RFC 2026

RFC 2026
Title	The Internet Standards Process - Revision 3
Author	Scott Bradner
Date	October 1996
Rfc	2026
Updates	RFC 1602
Obsoletes	RFC 1602
Status	Best Current Practice
Series	RFC Series

RFC 2026, titled "The Internet Standards Process - Revision 3," is a foundational Best Current Practice document that formally defines the procedures for creating and evolving Internet standards. Authored by Scott Bradner and published in October 1996, it obsoletes the earlier RFC 1602 and establishes the structured framework known as the Internet Standards Track. This document is published by the Internet Engineering Task Force and is crucial for the orderly development of protocols like TCP and IP.

Overview and Purpose

RFC 2026 was created to provide a clear, stable, and open process for the standardization of technologies essential to the Internet. Its primary purpose is to ensure technical excellence, prior testing, and clear documentation before a specification is elevated to the status of an Internet Standard. The process is designed to be managed by the consensus-driven Internet Engineering Task Force and its steering group, the Internet Engineering Steering Group. This framework aims to produce standards that are of high quality and have demonstrated interoperability, supporting the robust growth of the global network.

Key Definitions and Concepts

The document establishes precise terminology critical to the standards process. It defines the Internet Standards Track itself, which consists of distinct maturity levels: Proposed Standard, Draft Standard, and finally Internet Standard. Other key document types include Best Current Practice and Informational RFCs. Central to the process is the concept of rough consensus, a principle championed within the IETF that emphasizes general agreement over formal voting. The document also details the roles of the Internet Architecture Board in providing architectural oversight.

The Standards Track Process

The progression along the Internet Standards Track is a rigorous, multi-stage journey. A specification begins as a Proposed Standard, which must be stable, well-reviewed, and have resolved any known design choices. Advancement to Draft Standard requires significant implementation and operational experience, demonstrating interoperability between at least two independent implementations. The final stage, achieving the status of an Internet Standard, signifies a specification is mature, widely deployed, and critically important to the Internet. This process is managed through working groups within the IETF and formal reviews by the Internet Engineering Steering Group.

Types of RFCs and Their Roles

Not all Request for Comments are intended to become standards. RFC 2026 categorizes documents based on their purpose. Standards Track RFCs follow the defined maturity process. Best Current Practice documents, like RFC 2026 itself, describe agreed-upon practices for the Internet community. Informational RFCs provide general information or background, such as the HTTP overview in RFC 1945. Experimental RFCs document research and development, while Historic RFCs are those that have been superseded or are no longer considered relevant to current practice.

The Role of the IETF and RFC Editor

The Internet Engineering Task Force is the primary body that develops and approves specifications under this process. Its working groups, such as those for IPv6 or Transport Layer Security, are where technical work and consensus-building occur. The Internet Engineering Steering Group provides technical management and approves the progression of documents. The independent RFC Editor, historically operated by the USC Information Sciences Institute, is responsible for the final editing, publication, and archival of the RFC Series, ensuring a consistent and permanent record.

Impact and Historical Context

RFC 2026 has had a profound and lasting impact on the evolution of the Internet. By formalizing a transparent and engineering-focused process, it provided the stability needed for the massive scaling of the network in the late 1990s and beyond. It underpins the development of core protocols like BGP and SMTP. The process itself has been refined by later documents, such as RFC 6410, but the core framework established by Scott Bradner remains intact. Its principles of openness and rough consensus continue to define the culture of the IETF and the success of the Internet as a whole.

Category:Internet standards Category:Request for Comments Category:Internet Engineering Task Force