The SPRING working group will define procedures that will allow a node to steer a packet along an explicit route through the SPRING region without requiring path state to be maintained by transited nodes. A SPRING region is a network comprised of nodes (which may be of any type, including routers and appliances) that share the following trust model: any node in the SPRING region is trusted to steer a packet along any path within the region. The SPRING region may comprise one or more ASes, or even less than a single AS. Although a region may comprise more than one AS, initial work will focus on the intra-domain, that is, single AS, scenario. The procedures should support both centralised and distributed path computation. The procedures should also cover support for OAM functions. Where use cases are documented, care should be taken to define the data plane requirements for the environment within which they are to be implemented. The procedures should avoid modifications to the MPLS data plane, in order to remain compatible with existing extensive deployments of MPLS. It is anticipated that the procedures may require modifications to the IPv6 data plane. While the initial focus of the SPRING WG is on the intra-domain deployment scenarios (see below), the modifications to the IPv6 data plane must support both intra and inter-domain deployment scenarios. Where possible, existing protocols must be used to implement the SPRING function. Any modification or extension of existing architectures or protocols must be carried out in the working groups responsible for the architectures or protocols being modified in co-ordination with this working group, but may be done in this working group after agreement with all the relevant WG chairs and responsible ADs The SPRING working group is chartered for the following list of items: o Identification and evaluation of use cases for which there is consensus within the WG. o Definition of new procedures, driven by the use cases and underlying technology. The new procedures must cover security considerations (including the relationship between networks forming the SPRING region) and allow for solutions which substantially improve upon current technologies by defining requirements, extensions, or new functionality in existing routing, management or other protocols. o Determine whether the above mentioned procedures require modification/changes to the existing MPLS architecture, and if so, then document requirements for such modifications/changes. o Determine whether the above mentioned procedures require modification/changes to the existing IPv6 architecture, and if so, then document requirements for such modifications/changes. o The SPRING working group will then develop solutions, focusing initially on intra-domain deployment scenarios. Where such solutions utilize existing protocols (IS-IS, OSPF, BGP, PCE) this will be done in conjunction with the responsible IETF working group. Work on new protocols may be carried out by the SPRING working group. The working group will develop the following documents: o One or more documents describing SPRING use cases, o Specification of new procedures to support SPRING use cases, o Requirements for changes to MPLS architecture, if needed, o Requirements for changes to IPv6 architecture, if needed, o Document interworking and co-existence between the new procedures and the existing MPLS signaling protocols (LDP, RSVP-TE, BGP), o Document impact (if any) of any proposed IPv6 data plane modifications on existing deployment of IPv6, o A set of one or more protocol extensions requirements documents, o Inter-operability reports pertaining to the implementation of extensions supporting SPRING.