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Network Working Group J. Postel
Request for Comments: 1818 ISI
BCP: 1 T. Li
Category: Best Current Practice cisco Systems
Y. Rekhter
cisco Systems
August 1995
Best Current Practices
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the
Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Abstract
This document describes a new series of documents which describe best
current practices for the Internet community. Documents in this
series carry the endorsement of the Internet Engineering Steering
Group (IESG).
Discussion
The current IETF process has two types of RFCs: standards track
documents and other RFCs (e.g., informational, experimental, FYIs)
[1]. The intent of the standards track documents is clear, and
culminates in an official Internet Standard [2,3]. Informational
RFCs can be published on a less formal basis, subject to the
reasonable constraints of the RFC editor. Informational RFCs are not
subject to peer review and carry no significance whatsoever within
the IETF process [4].
The IETF currently has no other mechanism or means of publishing
relevant technical information which it endorses. This document
creates a new subseries of RFCs, entitled Best Current Practices
BCPs).
The BCP process is similar to that for proposed standards. The BCP
is submitted to the IESG for review, and the existing review process
applies, including a "last call" on the IETF announcement mailing
list. However, once the IESG has approved the document, the process
ends and the document is published. The resulting document is viewed
as having the technical approval of the IETF, but it is not, and
cannot become an official Internet Standard.
Postel, Li & Rekhter Best Current Practice [Page 1]
RFC 1818 Best Current Practices August 1995 Possible examples of technical information to which BCPs could be applied are "OSI NSAP Allocation" [5], and "OSPF Applicability Statement" [6]. References [1] IAB, and IESG, "Internet Standards Process -- Revision 2", RFC 1602, IAB and IESG, March 1994. [2] Postel, J., Editor, "Internet Official Protocol Standards", STD 1, RFC 1800, IAB, July 1995. [3] Hinden, R., "Internet Engineering Task Force Internet Routing Protocol Standardization Criteria", RFC 1264, BBN, October 1991. [4] Waitzman, D., "Standard for the Transmission of IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers", RFC 1149, BBN, April 1990. [5] Collela, R., Callon, R., Gardner, E., and Y. Rekhter, "Guidelines for OSI NSAP Allocation in the Internet", RFC 1629, NIST, Wellfleet, Mitre, IBM, May 1994. [6] Chapin, L., "Applicability Statement for OSPF", RFC 1370, IAB, October 1992. Security Considerations Security issues are not discussed in this memo. Postel, Li & Rekhter Best Current Practice [Page 2]
RFC 1818 Best Current Practices August 1995 Authors' Addresses Jon Postel USC - ISI, Suite 1001 4676 Admiralty Way Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6695 Phone: 310-822-1511 EMail: postel@isi.edu Yakov Rekhter cisco Systems, Inc. 170 West Tasman Drive San Jose, CA 95134 Phone: 914-528-0090 EMail: yakov@cisco.com Tony Li cisco Systems, Inc. 1525 O'Brien Drive Menlo Park, CA 94025 EMail: tli@cisco.com Postel, Li & Rekhter Best Current Practice [Page 3]