RFC 1100
IAB official protocol standards
RFC 1100: IAB Official Protocol Standards 🎀
okay bestie, this is RFC 1100 and it's the IAB's official "which protocols are standards right now" memo 💅
It's from the Network Working Group, written by the Internet Activities Board (IAB), and dated April 1989 📅. It obsoletes RFC 1083 🦋, so 1083 is retired and this is the one to use now.
Status of this Memo
okay so this memo explains where each protocol is in standardization, as decided by the IAB 🧚. It goes: an overview of the standards procedures first, then the standardization process and the RFC document series, then what the terms mean, then the lists of protocols at each stage, and finally pointers to references and contacts.
It gets issued quarterly, so make sure the copy you're reading is dated within the last three months 🗓️. You can grab current copies from the Network Information Center or from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (the contact info is at the end of the memo). And, very important, do not use this memo after 31-July-89 💀.
Distribution of this memo is unlimited 🌈.
1. Overview of Standards Procedures ✨
The Internet Activities Board keeps a list of documents that define standards for the Internet protocol suite 📜. It sets these standards to co-ordinate how the Internet protocols evolve, and that co-ordination matters a LOT now that the protocols are used in general commercial settings 💼.
Anyone in the Internet community can propose a protocol standard, just by writing an RFC and submitting it 🦋. Usually a proposed protocol gets reviewed or developed inside some Task Force of the IAB, or a working group within that Task Force. The IAB will assign a proposed protocol to a working group if official delegation is needed 🫶.
The working group's or task force's recommendation gets major consideration when the IAB decides what state and status a protocol gets 👑. The general policy is not to make a protocol an official standard until it has implementation experience behind it 🔥.
When it's unclear what the right call is for a protocol, the IAB may set up a special review committee. It's made of interested people from the working group plus IAB members, and its job is to recommend an explicit action to the IAB 🧐.
Widespread implementation of a standard can happen without the IAB's approval 🙈. Some vendor standards are super important to the Internet community even though the IAB never proposed or reviewed them. Still, the IAB strongly recommends using the IAB standards process to evolve the protocol suite, so you get maximum interoperability and nobody ends up with incompatible protocol requirements 💖. The IAB also reserves the use of the term "standard" in any RFC for only the protocols the IAB has approved ✨.
2. The Standardization Process
Anyone can invent a protocol, document it, implement it, test it, and so on 🌸. The IAB thinks it's really useful to document a protocol early, so people interested in the functionality of the protocol, and people interested in protocol design, can make suggestions 💅. Once a protocol is implemented and tested, it's useful to report the results too. The RFC document series is the preferred place to publish these protocol documents and testing results 📚.
The IAB encourages documenting every protocol developed in the Internet (that means publishing the protocol specification as an RFC), even if it's never meant to become an Internet standard 🫶. A protocol that isn't meant to become a standard is called "experimental" 🧪.
Protocols that are meant to become standards start out as "proposed" protocols 🌱. While they're in this state, it's expected that several groups will implement and test them. It's likely an improved version of the protocol will come out of this 🔁.
Once a proposed protocol is stable and has a sponsor (an individual willing to speak for the protocol to the IAB), it can move up to the "draft standard" state 🎀. In this state, it should be reviewed by the entire Internet community. Draft standard basically tells everyone: unless someone objects or finds a flaw, this protocol will become a "standard" 📣.
Once a protocol has been a draft standard for long enough (usually 6 months) without serious objections, the IAB may act to declare it an official Internet standard 👑.
Some protocols get superseded by better ones, or are otherwise unused. Those get labelled "historic" 🕰️.
On top of a state (like proposed or standard), a protocol also gets a status 🧩. A protocol can be required, which means all systems in the Internet must implement it. For example, the Internet Protocol (IP) is required 🌐. A protocol may be recommended, meaning systems should implement it 💜. A protocol may be elective, meaning systems may implement it. Here's the catch: if (and only if) a system needs or finds the functionality of this protocol useful, it must use this protocol to provide that functionality 🙈. A protocol may be termed not recommended if it isn't meant to be generally implemented, like experimental or historic protocols 🚫.
Very few protocols are required in all systems, because there's SO much variety in systems. Think gateways, terminal servers, workstations, and multi-user hosts 🖥️. A gateway doesn't have to implement TCP and the protocols that use TCP (though it may be useful). General purpose hosts are expected to implement at least IP (including ICMP), TCP and UDP, Telnet, FTP, SMTP, Mail, and the Domain Name System (DNS) 🎀.
