FYI -- informal notes about organizational structures

[Leslie Daigle <leslie@thinkingcat.com>]

Some time ago, I mentioned that I had informal notes that
I update & circulate each year for new IAB folk.  The
suggestion was made that these might be helpful for IESG
folk, too!

So -- this year's updated version attached.  Again, these
are informal (my understanding of the universe; improvements
welcomed :-)

Leslie.

--

-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Reality:
     Yours to discover."
                                -- ThinkingCat 
Leslie Daigle
leslie@thinkingcat.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------



The IETF -- what is it
======================

The suite of reference documents, necessary reading, are:


RFC2014 "IRTF Research Group Guidelines and Procedures"

RFC2026 "The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 3"

RFC2028 "The Organizations Involved in the IETF Standards Process"
	Though process and definitions are updated elsewhere --
	RFC2727 and RFC2850.

RFC2418 "IETF Working Group Guidelines and Procedures"

RFC2727 "IAB and IESG Selection, Confirmation, and Recall Process:
           Operation of the Nominating and Recall Committees"

RFC2850 "Charter of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB)"

RFC3160 "The Tao of the IETF"

RFC3233 "Defining the IETF"



The IETF -- individual contribution
===================================

Individuals contribute the work that makes the IETF technical content:

	. individuals participating in standards discussions

	. document authors/editors/contributors

	. working group chairs

	. NomCom -- NomCom chair is appointed by the ISOC president;
	  the 10 voting members are selected at random from 
	  the pool of IETF participant volunteers

	. IESG -- Area Directors selected by the NomCom, to 
	  charter and manage WGs, and review their output.
	  The IESG collectively defines its processes to achieve this
	  IETF function.

	. IAB -- individuals selected by the NomCom to 
	  provide architectural input -- on proposed WG charters,
	  BoF sessions, through workshops, and, lately, through
	  papers on specific topics helpful to pre-working group work 

	. IRTF -- research arm of the IETF, defined in RFC2014; the 
	  IAB appoints the IRTF chair.


IETF Functions -- Caring for the technical content
==================================================

The IETF is an unincorporated body; it is not a legal entity.
In matters of management of content -- things that must
be maintained and operated (i.e., paid for) -- other bodies
are relied upon.  Wherever possible, we (the IETF) define the
function, and establish contracts for carrying out the service.

The Secretariat -- Meeting organization (negotiating and
signing contracts with hotels, etc),  Internet-Drafts administration,
and IESG administration (minutes, teleconferences, IETF web site,
IESG document management, backups etc).  This has evolved from a CNRI 
contribution -- Foretec Seminars is a spinoff, which is operating
based on IETF meeting fees.

RFC Editor -- This is an independent publishing function, that
works cooperatively with the IESG to publish documents.  In particular, 
the RFC Editor has discretion to publish independently-submitted
Internet-Drafts as Informational or Experimental, although all 
individual publication is done upon discussion with the IESG.  This is 
both a technical (review) and editorial process.  This has evolved 
from an ISI-contributed effort, to being funded through ISOC.  

IANA function -- management of the registration of the numbers and 
values associated with IETF-developed standards.  Currently being 
provided under our direction (MoU in place) at ICANN.



The ISOC Relationship
=====================

The Internet Society (ISOC) -- the ISOC website describes the 
IETF as one of its chartered activities.  We often view/use ISOC
as our corporate umbrella.  ISOC can sign, and has signed, contracts 
that we cannot (e.g., RFC Editor).  ISOC underwrites the areas of the 
IETF that are not otherwise funded -- RFC Editor, insurance for IAB 
and IESG members and working group chairs, legal counsel when needed, 
IAB monthly teleconferences (as well as IAB-only lunches & dinners
at the IETF meetings).  ISOC, as our legal entity, holds the
copyright on the RFC series.




Excerpts from elsewhere
=======================

http://www.ietf.org/overview.html

"The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is a large open
 international community of network designers, operators, vendors,
 and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet
 architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet. It is open to
 any interested individual."


The Tao of the IETF (http://www.ietf.org/tao) says:

"The Internet Engineering Task Force is a loosely self-organized
group of people who contribute to the engineering and evolution of
Internet technologies. It is the principal body engaged in the
development of new Internet standard specifications. The IETF is
unusual in that it exists as a collection of happenings, but is not
a corporation and has no board of directors, no members, and no dues.

Its mission includes:

      . Identifying, and proposing solutions to, pressing operational
        and technical problems in the Internet;
      . Specifying the development or usage of protocols and the
        near-term architecture to solve such technical problems for
	the Internet;
      . Making recommendations tothe Internet Engineering Steering
      	Group (IESG) regarding the standardization of protocols and
	protocol usage in the Internet;
      . Facilitating technology transfer from the Internet Research
        Task Force (IRTF) to the wider Internet community; and
      . Providing a forum for the exchange of information within the
        Internet community between vendors, users, researchers, agency
	contractors, and network managers. "



>From "Defining the IETF" (RFC3233):

  "As described in BCP 11, Internet standardization is an organized
   activity of the ISOC, with the ISOC Board of Trustees being
   responsible for ratifying the procedures and rules of the Internet
   standards process.  However, the IETF is not a formal subset of ISOC;
   for example, one does not have to join ISOC to be a member of the
   IETF."


