RFC 1287 (rfc1287) - Page 2 of 29

Towards the Future Internet Architecture

RFC 1287            Future of Internet Architecture        December 1991


1.  INTRODUCTION

   1.1 The Internet Architecture

      The Internet architecture, the grand plan behind the TCP/IP
      protocol suite, was developed and tested in the late 1970s by a
      small group of network researchers [1-4].  Several important
      features were added to the architecture during the early 1980's --
      subnetting, autonomous systems, and the domain name system [5,6].
      More recently, IP multicasting has been added [7].

      Within this architectural framework, the Internet Engineering Task
      Force (IETF) has been working with great energy and effectiveness
      to engineer, define, extend, test, and standardize protocols for
      the Internet.  Three areas of particular importance have been
      routing protocols, TCP performance, and network management.
      Meanwhile, the Internet infrastructure has continued to grow at an
      astonishing rate.  Since January 1983 when the ARPANET first
      switched from NCP to TCP/IP, the vendors, managers, wizards, and
      researchers of the Internet have all been laboring mightily to
      survive their success.

      A set of the researchers who had defined the Internet architecture
      formed the original membership of the Internet Activities Board
      (IAB).  The IAB evolved from a technical advisory group set up in
      1981 by DARPA to become the general technical and policy oversight
      body for the Internet.  IAB membership has changed over the years
      to better represent the changing needs and issues in the Internet
      community, and more recently, to reflect the internationalization
      of the Internet, but it has retained an institutional concern for
      the protocol architecture.

      The IAB created the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to
      carry out protocol development and engineering for the Internet.
      To manage the burgeoning IETF activities, the IETF chair set up
      the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) within the IETF.
      The IAB and IESG work closely together in ratifying protocol
      standards developed within the IETF.

      Over the past few years, there have been increasing signs of
      strains on the fundamental architecture, mostly stemming from
      continued Internet growth.  Discussions of these problems
      reverberate constantly on many of the major mailing lists.

   1.2  Assumptions

      The priority for solving the problems with the current Internet
      architecture depends upon one's view of the future relevance of



Clark, Chapin, Cerf, Braden, & Hobby