Requests for Comments

Requests for Comments are a foundational series of technical and organizational documents central to the development of the Internet and its protocols. Initially conceived as informal memos within the early ARPANET community, they have evolved into the principal archival publication channel for the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), and the broader Internet Society. The series encompasses proposed standards, best practices, informational guides, and historical notes, with each document assigned a unique sequential number upon publication.

Overview and purpose

The RFC series originated in 1969 with Steve Crocker, who authored RFC 1 while working on the Network Control Program for the ARPANET. The initial purpose was to facilitate open discussion and consensus-building among the scattered researchers at institutions like UCLA, Stanford Research Institute, and the University of Utah. Today, the primary purpose is to document technical specifications and organizational concepts that constitute Internet standards, governed by processes defined in documents like BCP 9. The RFC Editor, overseen by the IAB, manages the publication process, ensuring documents are permanently archived and freely accessible, serving as the definitive record of the Internet's design and evolution.

Development process

The development of an RFC typically begins within a working group of the IETF, where proposals are debated and refined. A document progresses through stages such as Internet-Draft, undergoing review by the wider community and area directors like those in the Internet Engineering Steering Group. The process is designed to achieve rough consensus, as famously articulated in David D. Clark's maxim, rather than requiring unanimous agreement. For standards-track documents, the path involves stages from Proposed Standard to Draft Standard and finally Internet Standard, a status held by foundational protocols like the Transmission Control Protocol defined in RFC 793. The final review and approval involve bodies such as the IESG and the independent RFC Series Approval Board.

Structure and format

Each RFC has a standardized header containing metadata like the title, author, publication date, and category (e.g., Standards Track, Informational, Experimental). The document body follows a traditional plain-text format, a legacy from its origins, though modern RFCs are also published as PDF and HTML. Key structural sections often include an abstract, detailed technical specifications, security considerations, and references to other relevant RFCs. The categorization is critical, with specific number ranges sometimes used for sub-series, such as those for the Best Current Practice (BCP) documents. The archival and canonical nature of the series is maintained by the RFC Editor function, with historical support from organizations like the Information Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California.

Notable examples and impact

Many RFCs have had a profound impact on global communications. Foundational protocol specifications include RFC 791 for the Internet Protocol, RFC 2616 for HTTP/1.1, and RFC 1035 for the Domain Name System. Some are notable for conceptual or humorous content, such as RFC 1149 which humorously proposed carrier pigeons for IP datagrams, or RFC 2324 which defined the Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol. The philosophical underpinnings of the Internet are captured in documents like RFC 1958, which describes architectural principles, and RFC 3439, which discusses the Internet's layered design. The influence of key individuals like Jon Postel, who served as the long-time RFC Editor, and contributions from organizations like Bolt, Beranek and Newman and MIT are deeply embedded in the series.

Related processes and standards

The RFC process is closely intertwined with other standardization ecosystems. Within the IETF, it relates to the Internet Standards process and the management of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). Externally, it coexists and sometimes interoperates with standards bodies like the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The concept of open, request-for-comment style development has also influenced other communities, such as the Python Software Foundation's use of Python Enhancement Proposals (PEPs). The preservation and accessibility of the series are supported by digital libraries and initiatives like the Internet Archive.

Category:Internet standards Category:Internet architecture Category:Technical communication