3. The Request for Comments Documents
RFCs (Request for Comments) are the working notes of the Internet research and development community 📝. A document in this series can be about pretty much any topic related to computer communication, from a meeting report all the way to the specification of a standard. All standards get published as RFCs, but not all RFCs specify standards 🌈.
Anyone can submit a document for publication as an RFC 💌. Submissions have to be sent by electronic mail to the RFC Editor (contact info is at the end of this memo) 📧.
RFCs aren't refereed publications, but they do get technical review from the task forces, individual technical experts, or the RFC Editor, depending on what's appropriate ✨.
Once a document gets an RFC number and is published, that RFC is never revised or re-issued with the same number 🔒. So there's never a question about having the most recent version of a particular RFC. But a protocol (like File Transfer Protocol (FTP)) can be improved and re-documented many times across different RFCs 🔁. That's why it's important to check you've got the most recent RFC on a particular protocol 🕵️♀️. This "IAB Official Protocol Standards" memo is the reference for figuring out the correct RFC to look at for the current specification of each protocol 👑.
The RFCs are available from the Network Information Center at SRI International. For more info on getting RFCs, check the contact information at the end of this memo 📬.
4. Other Reference Documents
There are four other reference documents worth knowing about when you're checking the current status of protocol specifications and standardization 📚. They're the Assigned Numbers, the Official Protocols, the Gateway Requirements, and the Host Requirements. These get revised and updated at different times, so if they ever disagree, the most recent one must prevail 🕰️.
Also, be aware of the MIL-STD publications on IP, TCP, Telnet, FTP, and SMTP 🪖. They're described in section 4.5.
4.1. Assigned Numbers
This document lists the assigned values of the parameters used in the various protocols 🔢. Examples are IP protocol codes, TCP port numbers, Telnet Option Codes, ARP hardware types, and Terminal Type names 🧾. Assigned Numbers was most recently issued as RFC-1010 🎀.
Another document, Internet Numbers, lists the assigned IP network numbers and the autonomous system numbers 🌐. Internet Numbers was most recently issued as RFC-1062 ✨.
4.2. Official Protocols
This document lists the protocols and describes any known problems and ongoing experiments 🧪. Official Protocols was recently issued as RFC-1011 💅.
4.3. Gateway Requirements
This document reviews the specifications that apply to gateways and gives guidance and clarification for any ambiguities 🚪. Gateway Requirements was recently issued as RFC-1009 🦋.
4.4. Host Requirements
This document reviews the specifications that apply to hosts and gives guidance and clarification for any ambiguities 🖥️. Host Requirements is in preparation and will be issued soon ⏳.
4.5. The MIL-STD Documents
The Internet community specifications for IP (RFC-791) and TCP (RFC-793), and the DoD MIL-STD specifications, are meant to describe exactly the same protocols 🤝. Any difference in the protocols these sets of documents specify should be reported to DCA and to the IAB 🚨. The RFCs and the MIL-STDs for IP and TCP differ in style and level of detail, so it's strongly advised to use the two sets of documents together 💜.
The IAB and DoD MIL-STD specifications for FTP, SMTP, and Telnet are basically the same documents (RFCs 765, 821, 854) 👯. The MIL-STD versions have been edited slightly. And the current Internet specification for FTP is RFC-959 🎀.
Here's the MIL-STD lineup 🪖:
Internet Protocol (IP) MIL-STD-1777
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) MIL-STD-1778
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) MIL-STD-1780
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) MIL-STD-1781
Telnet Protocol and Options (TELNET) MIL-STD-17825. Explanation of Terms ✨
Okay so bestie, protocols get sorted into two totally separate categories, and I need you to hold both in your head at once 🧠💜. The first one is the state of standardization: it's either "standard", "draft standard", "proposed", "experimental", or "historic". The second one is the status of the protocol: "required", "recommended", "elective", or "not recommended". It's giving two separate ladders. You could totally expect a protocol to climb the status ladder from elective up to required at the same time it climbs the standardization ladder from proposed up to standard 🪜🌸.
At any given time, a protocol lives in exactly one cell of this matrix 🦋. The Xs show roughly how the protocols are spread out (more Xs means more of them live there). Most of them chill on the main diagonal. A brand-new protocol is most likely to start out in the (proposed, elective) cell, or the (experimental, not recommended) cell. Iconic beginnings, honestly 🌱.
