- IETF
- Area
- rtg
- Pages
- 37
- Also known as
- —
Topics
Related documents
Ranked automatically by shared keywords, IETF area and stream — not by editorial selection.
- RFC 9703Label Switched Path (LSP) Ping/Traceroute for Segment Routing (SR) Egress Peer Engineering (EPE) Segment Identifiers (SIDs) with MPLS Data PlaneCurrent
December 2024
- RFC 9716Mechanisms for MPLS Ping and Traceroute Procedures in Inter-Domain Segment Routing NetworksCurrent
February 2025
- RFC 9731A YANG Data Model for Virtual Network (VN) OperationsCurrent
March 2025
- RFC 9914Root-Initiated Routing State in the Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks (RPL)Current
April 2026
- RFC 9451Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) Packet and Behavior in the Network Service Header (NSH)Current
August 2023
- RFC 9938A Framework for the Deterministic Networking (DetNet) Controller PlaneCurrent
March 2026
- RFC 9437Publish/Subscribe Functionality for the Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP)Current
August 2023
- RFC 9050Path Computation Element Communication Protocol (PCEP) Procedures and Extensions for Using the PCE as a Central Controller (PCECC) of LSPsUpdated
July 2021
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The document record above — title, authors, date, status, stream, area, relationships, DOI and errata — is imported verbatim from the public RFC Editor index. The “in plain English” section is editorial: written by The metasystema editorial team, not part of the RFC. Where the two differ, the RFC text governs.
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