RFC (Request For Comment)

Internet as we see it today, is the result of the planning and growth that can be tracked back to a sequence of highly-polished documents called Internet Protocol, Request for Comments (RFCs). RFCs are running as the foundation stones of internet standardization which provide essence, specification, protocol, procedure, and methodology on how distinct elements of the internet are interlinked. Originally started in 1969 and constantly updated to date, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has been responsible for the establishment, development and current management of RFC. This article starts with the historical background, purpose, significance, kind, and major achievements of RFCs in molding today’s WWW.

What is a Request for Comment (RFC)?

When defining the world of networking and Internet protocols, an RFC is known as a ‘Request for Comment ‘. Essentially, an RFC is a type of technical document issued by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that describes specifications, procedures, and standards in given Internet technologies. Current RFCs in Use: Blueprint of the Internet This article encapsulates the historical perspectives, aims, formation, and roles of RFCs in defining today’s internet.

Historical Background

Eric A. Roberts stated that RFCs were created in 1969 by Steve Crocker who was an early ARPANET proponent. The first RFC was officially called “Host Software”, and it was the very first step to document protocols used in ARPANET. This was a simple document that aimed to describe protocols in ARPANET but signified the initiation of RFCs. At first, RFCs were meant to be simply basic, untechnical communications that the scientific community could dissect and assemble quickly for the encouragement of conversation among researchers and engineers who were developing the initial network.

Role of IETF

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) are the two main organizations which reviews and publish RFCs. The IETF is an international standards organization that was founded in 1986 and which operates on the principle of being open to all its members with the goal of optimizing the operation of the internet as well as facilitating its evolution. It is made up of working groups, which are some subgroups that tackle issues like routing, security, and transport protocols.

Rather than acting strictly on voting procedures, the IETF has a working motto of ‘rough consensus and running code’, meaning that decisions are made in accordance with whatever consensus is possible and informed by the best available working code. These are very important if one wants to develop and deploy new internet standards, this approach has been used in the development of new internet standards.

Purpose of RFCs

RFCs serve several critical functions in the development and maintenance of internet protocols and standards:

• Documentation: RFCs are standards that offer an ideal and complete source of knowledge about specific protocols, procedures and standards. Incorporated standards”, they act as an archive of the development of Internet standards.
• Standardization: RFCs are used commonly for development of protocols and procedures that help create better compatible system and network.
• Discussion and Collaboration: Discussions carried out in the context of RFCs are relatively free and unstructured, allowing researchers, engineers and developers to get together and improve the technology, in terms of the internet.
• Guidance: An RFC is a finely documented method or technique of employing a a particular technology or a set of technologies for structuring the Internet and offers the best practices for implementing and deploying those technologies.

Structure of an RFC

An RFC can be of a general or complex nature, although it has a specific format, which usually consists of several essential parts:

• Title Page: Typically the title page contains RFC number and title, the author and date of the document publication, and possibly an abstract containing a brief description of the document contents.
• Status of This Memo: This section shows how advanced the RFC is in terms of standards, for example, whether it is currently a proposed standard or a draft standard, or simply an RFC informational document.
• Table of Contents: The guidelines on what should be included in text formation also need to follow an organized approach that can easily be navigated in the document.
• Introduction: The memory sections giving the context, the aim of the RFC, and a description of the problem being solved.
• Specification: They elaborate on the main topic and involve definitions, protocols, algorithms, procedures, and other technical descriptions.
• Security Considerations: In this sectioan, common security threats are identified as well as recommendations made regarding their management.
• References: Including all the sources referred to throughout the document like other RFCs, scientific journal articles, and technical papers.
• Acknowledgments: Some of things which needed to be done include: Pay tribute to all those people and organizations who have assisted in putting together the RFC.

Types of RFCs

They can also be grouped in several types depending on their function and message Nevertheless, in most of the cases, RFCs are of the following types:

• Standards Track RFCs: These RFCs contain new internet standards or changes in the existing ones and may outline specifications for protocols and how they are to be implemented and interconnect. They are put through a lot of scrutiny and stringency before any is considered ready for adoption as standard.
• Informational RFCs: While these documents offer information and explanations concerning a number of issues in the area of the Internet, they do not include new standardization recommendations.
• Experimental RFCs: These RFCs are produced by the IETF to define experimental protocols or procedures that may not yet be ready for standardization but are published in the public domain for test and further reviews.
• Best Current Practice (BCP) RFCs: This is a valuable source of information as it contains information about how to properly employ and introduce Internet technologies.
• Historic RFCs: These RFCs refer to protocols which are no longer implemented or procedures which have been replaced by newer implementations.

The RFC Process

The process of preparing and releasing an RFC is multi-step and includes several indispensable stages:

• Internet Draft: First, the Internet Society Internet Draft is offered as the initial proposition and this basic document is open to many amendments. Internet Drafts are normally valid for a finite time period, usually for about six months, and during this period it may be subject to update, replacement or abandonment.
• Working Group Review: After that, the draft passes through the respective IETF working group attempt to critically discuss, test, and modify the draft.
• Last Call: When the working group is ready to sign off on the document, the official document is published for a Last Call when other individuals in the IETF can respond.
• IESG Review: This document is then reviewed by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) to assess the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and conformity of the draft with all existing standards.
• Publication as RFC: And if the IESG reviews them and endorse it, then the draft is published as an RFCs by the RFC Editor and it is coded with an official number and is made public.

Significant RFCs in Internet History

Different RFCs have helped in the development of the internet and some of them are the following:

• RFC 791: This RFC outlined the Internet Protocol or the IP, which is the fundamental tool in the routing of data packets through the networks.
• RFC 793: This document laid down the parameters for the Transmission Control Protocol or TCP which is essential in guaranteeing that the computing devices that are connected in a network are able to exchange data successfully.
• RFC 1035: This RFC defined the Domain Name System, the convention of translating reasonable sounding names into digitally suitably formatted IP addresses.
• RFC 2616: Under HTTP 1.1 this document had described the Hypertext Transfer Protocol that is so crucial for Web communication.

Conclusion

RFCs stand as the nourishing as well as the driving force of internet standardization and evolution. They establish a well-defined, professional, and transparent environment that is suitable for the creation and improvement of the protocols and technologies involved in the use of the internet. Due to the hard work of the IETF and the overall technical community members, the RFCs helped the internet transition from a simple usenet-type system to the contemporary world wide web. Recognizing what the RFC process is and what it contributes towards make it possible to better appreciate the effort and cooperation needed to ensure and develop the infrastructure of the internet.