Req Rec Ele Not
+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Std | XXX | XX | X | |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Draft | | X | XX | |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Prop | | | XXX | X |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Expr | | | X | XXX |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Hist | | | | XXX |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+Some protocols are only for hosts, some are only for gateways, and a few are used by both 🖥️🌉. In this doc, the word "system" means a host or a gateway (or both), and it SHOULD be clear from the context which kind of system a protocol is talking about. Use your vibes, babe 🫶.
5.1. Definitions
5.1.1. Standard Protocol
The IAB has officially made this an official standard protocol for the Internet 👑. There are two groups here: (1) IP protocol and above, which are the protocols that apply to the whole Internet, and (2) network-specific protocols, which are basically specs for how to do IP on particular types of networks 🌐.
5.1.2. Draft Standard Protocol
The IAB is actively looking at this protocol as a possible Standard Protocol 👀. Substantial and widespread testing and comment is desired, so go test it and tell them what you think 🧪. Comments and test results SHOULD be sent to the IAB. There's a real possibility that changes get made to a Draft Standard Protocol before it becomes a Standard Protocol, so it's not finished yet, bestie 🚧.
5.1.3. Proposed Protocol
These are protocol proposals that MAY be considered by the IAB for standardization down the road ✨. Implementation and testing by several groups is desirable 🙌. Revisions to the protocol spec are likely, so don't get too attached to the first draft 💅.
5.1.4. Experimental Protocol
A system SHOULD NOT implement an experimental protocol unless it's taking part in the experiment and has coordinated its use of the protocol with whoever developed it 🧪🚫. Main character rule: ask first 🙈.
Typically, experimental protocols come out of a specific ongoing research project that isn't tied to an operational service offering 🔬. They MAY be proposed as a service protocol later on, and then they can climb up through proposed, draft, and finally standard 🪜. The experimental label is there to say that the protocol, even if it's pretty mature, is not intended for operational use 🚫🏭.
5.1.5. Historic Protocol
These are protocols that are unlikely to ever become Internet standards, either because something better came along and superseded them, or because nobody's into them anymore 🥀. They're at an evolutionary dead end, bestie 🦖.
5.1.6. Required Protocol
All systems MUST implement the required protocols 🔒. No exceptions, no cap 💀.
5.1.7. Recommended Protocol
All systems SHOULD implement the recommended protocols 💖. It's really the move, so do it 💅.
5.1.8. Elective Protocol
A system MAY or MAY NOT implement an elective protocol 🎀. The big idea is: if you're going to do something like this, you MUST do exactly this. Be precise or don't do it at all 💅🍓.
5.1.9. Not Recommended Protocol
These protocols are not recommended for general use 🙅♀️. That MAY be because of their limited functionality, their specialized nature, or because they're experimental or historic 🕰️. Not the vibe for everyday life, bestie.
6. The Protocols 🌈
6.1. Standard Protocols
Here's the lineup of standard protocols 📋💜. Keep your eyes on the Status column, it's where the drama is 👀.
Protocol Name Status RFC
-------- ---- ------ ---
Assigned Numbers Required 1010
Gateway Requirements Required 1009
IP Internet Protocol Required 791
as amended by:
IP Subnet Extension Required 950
IP Broadcast Datagrams Required 919
IP Broadcast Datagrams with Subnets Required 922
ICMP Internet Control Message Protocol Required 792
UDP User Datagram Protocol Recommended 768
TCP Transmission Control Protocol Recommended 793
DOMAIN Domain Name System Recommended 1034,1035
TELNET Telnet Protocol Recommended 854
FTP File Transfer Protocol Recommended 959
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Recommended 821
MAIL Format of Electronic Mail Messages Recommended 822
EGP Exterior Gateway Protocol Recommended 904
NETBIOS NetBIOS Service Protocols Elective 1001,1002
ECHO Echo Protocol Recommended 862
DISCARD Discard Protocol Elective 863
CHARGEN Character Generator Protocol Elective 864
QUOTE Quote of the Day Protocol Elective 865
USERS Active Users Protocol Elective 866
DAYTIME Daytime Protocol Elective 867
TIME Time Server Protocol Elective 8686.2. Specific Standard Protocols
These are the network-specific standard protocols 🌐🦋. Here's the table:
Protocol Name Status RFC
-------- ---- ------ ---
ARP Address Resolution Protocol Elective 826
RARP A Reverse Address Resolution Protocol Elective 903
IP-ARPA Internet Protocol on ARPANET Elective BBN 1822
IP-WB Internet Protocol on Wideband Network Elective 907
IP-X25 Internet Protocol on X.25 Networks Elective 877
IP-E Internet Protocol on Ethernet Networks Elective 894
IP-EE Internet Protocol on Exp. Ethernet Nets Elective 895
IP-IEEE Internet Protocol on IEEE 802 Elective 1042
IP-DC Internet Protocol on DC Networks Elective 891
IP-HC Internet Protocol on Hyperchannnel Elective 1044
IP-ARC Internet Protocol on ARCNET Elective 1051
IP-SLIP Transmission of IP over Serial Lines Elective 1055
IP-NETBIOS Transmission of IP over NETBIOS Elective 1088Now the important bit 📣. A system is expected to support one or more physical networks, and for each physical network it supports, the matching protocols from the list above MUST be supported 🔌. So it's totally elective to support any particular type of physical network 💅. But for the physical networks you actually do support, it is REQUIRED that they be supported exactly according to the protocols in the list above 🔒✨.
