Computersight -

In the worlds of networking, routing and protocols the Request for Comment (RFC) is the document that serves to define a particular standard and the specifications for that standard.

Origins and Evolution

Steve Crocker created the RFC documentation format back in 1969. His objective in doing so was to create a formal documentation process and procedures to assist with the recording, management, and administration of unofficial notes pertaining to the development of the ARPANET. They have since evolved into the official record for Internet specifications, protocols, procedures, and events.

Request for Comment Document (RFC) Creation Process

Submission

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is the governing non-profit organisation charged by the Internet Society (ISOC) to oversee all things Internet related from the technical perspective. RFC 3935 documents the IETF’s Mission Statement.

When it comes to Internet architectural matters the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) oversees the various working groups that the IETF has established. The IETF can be located here.

Submission of documents to the IETF and subsequent application to have them reviewed with an eye to attaining RFC publication status is open to anybody and everybody. This is most important since the Internet is an “open” set of standards and must remain accessible to everyone if it is to evolve further.

Aspects such as protocol functionality and protocol development need regulation in order for consensus, compatibility and open standardisation to be practicably realistic.

The requirements of the regulation and compliance elements associated with the Internet and consequently with the IAB and the IETF are in marked contrast to those regulated by government.

Part of the reason for this lies with the IAB and IETF not possessing local authority status. Rather they are international organisations that do not hold local jurisdiction and therefore cannot prosecute of or by them selves.

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IEFT) is the main decision making player in regards to the reviewing, nomination, production and publication of Request for Comment (RFC) documents is concerned.

Document Review

Once officially submitted, the document moves to the next phase. It is now that various IEFT groups, topic specific experts, and the RFC Editor review the submitted document. If all are completely satisfied, the document moves on to the next stage.

Publication

Immediately the above steps have concluded satisfactorily the document is ready for publication. This is an important stage in the life of Internet and networking protocols. After publication, the document is now a RFC document, which means that it is the accepted standard and no further modification or change can occur.

RFC documents are final. The IETF will not permit any modifications or updating to a published RFC.

Revision

If need be an RFC can be superseded by later revisions. This means that the original RFC will remain intact. It will always retain its reference number.

The new RFC gets a new reference number.

RFC-Editor Website

The official RFC-Editor website maintains links to both the older and the newer RFC in search engine listings.

Internet Standards Development Process

RFC 2026 entitled “The Internet Standards Process – Revision 3” provides a good description of the Internet standards development process. The subsequent updated standard is RFC 3932, which is entitled “The IESG and RFC Editor Documents: Procedures”.

Unification

When a new RFC replaces more than one predecessor, it has unified the documentation on that topic

Specialisation

Sometimes a protocol will break into a number of related technologies during its development and evolution. In this case, a number of RFC documents (successors) replace it.

Authoritative RFC Website

The authoritative RFC website’s URL is http://www.rfc-editor.org/

Internet Protocol (IP) Standards

RFC 3300 documents and lists the complete range of official Internet protocol standards. A fully updated list is available at http://www.rfc-editor.org/

Official Standards Declaration

RFC 733 Internet was the first RFC explicitly declared as an official standard

Protocol Standardisation Process

The various IETF workgroups perform most of the work on standardizing Internet protocols. Here is the process that they have chosen to adopt to conduct and publish their work:

1. Proposed Standard
   • Usually intended to become actual standards
     • Not promoted to draft standard status for six months in order for the Internet community to have ample time for review and comment
   1. Draft Standard
      • Not to be promoted to a full standard for at least four months, after operational experience has been obtained
      • Interoperability between two or more independent implementations must be demonstrated
   2. Actual Standard
      • All full standards must be instantiated by at least two independent, fully functional implementations of the defined protocol
      • Once a protocol becomes a full standard it is given an STD number as described in RFC 1311

I do hope this clears up the issue of what is an RFC.