RFC 3426 (rfc3426) - Page 1 of 23
General Architectural and Policy Considerations
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group S. Floyd, Editor
Request for Comments: 3426 Internet Architecture Board
Category: Informational November 2002
General Architectural and Policy Considerations
Status of this Memo
This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does
not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this
memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002). All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
This document suggests general architectural and policy questions
that the IETF community has to address when working on new standards
and protocols. We note that this document contains questions to be
addressed, as opposed to guidelines or architectural principles to be
followed.
1. Introduction
This document suggests general architectural and policy questions to
be addressed in our work in the IETF. This document contains
questions to be addressed, as opposed to guidelines or architectural
principles to be followed. These questions are somewhat similar to
the "Security Considerations" currently required in IETF documents
[RFC 2316].
This document is motivated in part by concerns about a growing lack
of coherence in the overall Internet architecture. We have moved
from a world of a single, coherent architecture designed by a small
group of people, to a world of complex, intricate architecture to
address a wide-spread and heterogeneous environment. Because
individual pieces of the architecture are often designed by
sub-communities, with each sub-community having its own set of
interests, it is necessary to pay increasing attention to how each
piece fits into the larger picture, and to consider how each piece is
chosen. For example, it is unavoidable that each of us is inclined
to solve a problem at the layer of the protocol stack and using the
tools that we understand the best; that does not necessarily mean
that this is the most appropriate layer or set of tools for solving
this problem in the long-term.
Floyd Informational