Internet Engineering Task Force

Introduction

TheInternetEngineeringTaskForce,establishedattheendof1985,isthemostauthoritativeInternettechnologystandardizationorganizationintheworld.ItsmaintaskistoberesponsibleforthedevelopmentandformulationofInternet-relatedtechnicalspecifications.MostoftheinternationalInternettechnologystandardscomefromtheIETF.

IETFisaninternationalnon-governmentalorganizationspontaneouslyparticipatedandmanagedbyexpertswhohavecontributedtoInternettechnologyengineeringanddevelopment.Itbringstogethernetworkdesigners,operatorsandresearchersrelatedtotheevolutionoftheInternetarchitectureandstableoperationoftheInternet,andisopentoallthoseinterestedintheindustry.AnyonecanregistertoparticipateinIETFmeetings.

Maintasks

ThemaintaskoftheIETFistoberesponsibleforthedevelopmentandformulationofInternet-relatedtechnicalstandards.Itisanauthoritativenetwork-relatedtechnologyresearchgroupintheinternationalInternetindustry.AlargeamountoftechnicalworkoftheIETFisundertakenandcompletedbyvariousinternalworkinggroups(WorkingGroup,referredtoasWG).Theseworkinggroupsareorganizedaccordingtovariousresearchtopicsofdifferentcategories.Beforetheestablishmentoftheworkinggroup,someresearcherswillspontaneouslyconductresearchonatopicthroughthemailgroup.Whentheresearchismoremature,theycanapplytotheIETFtosetupaninterestgroup(birdsofafeather,BOFforshort)tocarryoutthepreparatoryworkfortheworkinggroup.Afterthepreparatoryworkiscompleted,theworkinggroupcanbeestablishedaftertheupper-levelresearchandapprovaloftheIETF.TheworkinggroupconductsspecialresearchintheIETFframework,suchasspecialworkinggroupsonrouting,transmission,security,etc.Anyoneinterestedinthistechnologycanfreelyparticipateinthediscussionandputforwardtheirownviews.Eachworkinggrouphasanindependentmailgroup,andthemembersoftheworkinggroupexchangeinformationthroughmail.TheIETFholdsthreemeetingsayear,withascaleofmorethan1,000people.

Architecture

IETFarchitectureisdividedintothreecategories,oneistheInternetArchitectureBoard(IAB),thesecondistheInternetEngineeringSteeringCommittee(IESG),andthethirdisinWorkingGroupineightareas.Thestandardformulationworkisspecificallyundertakenbytheworkinggroup,whichisdividedintoeightareas,namelyInternetrouting,transmission,applicationareas,andsoon.IABmembersareselectedbyIETFparticipants.Theymainlymonitortheworkingconditionsofvariousworkinggroups.ItmustseriouslyconsiderwhattheInternetis,whatchangesitistakingplace,andwhatweneedittodo.ThemainresponsibilityoftheInternetEngineeringSteeringCommittee(IESG)istoreceivereportsfromvariousworkinggroups,reviewtheirwork,andthenputforwardguidingopinionsonthevariousstandardsandrecommendationstheyputforward,andevenGivecertainguidancefromtheworkdirection,qualityandprocedure.

TheIETFisbasicallynotinvolvedintheapplicationfield,butstillhasanapplicationfield.Inaddition,allresearchtopicsthatarenotincludedintheabove-mentionedfieldsareclassifiedintothiscategory.TheIETFactuallyhashundredsofworkinggroups,andthisiswheretheworkisactuallydone.ThecommunicationworkoftheIETFismainlycarriedoutinthemailgroupsestablishedbyvariousworkinggroups,whichisalsothemainworkingmethodoftheIETF.

IETFproducestwokindsofdocuments,oneiscalledInternetDraft,or"InternetDraft",andthesecondiscalledRFC.Itsnamecomesfromhistoricalreasons.Itwasoriginallycalledarequestforopinions,anditsnameInfact,itisnotconsistentwithitscontent.

InternetDraftcanbesubmittedbyanyonewithoutanyspecialrestrictions,andothermemberscanalsotakeanindifferentattitudetowardsit,andmanyimportantdocumentsoftheIETFstartfromthisDraft.ItshouldbenotedthatjusttobecomeanInternetDraftismeaningless.InternetDraftactuallyhasseveralpurposes.SomeofthemaresubmittedtobecomeRFCs,someofthemareproposedfordiscussion,andsomeofthemwanttopublishsomearticles.

RFCismoreformal,andithasbeenarchivedinhistory.Generallyspeaking,itscontentwillnotbechangedafteritisapprovedforpublication.TherearemanykindsofRFCs.Thefirstisthatitisastandard,andthesecondisthatitisexperimental.RFCisnothingmorethansayingthatpeoplewanttodosuchathingtogether,tryit,andtheotheristhatitishistorical.,Thisisarecordofpeoplewhohavedonesomethingwrongornotworking.Anotheriscalledintroductoryinformation.

