RFC 777 (rfc777) - Page 1 of 14

Internet Control Message Protocol

Alternative Format: Original Text Document
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Network Working Group                                          J. Postel
Request for Comments: 777                                            ISI
                                                              April 1981
Updates:  IENs 109, 128
Updates:  RFC  760

                   Internet Control Message Protocol



Introduction

   The Internet Protocol (IP) [1] is used for host-to-host datagram
   service in a system of interconnected networks called the
   Catenet [2].  The network connecting devices are called Gateways.
   These gateways communicate between themselves for control purposes
   via a Gateway to Gateway Protocol (GGP) [3,4].  Occasionally a
   gateway or destination host will communicate with a source host, for
   example, to report an error in datagram processing.  For such
   purposes this protocol, the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP),
   is used.  ICMP, uses the basic support of IP as if it were a higher
   level protocol, however, ICMP is actually an integral part of IP, and
   must be implemented by every IP module.

   ICMP messages are sent in several situations:  for example, when a
   datagram cannot reach its destination, when the gateway does not have
   the buffering capacity to forward a datagram, and when the gateway
   can direct the host to send traffic on a shorter route.

   The Internet Protocol is not designed to be absolutely reliable.  The
   purpose of these control messages is to provide feedback about
   problems in the communication environment, not to make IP reliable.
   There are still no guarantees that a datagram will be delivered or a
   control message will be returned.  Some datagrams may still be
   undelivered without any report of their loss.  The higher level
   protocols that use IP must implement their own reliability procedures
   if reliable communication is required.

   The ICMP messages typically report errors in the processing of
   datagrams, to avoid the infinite regress of messages about messages
   etc., no ICMP messages are sent about ICMP messages.

Message Formats

   ICMP messages are sent using the basic IP header.  The first octet of
   the data portion of the datagram is a ICMP type field; the value of
   this field determines the format of the remaining data.  Any field
   labeled "unused" is reserved for later extensions and must be zero
   when sent, but receivers should not check these fields.  Unless
   otherwise noted under the individual format descriptions, the values
   of the internet header fields are as follows:
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