Network Working Group                                          D. Latham
Request for Comments: 1039                                           DoD
Obsoletes RFC-945                                           January 1988

      A DoD Statement on Open Systems Interconnection Protocols

Status of this Memo

  This RFC reproduces a memorandum issued on 2-JUL-87 from the
  Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications,
  and Intelligence (ASDC31) to the Director of the Defense
  Communications Agency (DCA).  This memo is distributed for
  information only.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Memorandum

  There has been recent rapid progress in the specification and
  implementation of computer protocols based on the International
  Organization for Standardization model for Open Systems
  Interconnection (OSI).  The Government OSI Profile (GOSIP), dated 22
  April 1987, contains sufficient information to specify adequately and
  acquire interoperable vendor implementations of OSI message handling
  and file transfer capabilities.  Therefore, the policy on
  standardization of host-to-host protocols for data communications,
  promulgated by USDR&E memo of 23 March 1982, is modified as follows.
  The OSI message handling and file transfer protocols, together with
  their underlying protocols as defined in GOSIP, are adopted as
  experimental co-standards to the DoD protocols which provide similar
  services (MIL-STDs 1777, 1778, 1780, and 1781).  These OSI protocols
  may be specified in addition to, in lieu of, or as an optional
  alternative to DoD protocols, in cases where the current DoD protocol
  applicability statements apply.  They are designated as experimental
  because of the limited operational experience currently available
  with the OSI protocols and the limited operational, testing, and
  security environment currently defined in GOSIP.  Services and
  agencies choosing to implement OSI protocols at this time should
  carefully evaluate these factors and be prepared to deal with the
  complications which may accompany the introduction of new technology.

  It is intended to adopt the OSI protocols as a full co-standard with
  the DoD protocols when GOSIP is formally approved as a Federal
  Information Processing Standard.  Two years thereafter, the OSI
  protocols would become the sole mandatory interoperable protocol
  suite; however, a capability for interoperation with DoD protocols
  would be provided for the expected life of systems supporting the DoD
  protocols.

  In order to extend the OSI protocol capabilities and provide



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RFC 1039                A DoD Statement on OSIP             January 1988


  interoperability between the DoD and OSI protocols as rapidly as
  possible, the following actions are requested:

     a.  The Director, Defense Communications Agency, as the DoD
     Executive Agent for Data Communications Protocol Standards,
     should:

     * Publish by November 1987 the DoD-OSI Interoperability and
     Transition Plan.  The plan should provide for interoperation of
     the DoD and OSI protocols at the application level.  A capability
     for experimental interoperability of DoD and OSI message handling
     and file transfer capabilities should be provided by March 1988,
     and a limit operational capability by January 1989.

     * Join the Corporation for Open Systems (COS) as the Department of
     Defense representative.  COS is a non-profit consortium formed to
     deal with testing and other operational issues relating to OSI
     protocols. At the request of the Office of Management and Budget,
     the Services and other defense agencies should not join COS
     directly, but may participate as the agents of DCA on appropriate
     COS committees.

     * Coordinate Service and agency participation, in accordance with
     existing directives, in groups developing OSI standards,
     specifications and operating and management procedures.  These
     groups include the Government OSI User's Group, the National
     Bureau of Standards OSI Implementor's Workshop, the Corporation
     for Open Systems, the Manufacturing and Automation Protocol (MAP)
     and Technical and Office Protocol (TOP) user's groups, the
     American National Standards Institute X3S3 and X3T5 committees,
     and the NATO Tri-Service Group on Communications and Electronic
     Equipment, Sub-Group 9 (Data Processing and Distribution).

     b.  The Director, National Security Agency should assure that the
     efforts of the ongoing Secure Data Network Systems program can be
     used to provide the security extensions defined as future work
     items in GOSIP.

     c.  The Services and defense agencies should share the results and
     experience of early implementations under the experimental
     coexistence policy by actively participating in the groups
     indicated above, under DCA coordination.  This experience should
     be particularly valuable in assuring that military requirements
     can be satisfied by the developing OSI standards, specifications,
     and procedures.

  This guidance provides for the interim steps necessary to continue
  progress toward implementation of OSI standards.  As the technology



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RFC 1039                A DoD Statement on OSIP             January 1988


  matures and DoD gains additional experience, the final implementation
  details will be provided in a DoD Directive.

References

  [1] Dinneen, Memorandum of Dec 78, IEN-152.

  [2] Dinneen, Memorandum of Apr 80, IEN-152.

  [3] DeLauer, Memorandum of Mar 82, IEN-207.

  [4] Latham, Memorandum of Apr 85, RFC-945.







































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