6.3. Draft Standard Protocols
Here are the protocols that are still in draft standard territory 🛠️📝.
Protocol Name Status RFC
-------- ---- ------ ---
SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol Recommended 1098
CMOT Common Management Information Services Recommended 1095
and Protocol over TCP/IP
MIB Management Information Base Recommended 1066
SMI Structure of Management Information Recommended 1065
NTP Network Time Protocol Elective 1059
IGMP Internet Group Multicast Protocol Recommended 1054
BOOTP Bootstrap Protocol Recommended 951,1048,1084Okay, the network management drama 🎭. The Internet Activities Board gave two different network management protocols the same status: "Draft Standard" and "Recommended" 👯♀️. Those two are the Common Management Information Services and Protocol over TCP/IP (CMOT) [RFC-1095] and the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) [RFC-1098] 🖧. The IAB wants both of them to get lots of attention from implementers and experimenters 🔍, and it's actively asking system builders and users to share their experience with these two protocols 📬.
The IAB also recommends that all IP and TCP implementations be network manageable, for example by implementing the Internet MIB [RFC-1066] 🧩. And implementations that are network manageable are expected to adopt and implement at least one of these two Internet Draft Standards 🫶🌸.
6.4. Proposed Protocols
Last but not least, here are the proposed protocols 🌱✨. Every single one of these is elective.
Protocol Name Status RFC
-------- ---- ------ ---
SUN-NFS Network File System Protocol Elective 1094
POP3 Post Office Protocol, Version 3 Elective 1081,1082
RIP Routing Information Protocol Elective 1058
SUN-RPC Remote Procedure Call Protocol Elective 1057
PCMAIL Pcmail Transport Protocol Elective 1056
VMTP Versatile Message Transaction Protocol Elective 1045
NFILE A File Access Protocol Elective 1037
Mapping between X.400 and RFC-822 Elective 987,1026
STATSRV Statistics Server Elective 996
NNTP Network News Transfer Protocol Elective 977
NICNAME WhoIs Protocol Elective 954
HOSTNAME HOSTNAME Protocol Elective 953
POP2 Post Office Protocol, Version 2 Elective 937
SFTP Simple File Transfer Protocol Elective 913
RLP Resource Location Protocol Elective 887
RTELNET Remote Telnet Service Elective 818
TFTP Trivial File Transfer Protocol Elective 783
FINGER Finger Protocol Elective 742
SUPDUP SUPDUP Protocol Elective 734
NETED Network Standard Text Editor Elective 569
RJE Remote Job Entry Elective 4076.5. Experimental Protocols 🧪
Okay bestie, the experimental list is up next, and every single row here is marked Not Recommended 💅 (no cap, that's a lot of protocols to be not-recommending 💀).
