TCP/IP Tutorial and Technical Overview - IBM Redbooks

whether two people are referring to different versions of an RFC, because there
is never more than one current version.
Some RFCs are described as information documents, while others describe
Internet protocols. The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) maintains a list of the
RFCs that describe the protocol suite. Each of these is assigned a state and a
status.
An Internet protocol can have one of the following states:
Standard The IAB has established this as an official protocol for the
Internet. These are separated into two groups:
► IP protocol and above, protocols that apply to the
whole Internet
► Network-specific protocols, generally specifications
of how to do IP on particular types of networks
Draft standard The IAB is actively considering this protocol as a possible
standard protocol. Substantial and widespread testing
and comments are desired. Submit comments and test
results to the IAB. There is a possibility that changes will
be made in a draft protocol before it becomes a standard.
Proposed standard These are protocol proposals that might be considered by
the IAB for standardization in the future. Implementations
and testing by several groups are desirable. Revision of
the protocol is likely.
Experimental A system should not implement an experimental protocol
unless it is participating in the experiment and has
coordinated its use of the protocol with the developer of
the protocol.
Informational Protocols developed by other standard organizations, or
vendors, or that are for other reasons outside the purview
of the IAB may be published as RFCs for the convenience
of the Internet community as informational protocols.
Such protocols might, in some cases, also be
recommended for use on the Internet by the IAB.
Historic These are protocols that are unlikely to ever become
standards in the Internet either because they have been
superseded by later developments or due to lack of
interest.
Chapter 1. Architecture, history, standards, and trends 23