The IETF Relationship Facts 
===========================
March 17, 2003.


Current organizations with which the IETF has relationships, or
is believed to have relationships:
	. ISOC
	. Foretec Seminars
	. IANA
	. ICANN
	. PSO
	. ITU
	. W3C
	. ISO JTC1
	. 3GPP
	. 3GPP2
	. US Government 

(Note that this is not addressing IAB-IESG relationships, or
 IETF-IRTF relationships).


Summary of IETF liaisons
------------------------

As listed on the IETF web pages, March 2003:

	IAB			Erik Nordmark
	ISO/IEC JTC1 SC2 	Pete Resnick
	ISO/IEC JTC1 SC6 	Allison Mankin
	ISO/IEC JTC1 SC29 	Stephen Casner
	ATM Forum		Andy Malis
	ITU-T			Scott Bradner
	Unicode			Patrik Faltstrom
	W3C			Leslie Daigle
	WIPO			Patrik Faltstrom
	3GPP 			Thomas Narten
	3GPP2 			Thomas Narten
	RSSAC 			Rob Austein



ITU-T SG and WP Liaisons
        
The agreement for ITU-IETF interworking (RFC 2436) does not require
designated representatives to conduct regular business; most
interactions occur directly at the WG (or WP) level).  Representatives
are designated for specific ITU-T-related meetings when that seems
appropriate, but only for one meeting or sequence of meetings.



ISOC -- Internet Society
------------------------

Relationship:  multivariate, with named liaison to IAB. The ISOC
   holds/pays for the RFC Editor contract, pays for insurances
   for IAB members, Area Directors, and Working Group chairs, as
   well as legal counsel should the IETF need it.

Purpose:  the IETF is chartered by ISOC, and ISOC funds cover those
   activities that are not otherwise self-funding (i.e., Secretariat,
   meeting costs, etc).


Foretec Seminars
----------------

Relationship:  we contract Foretec's services.  This is an
   increasingly-formalized relationship that was initially
   established with CNRI, and then spun out to Foretec.

Purpose:  provides the Secretariat function -- for the IESG, 
   Internet-Drafts administration, and meeting arrangements/costs.


IANA -- Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (Function)
------------------------------------------------------

Relationship:  we contract for the activity of assigning parameters
   for the protocols we develop.  Current instantiation is governed by 
   RFC 2860, which describes the understanding between the IETF and 
   ICANN regarding what ICANN does for the IETF-IANA function.

Purpose:  assignment and management of Internet protocol parameters



ICANN -- Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
------------------------------------------------------------
Relationship:  informal, and participation in Technical Liaison Group
and via proposed non-voting ICANN Board of Trustees liaison.

Purpose:  give our technical input to ICANN's operational role in 
   management of assignments; see that there continues to be a workable
   mechanism for assigning names and numbers that allows the Internet
   to function



ITU -- International Telecommunications Union 
---------------------------------------------
Relationship:  Formal liaison described in RFC2436

Purpose:  coordination between protocol development efforts.


W3C -- World Wide Web Consortium
--------------------------------
Relationship:  "I don't think we have anything really formal with W3C
   - probably just some email in somebody's compressed archives." --
   Brian Carpenter
Purpose:  Coordination of standards development -- where WWW and 
   Internet meet/overlap.  


ISO JTC1 -- ??
---------------
Relationship:  "ISO JTC1 liaisons (plural, with individual SCs). These
   were signed off years ago by Vint as ISOC President - I used to have
   paper copies, which I think I passed on to John when he took over." 
   -- Brian Carpenter

Purpose:  standards coordination.



3GPP -- 3rd Generation Partnership Project
------------------------------------------
Relationship:  Awareness, open access to documents.  Draft
   defined in  RFC3113.

Purpose:  coordination of standards development and co-involvement.


3GPP2 -- 3rd Generation Partnership Project too
-----------------------------------------------
Relationship:  Awareness, open access to documents.  Draft
   defined in  RFC3131.

Purpose:  coordination of standards development and co-involvement.


US Government
-------------
Relationship:  None.  There is the perception of a relationship, 
   built somewhat on historic funding relationships.  

Purpose: <>

Scorecard for the uninitiated:
	. US NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information
	  Administration, part of the Department of Commerce) is 
	  the part of the USGovt that has been dealing with ICANN.
	. Not all parts of the USGovt are sympathetic with what
	  NTIA has done
	. FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is completely separate
	  from NTIA.