IETFispositionedasamultinationalnon-governmentalorganizationforInternettechnologyresearchanddevelopment.AlthoughmanyInternettechnicalspecificationshavebeendiscussedintheIETFandhavebecomerecognizedstandards,theyarestilldifferentfromtraditionalstandards-makingorganizationsliketheInternationalTelecommunicationUnion(ITU-InternationalTelecommunicationUnion).ParticipantsofIETFarevolunteers.MostofthemaccomplishthefollowingmissionsoftheorganizationthroughthethreemeetingsheldeachyearbyIETF:*IdentifytheoperationandtechnicalproblemsoftheInternetandproposesolutions;

*DetailsExplainthedevelopmentoruseofInternetprotocols,andsolvecorrespondingproblems;

*MakerecommendationstoIESGonInternetprotocolstandardsanduses;

*PromotethetechnologyoftheInternetResearchTaskForce(IRTF)TheresearchresultsarepromotedtotheInternetcommunity;

Internet Engineering Task Force

*ItprovidesaforumforinformationexchangeincludingInternetusers,researchers,marketers,contractorsandmanagers.

Architecture

AlargeamountoftechnicalworkoftheIETFisundertakenandcompletedbyvariousinternalworkinggroups(WG).Theseworkinggroupsareorganizedaccordingtovariousresearchtopicsofdifferentcategories.Beforetheestablishmentoftheworkinggroup,someresearchersspontaneouslyconductresearchonatopicthroughthemailgroup.Whentheresearchismoremature,youcanapplytotheIETFtosetupaninterestgroup(birdsofafeather,referredtoasBOF)tocarryoutthepreparatoryworkfortheworkinggroup.Afterthepreparatoryworkiscompleted,aworkinggroupcanbeestablishedaftertheupper-levelresearchandapprovaloftheIETF.TheworkinggroupconductsspecialresearchintheIETFframework,suchasspecialworkinggroupsonrouting,transmission,security,etc.Anyoneinterestedinthistechnologycanfreelyparticipateinthediscussionandputforwardtheirownviews.Eachworkinggrouphasanindependentmailgroup,andthemembersoftheworkinggroupexchangeinformationthroughmail.TheIETFholdsthreemeetingsayear,withascaleofmorethan1,000people.

JobClassification

IETFclassifiesworkinggroupsintodifferentfields,andeachfieldismanagedbyseveralAreaDirectors(AD).

TheInternetEngineeringSteeringCommittee(TheInternetEngineeringSteeringGroup,referredtoasIESG)istheupper-levelorganizationoftheIETF.ItiscomposedofsomeexpertsandAD,andhasachairposition.

TheInternationalInternetArchitectureBoard(InternetArchitectureBoard,IABforshort)isresponsiblefortheoveralltechnicaladviceoftheInternetsociety,andappointstheIETFchairmanandIESGmembers.IABandIETFaremembersoftheInternetSociety(ISOC).

TheInternationalInternetNumberAssignmentAgency(IANA)isresponsiblefortheallocationofimportantnumberresourcesintheInternet,andtheallocationandcoordinationofimportantresourcenumbersusedinalargenumberofInternetprotocols.

Fields

IETFclassifiesworkinggroupsintodifferentfields,andeachfieldismanagedbyseveralAreaDirectors(AD).TheInternetEngineeringSteeringGroup(IESG)istheupper-levelorganizationoftheIETF.ItiscomposedofsomeexpertsandAD,andhasachairposition.TheInternetArchitectureBoard(IAB)isresponsiblefortheoveralltechnicaladviceoftheInternetsocietyandappointstheIETFchairmanandIESGmembers.IABandIETFaremembersoftheInternetSociety(ISOC).

Beforethe1990s,theIETFwasfavoredbythecomputerpublishingindustry.Itclaimsthatitwillbeamoreagile,modestandopenstandardizationentitycomparedtothedull,noisyISOandITU-Tbureaucracy.Unfortunately,theefficiencyoftheIETFthroughoutthe1980swasanaturalresultofitsrelativelysmallsize,andthendisappeared.

In1993,mostobserversclearlydiscoveredthattheInternetisbecomingthenextsupermediumofcommunication;andthecompetingOSIprojecthasfailed.Suddenly,alltheguyswithalittletechnicalknowledgetriedtomakeafortuneincomputerhistorybyparticipatingintheIETF.Thesizeoftheworkinggroupskyrocketed,anditsefficiencyplummetedasaresult.

Themostnotoriousandwell-documentedIETFproblemmayhaveoccurredwhenTimBerners-LeewastheleaderoftheWorldWideWebConsortium(W3C)whenhetriedtopersonallyleadWebstandards.developmentof.AccordingtowhathesaidlaterinthebookWeavingtheWeb(WeavingtheWeb),everyonewhohasexperiencedtoomuchwantstoexpresstheirviewsonthefutureoftheirowninnovationHefailedattheIETFmeetinganddidnothing.

In2003and2004,IETFChairmanHaraldAlvestrandcarriedoutmoderateinstitutionalreformstoadapttothefactthattheIETFisalreadyalargeandmaturestandardizationorganization,andisnolongerasmallSpecialworkinggroup.

PreviousIETFPresidents

BrianCarpenter(2005-2018)

HaraldTveitAlvestrand(2001-2005)

FredBaker(1996-2001)

PaulMockapetris(1994-1995)

PhillGross(1986-1993)

MikeCorrigan(1986)

See

Standardization

RFC