RFC 1173 (rfc1173) - Page 2 of 5

Responsibilities of host and network managers: A summary of the "oral tradition" of the Internet

RFC 1173     Responsibilities of Host and Network Managers   August 1990


   the tools, access and experience needed for efficient analysis may
   not all exist at a single site.

   This communal approach to Internet management and maintenance is
   dictated by the present decentralized organizational structure.  The
   structure, in turn, exists because it is inexpensive and responsive
   to diverse local needs.  Furthermore, for the near term, it is our
   only choice; I don't see any prospect of either the government or
   private enterprise building a monolithic, centralized, ubiquitous "Ma
   Datagram" network provider in this century.

2. Responsibilities of Network Managers

   One or more individuals are responsible for every IP net or subnet
   which is connected to the Internet.  Their names, phone numbers and
   postal addresses MUST be supplied to the Internet NIC (or to the
   local or regional transit network's NIC) prior to the network's
   initial connection to the Internet, and updates and corrections MUST
   be provided in a timely manner for as long as the net remains
   connected.

   In order to adequately deal with problems that may arise, a network
   manager must have either:

      A. System management access privileges on every host and router
         connected to the local network, or:

      B. The authority and access to either power off, re-boot,
         physically disconnect or disable forwarding IP datagrams from
         any individual host system that may be misbehaving.

   For all networks, a network manager capable of exercising this level
   of control MUST be accessible via telephone 8 hours a day, 5 days a
   week.  For nets carrying transit traffic, a network manager SHOULD be
   accessible via telephone 24 hours a day.

3. Responsibilities of Host System Managers

   One or more individuals must be responsible for every host connected
   to the Internet.  This person MUST have the authority, access and
   tools necessary to configure, operate and control access to the
   system.  For important timesharing hosts, primary domain name servers
   and mail relays or gateways, responsible individual(s) SHOULD be
   accessible via telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

   For less-important timesharing hosts or single-user PCs or
   workstations, the responsible individual(s) MUST be prepared for the
   possiblity that their network manager may have to intervene in their



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