RFC 5704 on Uncoordinated Protocol Development Considered Harmful

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        RFC 5704

        Title:      Uncoordinated Protocol Development Considered Harmful 
        Author:     S. Bryant, Ed.,
                    M. Morrow, Ed.,
                    IAB
        Status:     Informational
        Date:       November 2009
        Mailbox:    stbryant@cisco.com, 
                    mmorrow@cisco.com, 
                    iab@iab.org
        Pages:      15
        Characters: 36383
        Updates/Obsoletes/SeeAlso:   None

        I-D Tag:    draft-iab-mpls-tp-uncoord-harmful-02.txt

        URL:        http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5704.txt

This document identifies problems that may result from the absence of
formal coordination and joint development on protocols of mutual
interest between standards development organizations (SDOs).  Some of
these problems may cause significant harm to the Internet.  The
document suggests that a robust procedure is required prevent this
from occurring in the future.  The IAB has selected a number of case
studies, such as Transport MPLS (T-MPLS), as recent examples to
describe the hazard to the Internet architecture that results from
uncoordinated adaptation of a protocol.

This experience has resulted in a considerable improvement in the
relationship between the IETF and the ITU-T.  In particular, this was
achieved via the establishment of the "Joint working team on
MPLS-TP".  In addition, the leadership of the two organizations
agreed to improve inter-organizational working practices so as to
avoid conflict in the future between ITU-T Recommendations and IETF
RFCs.

Whilst we use ITU-T - IETF interactions in these case studies, the
scope of the document extends to all SDOs that have an overlapping
protocol interest with the IETF.  This memo provides information for
the Internet community.

This document is a product of the Internet Architecture Board.

INFORMATIONAL: This memo provides information for the Internet community.
It does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of
this memo is unlimited.

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