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.

   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.

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