RFC 1272 (rfc1272) - Page 1 of 19

Internet Accounting: Background

Network Working Group                                           C. Mills
Request for Comments: 1272                                           BBN
                                                                D. Hirsh
                                         Meridian Technology Corporation
                                                                 G. Ruth
                                                                     BBN
                                                           November 1991


                    INTERNET ACCOUNTING: BACKGROUND

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard.  Distribution of this memo is
   unlimited.

1. Statement of Purpose

   This document provides background information for the "Internet
   Accounting Architecture" and is the first of a three document set:

      Internet Accounting Background & Status (this document)
      Internet Accounting Architecture        (under construction)
      Internet Accounting Meter Service       (under construction)

   The focus at this time is on defining METER SERVICES and USAGE
   REPORTING which provide basic semantics for measuring network
   utilization, a syntax, and a data reporting protocol.  The intent is
   to produce a set of standards that is of practical use for early
   experimentation with usage reporting as an internet accounting
   mechanism.

   The architecture should be expandable as additional experience is
   gained.  The short-term Internet Accounting solution is intended to
   merge with OSI and Autonomous Network Research Group (ANRG) efforts
   and be superseded by those efforts in the long term.  The OSI
   accounting working groups are currently defining meter syntax and
   reporting protocols.  The ANRG research group is currently
   researching economic models and accounting tools for the Internet
   environment.

   Internet Accounting as described here does not wrestle with the
   applications of usage reporting, such as monitoring and enforcing
   network policy; nor does it recommend approaches to billing or tackle
   such thorny issues as who pays for packet retransmission.

   This document provides background and tutorial information on issues



Mills, Hirsh, & Ruth