Protocol Name Status RFC
-------- ---- ------ ---
IP-DVMRP IP Distance Vector Multicast Routing Not Recommended 1075
IP-MTU IP MTU Discovery Options Not Recommended 1063
NETBLT Bulk Data Transfer Protocol Not Recommended 998
IMAP2 Interactive Mail Access Protocol Not Recommended 1064
COOKIE-JAR Authentication Scheme Not Recommended 1004
IRTP Internet Reliable Transaction Protocol Not Recommended 938
AUTH Authentication Service Not Recommended 931
RATP Reliable Asynchronous Transfer Protocol Not Recommended 916
THINWIRE Thinwire Protocol Not Recommended 914
LDP Loader Debugger Protocol Not Recommended 909
RDP Reliable Data Protocol Not Recommended 908
ST Stream Protocol Not Recommended IEN 119
NVP-II Network Voice Protocol Not Recommended ISI memo6.6. Historic Protocols 🕰️
Now the history corner 🏛️ These are the blasts from the past, and a couple of them are marked Elective 🌸.
Protocol Name Status RFC
-------- ---- ------ ---
SGMP Simple Gateway Monitoring Protocol Not Recommended 1028
HEMS High Level Entity Management Protocol Not Recommended 1021
HMP Host Monitoring Protocol Not Recommended 869
GGP Gateway Gateway Protocol Not Recommended 823
CLOCK DCNET Time Server Protocol Not Recommended 778
MPM Internet Message Protocol Not Recommended 759
NETRJS Remote Job Service Elective 740
XNET Cross Net Debugger Elective IEN 158
NAMESERVER Host Name Server Protocol Not Recommended IEN 116
MUX Multiplexing Protocol Not Recommended IEN 90
GRAPHICS Graphics Protocol Not Recommended NIC 243087. Contacts 💌
7.1. Internet Activities Board Contact 🎀
Here's who to reach at the Internet Activities Board:
Contact:
Jon Postel
Deputy Internet Architect
USC Information Sciences Institute
4676 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6695
1-213-822-1511
Postel@ISI.EDUGot thoughts on this list of protocols, especially the Draft Standard Protocols? Send them to the Internet Activities Board, care of the Deputy Internet Architect 💖
7.2. Internet Assigned Numbers Authority Contact 🔢
Contact:
Joyce K. Reynolds
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
USC Information Sciences Institute
4676 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6695
1-213-822-1511
JKRey@ISI.EDUThe protocol standards are managed for the IAB by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority 🫶
For more on the status of protocol documents, check out "Assigned Numbers" (RFC-1010) and "Official Internet Protocols" (RFC-1011). There are also two docs that sum up the requirements for hosts and gateways on the Internet: "Host Requirements" (RFC in preparation) and "Gateway Requirements" (RFC-1009) ✨
How to obtain the most recent edition of this "IAB Official Protocol Standards" memo:
The file in-notes/iab-standards.txt may be copied via FTP from the VENERA.ISI.EDU computer using the FTP username anonymous and FTP password guest. 🍓
7.3. Request for Comments Editor Contact 📝
Contact:
Jon Postel
RFC Editor
USC Information Sciences Institute
4676 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6695
1-213-822-1511
Postel@ISI.EDUWant to get a document published as an RFC? You can email it to the RFC Editor 🦋 If the format or style stuff feels confusing, ask for the "Instructions for RFC Authors". In general, the style of any recent RFC may be used as a guide 💜
7.4. The Network Information Center and Requests for Comments Contact 📚
Contact:
SRI International
DDN Network Information Center
333 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
1-800-235-3155
1-415-859-3695
NIC@SRI-NIC.ARPAThe Network Information Center (NIC) is the one-stop shop for a bunch of Internet information services. One of its big jobs is maintaining the Requests for Comments (RFC) library 👑
RFCs can be grabbed via FTP from SRI-NIC.ARPA with the pathname RFC:RFCnnnn.TXT, where "nnnn" is the number of the RFC. Want a list of all RFCs? Copy the file RFC:RFC-INDEX.TXT. Log in with FTP username ANONYMOUS and password GUEST 🌈
Sites that can't use FTP can still get RFCs by email. Address the request to SERVICE@SRI-NIC.ARPA and put the RFC number in the subject field, like Subject: RFC nnnn 💌
How to obtain the most recent edition of this "IAB Official Protocol Standards" memo:
The file RFC:IAB-STANDARDS.TXT may be copied via FTP from the SRI-NIC.ARPA computer, following the same procedures used to obtain RFCs. ⭐
Author's Address:
Jon Postel
USC/Information Sciences Institute
4676 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Phone: (213) 822-1511
Email: Postel@ISI.EDU📦 where this page comes from
- ietf: rfc1100 1989-04
- 💖 girlified by claude-haiku-5-5 on : a language model's rewrite of the original, under its terms