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Differences from draft-housley-two-maturity-levels-00.txt

Internet-Draft                                                R. Housley
Updates: 2026 (if approved)                               Vigil Security
Intended Status: BCP                                        23 June 2010
Expires: 23 December 2010


          Reducing the Standards Track to Two Maturity Levels
                draft-housley-two-maturity-levels-01.txt


Abstract

   This document proposes several changes to the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF) Standards Process defined in RFC 2026, primarily a
   reduction from three IETF standards track maturity levels to two.

Status of this Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted to IETF in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF), its areas, and its working groups. Note that other
   groups may also distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   The list of current Internet-Drafts can be accessed at
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   The list of Internet-Draft Shadow Directories can be accessed at
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Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2010 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions  Relating to IETF Documents
   (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info)  in effect on the date of
   publication of this document.  Please review these documents
   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
   to this document.




Housley                                                         [Page 1]

INTERNET DRAFT                                                 June 2010


1.  Introduction

   This document proposes several changes to the Internet Standards
   Process defined in RFC 2026 [1].  In recent years, the Internet
   Engineering Task Force (IETF) has witnessed difficulty in advancing
   documents through the maturity levels: Proposed Standard, Draft
   Standard, and finally Standard.  The proposed changes are designed to
   simplify the process and reduce impediments to standards progression
   while preserving the benefits of the IETF engineering approach.

   During May 2010, the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG)
   discussed the possible ways of reducing impediments to standards
   progression.  The IESG made the following observations:

    o Since many documents are published as Proposed Standard and never
      advances to a higher maturity level, the initial publication
      receives much more scrutiny that is call for by RFC 2026 [1].

    o When implementation reports are developed, protocols are improved
      by removing the complexity associated with features that are not
      used in practice.

   The intent is to provide an environment where the IETF community gets
   a "second bite at the apple" so that "good enough" documents are
   published as soon as rough consensus is achieved.  Further,
   subsequent revisions to the document should be easier, with
   advancement in maturity level being based on achieving interoperable
   implementations.

2.  The First Maturity Level: Proposed Standard

   The requirements for Proposed Standard are unchanged; they remain
   exactly as specified in RFC 2026 [1].

3.  The Second Maturity Level 2: Internet Standard

   This maturity level is very similar to Draft Standard as specified in
   RFC 2026 [1].  The name change avoids confusion between "Draft
   Standard" and "Internet-Draft".

   The criteria for advancing from Proposed Standard to Internet
   Standard are roughly the same as the current criteria for moving to
   Draft Standard.

   Along with documentation of interoperability testing, the
   documentation must include information about the support of each of
   the individual options and features.  Guidance on documenting the
   specific implementations which qualify the specification Internet



Housley                                                         [Page 2]

INTERNET DRAFT                                                 June 2010


   Standard status is provided in RFC 5657 [2].  This documentation
   should be submitted to the Area Director (AD) with the protocol
   action request, which is described in Section 6 of RFC 2026 [1].

4.  No Third Maturity Level

   The final "Standard" maturity level is simply abolished.  The benefit
   associated with third maturity level has proven insufficient to
   justify the effort associated with document progression.  The
   "Internet Standard" becomes the final maturity level.

5.  Timing Requirements

   The requirement for six months between "Proposed Standard" and
   "Internet Standard" is removed.  If an interoperability report is
   provided with the initial protocol action request, then the document
   can be approved directly at the Internet Standard maturity level
   without first being approved at the Proposed Standard maturity level.

   In practice the annual review of Proposed Standard documents after
   two years has not taken place.  Lack of this review has not revealed
   any ill effects on the Internet Standards Process.  As a result, the
   requirement for this review is dropped.  No review cycle is imposed
   on standards track documents at any maturity level.

6.  Downward References Permitted

   Internet Standards are allowed to make normative references to
   Proposed Standards.  The rules that make references to documents at
   lower maturity levels are a major cause of stagnation in the
   advancement of documents.  This change allows an Internet Standard to
   freely reference features in any standards track RFC.  This change
   enables expeditious promotion of Proposed Standard documents to
   Internet Standard documents.  Downward references to Internet-Draft
   documents continue to be prohibited.

7.  STD Numbers

   Under current practice, a STD number is assigned only when a document
   (or document set) reaches the full Standard maturity level.  In
   several situations, an RFC that has reached the full Standard
   maturity level has been obsoleted by a RFC at Proposed Standard
   maturity level, causing great confusion about which specification
   ought to be implemented.  Further, the assignment of an STD number
   offers little value.  As a result, the STD numbering system is
   abandoned.





Housley                                                         [Page 3]

INTERNET DRAFT                                                 June 2010


8.  Transition to a Standards Track with Two Maturity Levels

   On the day these changes are published as a BCP, all existing Draft
   Standard and Standard documents automatically get reclassified as
   Internet Standard documents.  Corresponding changes would be made to
   the RFC Index and other features of the RFC Editor web site.  Also,
   the STD index will be marked historic.

9.  Security Considerations

   This document does not directly affect the security of the Internet.

10.  IANA Considerations

   This document requests no action by the IANA.

   {{{ RFC Editor: Please delete this section before publication. }}}

11.  Acknowledgements

   A two-stage standards track proposal has been proposed many times.
   Spencer Dawkins, Charlie Perkins and Dave Crocker made a proposal in
   2003.  Another proposal was made by Scott Bradner in 2004.  Another
   proposal was made by Brian Carpenter in June 2005.  Another proposal
   was made by Ran Atkinson in 2006.

   In May 2010, the IESG discussed the topic at length and came to the
   conclusion that the current situation was becoming more and more
   difficult.  This proposal takes ideas from the IESG discussion as
   well as many of these prior proposals.

12.  References

12.1.  Normative References


   [1]  Bradner, S., "The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 3",
        BCP 9, RFC 2026, October 1996.

12.2.  Informative References

   [2]  Dusseault, L., and R. Sparks, "Guidance on Interoperation
        and Implementation Reports for Advancement to Draft Standard",
        BCP 9, RFC 5657, September 2009.







Housley                                                         [Page 4]

INTERNET DRAFT                                                 June 2010


Author's Address

   Russell Housley
   Vigil Security, LLC
   918 Spring Knoll Drive
   Herndon, VA 20170 USA
   Email: housley@vigilsec.com












































Housley                                                         [Page 5]