Requirements for Internet gateways - draft
RFC 985

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Network Working Group                   Network Technical Advisory Group
Request for Comments: 985                                            NSF
                                                                May 1986

              Requirements for Internet Gateways -- Draft

Status of this Memo

   This RFC summarizes the requirements for gateways to be used on
   networks supporting the DARPA Internet protocols.  While it applies
   specifically to National Science Foundation research programs, the
   requirements are stated in a general context and are believed
   applicable throughout the Internet community.  This document was
   prepared by the Gateway Requirements Subcommittee of the NSF Network
   Technical Advisory Group in cooperation with the Internet Activities
   Board, Internet Architecture Task Force and Internet Engineering Task
   Force.  It requests discussion and suggestions for improvements.
   Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

   The purpose of this document is to present guidance for vendors
   offering products that might be used or adapted for use in an
   Internet application.  It enumerates the protocols required and gives
   references to RFCs and other documents describing the current
   specifications.  In a number of cases the specifications are evolving
   and may contain ambiguous or incomplete information.  In these cases
   further discussion giving specific guidance is included in this
   document.  Specific policy issues relevant to the NSF scientific
   networking community are summarized in an Appendix.

   *********************************************************************

      This is a DRAFT edition of this statement of gateway requirements.
      Comments are sought on this document for consideration and
      possibly incorporated in the final edition.  Comments are
      especially sought from those actually developing gateways,
      particular vendors and potential vendors of gateways.  The period
      for comments is 90 days ending 15-Aug-86, at which time revised
      edition will be issued with a new RFC number.

   *********************************************************************

   Suggestions and comments on this document can be sent to the
   subcommittee chairman Dave Mills (mills@usc-isid.arpa), or NTAG
   committee chairman Dave Farber (farber@huey.udel.edu).  The
   subcommittee members, present affiliations and Internet mailboxes are
   as follows:

      Hank Dardy, NRL                 dardy@nrl.arpa
      Dave Farber, U Delaware         farber@huey.udel.edu
      Dennis Jennings, JVNC         jennings%pucc.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu

NTAG                                                            [Page 1]



RFC 985                                                         May 1986
Requirements for Internet Gateways -- DRAFT

      Larry Landweber, U Wisconsin    landweber@rsch.wisc.edu
      Tony Lauck, DEC                 rhea!bergil!lauck@decwrl.arpa
      Dave Mills (Chairman), Linkabit mills@usc-isid.arpa
      Dennis Perry, DARPA/IPTO        perry@ipto.arpa

   The subcommittee wishes to thank the following additional
   contributors and invited referees:

      Len Bosack, Stanford U/CISCO    bosack@su-score.arpa
      Bob Braden, ISI                 braden@isi-braden.arpa
      Hans-Werner Braun, U Michigan   hwb@gw.umich.edu
      Noel Chiappa, MIT/Proteon       jnc@proteon.arpa
      Doug Comer, Purdue U            dec@cs.purdue.edu
      Ira Fuchs, Princeton U          fuchs%pucc.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu
      Ed Krol, U Illinois            krol%uiucvmd.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu
      Barry Leiner, RIACS             leiner@riacs.arpa
      Mike Muuss, BRL                 mike@brl.arpa
      Ron Natalie, BRL                ron@brl.arpa
      Harvey Newman, CIT              newman@cit-hex.arpa
      Jon Postel, ISI                 postel@usc-isib.arpa
      Marshall Rose, NRTC             mrose@nrtc-gremlin.northrop.com
      Jeff Schiller, MIT              jis@bitsy.mit.edu
      Lixia Zhang, MIT                lixia@xx.lcs.mit.edu

1.  Introduction

   The following sections are intended as an introduction and background
   for those unfamiliar with the DARPA Internet architecture and the
   Internet gateway model.  General background and discussion on the
   Internet architecture and supporting protocol suite can be found in
   the DDN Protocol Handbook [25] and ARPANET Information Brochure [26],
   both available from the Network Information Center, SRI
   International, Menlo Park, CA 94025.  Readers familiar with these
   concepts can proceed directly to Section 2.

   1.1.  The DARPA Internet Architecture

      The DARPA Internet system consists of a number of gateways and
      networks that collectively provide packet transport for hosts
      subscribing to the DARPA Internet protocol architecture.  These
      protocols include the Internet Protocol (IP), Internet Control
      Message Protocol (ICMP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and