RFC 1920 (rfc1920) - Page 1 of 40


Internet Official Protocol Standards



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                        Internet Architecture Board
Request for Comments: 1920                             J. Postel, Editor
Obsoletes: 1880, 1800, 1780, 1720,                            March 1996
1610, 1600, 1540, 1500, 1410, 1360,
1280, 1250, 1200, 1140, 1130, 1100, 1083
STD: 1
Category: Standards Track


                  INTERNET OFFICIAL PROTOCOL STANDARDS


Status of this Memo

   This memo describes the state of standardization of protocols used in
   the Internet as determined by the Internet Architecture Board (IAB).
   This memo is an Internet Standard.  Distribution of this memo is
   unlimited.

Table of Contents

   Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
   1.  The Standardization Process  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
   2.  The Request for Comments Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   3.  Other Reference Documents  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
   3.1.  Assigned Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
   3.2.  Gateway Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
   3.3.  Host Requirements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
   3.4.  The MIL-STD Documents  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
   4.  Explanation of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
   4.1.  Definitions of Protocol State (Maturity Level) . . . . . . 9
   4.1.1.  Standard Protocol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
   4.1.2.  Draft Standard Protocol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
   4.1.3.  Proposed Standard Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
   4.1.4.  Experimental Protocol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
   4.1.5.  Informational Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   4.1.6.  Historic Protocol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   4.2.  Definitions of Protocol Status (Requirement Level) . . .  10
   4.2.1.  Required Protocol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   4.2.2.  Recommended Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   4.2.3.  Elective Protocol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   4.2.4.  Limited Use Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   4.2.5.  Not Recommended Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   5.  The Standards Track  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
   5.1.  The RFC Processing Decision Table  . . . . . . . . . . .  11
   5.2.  The Standards Track Diagram  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
   6.  The Protocols  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
   6.1.  Recent Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14



Internet Architecture Board Standards Track