Network Working Group                                         J. Klensin
Internet-Draft                                          February 7, 2005
Expires: August 11, 2005


      Standing Documents Describing IETF Processes and Operations
                      draft-ietf-newtrk-sd-00.txt

Status of this Memo

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Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2005).

Abstract

   The "ISD" model for specifying the definition, status, and content of
   Internet Standards does not appear to be satisfactory for the
   documents that describe IETF procedures, structure, or relationships
   with other bodies.  Those documents have traditionally be published
   as BCPs and described as "process" BCPs.  This document proposes an
   special document series for those process documents, paralleling the
   ISDs.



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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   2.  Proposal Overview  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   3.  A New Document Series  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   4.  Content and Organization of an ISD Document  . . . . . . . . .  4
   5.  Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
   6.  IANA Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
   7.  Security Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
   8.  Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
   9.  References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
     9.1   Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
     9.2   Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
       Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
       Intellectual Property and Copyright Statements . . . . . . . .  6




































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1.  Introduction

   [[ Note in draft: The on-list discussions of the ISD specification
   seem to have concluded that including the IETF procedural BCP
   documents in the ISD series would be a mistake for a number of
   different reasons.  This document is posted as a placeholder in the
   event that the NEWTRK WG concludes that the general ISD idea would be
   appropriate for process documents, but that the ISD series is not the
   right repository.  If the WG makes that decision, the present author
   would welcome a volunteer to take this document over and coordinate
   drawing the details together.  ]]

   The "ISD" model for specifying the definition, status, and content of
   Internet Standards [repurposing-ISD] does not appear to be
   satisfactory for the documents that describe IETF procedures,
   structure, or relationships with other bodies.  Those documents have
   traditionally be published as BCPs and described as "process" BCPs.
   This document proposes an special document series for those process
   documents, paralleling the ISDs.

   Other standards bodies seem to have similar series.  They are called
   "Standing Documents" in INCITS and many other ANSI-accredited SDOs,
   "Directives" in ISO and ISO/IEC JTC1, and A-series Recommendations or
   WTSA Resolutions in ITU-T.

2.  Proposal Overview

   This document proposes that a new document series be created, called
   IETF Standing Documents ("IETFSD"s) and that these be real documents,
   separate from the underlying RFCs.  The documents would be managed
   under the direction of the IESG as part of the IETF procedural
   definition process, rather than being simply undifferentiated BCPs.

   [[ Note in Draft:  A better name, one less likely to be confused with
   "ISD" is solicited.  ]]

3.  A New Document Series

   This set of documents could be initialized simply by creating
   template reference documents to the existing process BCP RFCs,
   complementing their BCP identities.  While it would be desirable to
   remove the target documents from the BCP series entirely, existing
   references to them by BCP numbers would require a long transition
   period before doing so.

   Since these documents, following the ISD model, would involve a
   lighter-weight modification process than issuing a completely new
   RFC, they could accommodate minor changes to the procedures by inline



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   notes.  They could also act as a repository for IESG operational
   notes, such as "id-nits".

4.  Content and Organization of an ISD Document

   [[ Placeholder -- details to be developed if the WG decides to go
   down this path]]

5.  Transition

   The Internet-Draft [ISD-Examples-Process] appears to contain most of
   the information needed to create this series.  An alternative to a
   series is to create a single master standing document that refers to
   the RFCs and policy statements that would otherwise make up the
   document collection.  That I-D would essentially be the first draft
   of that document.

6.  IANA Considerations

   This document does not anticipate any specific tasks for the IANA.
   The IANA has traditionally not been involved in maintaining
   registries for IETF process activities.

7.  Security Considerations

   This document specifies an administrative procedure for the IETF and
   hence does not raise any new issues about the security of the
   Internet.

8.  Acknowledgements

   [[ To be supplied ]]

9.  References

9.1  Normative References

   [RFC2026]  Bradner, S., "The Internet Standards Process -- Revision
              3", BCP 9, RFC 2026, October 1996.

9.2  Informative References

   [ISD-Examples-Process]
              Bradner, S., "Sample ISD for the IETF Standards Process",
              Internet-Draft draft-ietf-newtrk-sample-isd-00, October
              2004.

   [RFC1311]  Postel, J., "Introduction to the STD Notes", RFC 1311,



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              March 1992.

   [RFC1396]  Crocker, S., "The Process for Organization of Internet
              Standards Working Group (POISED)", RFC 1396, January 1993.

   [RFC1602]  Huitema, C. and P. Gross, "The Internet Standards Process
              -- Revision 2", RFC 1602, March 1994.

   [RFC2223]  Postel, J. and J. Reynolds, "Instructions to RFC Authors",
              RFC 2223, October 1997.

   [RFC3774]  Davies, E., "IETF Problem Statement", RFC 3774, May 2004.

   [repurposing-ISD]
              Klensin, J. and J. Loughney, "Internet Standards
              Documentation (ISDs)",
              Internet-Draft draft-ietf-newtrk-repurposing-isd-02a,
              February 2005.

   [rfc2223bis]
              Reynolds, J. and R. Braden, "Instructions to Request for
              Comments (RFC) Authors",
              Internet-Draft draft-rfc-editor-rfc2223bis-07, August
              2003.


Author's Address

   John C Klensin
   1770 Massachusetts Ave, #322
   Cambridge, MA  02140
   USA

   Phone: +1 617 491 5735
   Email: john-ietf@jck.com
















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Acknowledgment

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   Internet Society.




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