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.




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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.























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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: [email protected]


     Yakov Rekhter
     cisco Systems, Inc.
     170 West Tasman Drive
     San Jose, CA 95134

     Phone: 914-528-0090
     EMail: [email protected]


     Tony Li
     cisco Systems, Inc.
     1525 O'Brien Drive
     Menlo Park, CA 94025

     EMail: [email protected]

























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