RFC 1302 (rfc1302) - Page 2 of 13

Building a Network Information Services Infrastructure

RFC 1302                          NISI                     February 1992


Table of Contents

   1. PURPOSE........................................................  2
   2. DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES.........................................  3
   3. DEFINITION OF A NIC AND A NOC..................................  3
   4. HISTORY........................................................  3
   5. ESSENTIAL NIC FUNCTIONS........................................  5
   5.1 Provide Information Resources.................................  5
   5.2 Support End-Users.............................................  6
   5.3 Collect and Maintain NIC Referral Information.................  7
   5.4 Support the NIC Infrastructure................................  7
   6. EXAMPLES OF PRESENT NIC SERVICES...............................  8
   6.1 Direct User Support...........................................  8
   6.1.1 Referrals...................................................  8
   6.1.2 User-to-User Communication..................................  8
   6.1.3 Application Support.........................................  9
   6.1.4 Technical Support...........................................  9
   6.1.5 Emergency Services..........................................  9
   6.2 User Training Services........................................  9
   6.3 Marketing and Public Relations Services.......................  9
   6.3.1 Newsletters.................................................  9
   6.3.2 Other Publications..........................................  9
   6.3.3 PR Activities...............................................  9
   6.4 Information Repository Services...............................  9
   6.5 Administrative Services....................................... 10
   7. EXAMPLES OF PRESENT INFORMATION DELIVERY MECHANISMS............ 10
   8. DATABASE ACCURACY ISSUES....................................... 11
   9. SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS........................................ 12
   10. AUTHORS' ADDRESSES............................................ 13

1. PURPOSE

   The purpose of this document is to define the role of NICs in the
   Internet and establish guidelines for new and existing NICs regarding
   the user services they provide.  This document is also a move toward
   standardizing NIC services, which will aid in the development of an
   overall information infrastructure that will allow NICs to easily and
   routinely cooperate in assisting users.

   NICs for networks that are part of the Internet may be called upon to
   serve users of the greater Internet as well as those of their own
   networks.  This responsibility brings with it the added challenge of
   coordinating services with other NICs to better serve the general
   Internet community.  Toward that end, this document also proposes
   some easily implemented changes to facilitate the exchange of
   information and services between NICs.





Sitzler, Smith, & Marine