WG Action: RECHARTER: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Bis (httpbis)

[IESG Secretary <[e-mail]>]

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol Bis (httpbis) working group in the
Applications Area of the IETF has been rechartered.  For additional
information, please contact the Area Directors or the working group
Chairs.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Bis (httpbis)
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Current Status: Active Working Group

Chairs:
  Mark Nottingham ([e-mail])

Applications Area Director(s):
  Alexey Melnikov ([e-mail])
  Peter Saint Andre ([e-mail])

Applications Area Advisor:
  Alexey Melnikov ([e-mail])

Mailing Lists:
  General Discussion: [e-mail]
  To Subscribe:[e-mail]
  Subject: subscribe
  Archive: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/ietf-http-wg/

Description of Working Group

HTTP is one of the most successful and widely-used protocols on the 
Internet today. However, its specification has several editorial issues. 
Additionally, after years of implementation and extension, several 
ambiguities have become evident, impairing interoperability and the 
ability to easily implement and use HTTP.

The working group will refine RFC2616 to:
* Incorporate errata and updates (e.g., references, IANA registries, 
  ABNF)
* Fix editorial problems which have led to misunderstandings of the 
  specification
* Clarify conformance requirements
* Remove known ambiguities where they affect interoperability
* Clarify existing methods of extensibility
* Remove or deprecate those features that are not widely implemented and 
  also unduly affect interoperability
* Where necessary, add implementation advice
* Document the security properties of HTTP and its associated mechanisms 
  (e.g., Basic and Digest authentication, cookies, TLS) for common 
  applications

It will also incorporate the generic authentication framework from RFC 
2617, without obsoleting or updating that specification's definition of 
the Basic and Digest schemes.

Finally, it will incorporate relevant portions of RFC 2817 (in 
particular, the CONNECT method and advice on the use of Upgrade), so 
that that specification can be moved to Historic status.

In doing so, it should consider:
* Implementer experience
* Demonstrated use of HTTP
* Impact on existing implementations and deployments

The Working Group must not introduce a new version of HTTP and should 
not add new functionality to HTTP. The WG is not tasked with producing 
new methods, headers, or extension mechanisms, but may introduce new 
protocol elements if necessary as part of revising existing 
functionality which has proven to be problematic.

The Working Group's specification deliverables are:
* A document (or set of documents) that is suitable to supersede RFC 
  2616 and move RFC 2817 to Historic status
* A document cataloguing the security properties of HTTP

Goals and Milestones

Done      First HTTP Revision Internet Draft
Done      First HTTP Security Properties Internet Draft
Nov 2010  Request Last Call for HTTP Revision
Nov 2010  Request Last Call for HTTP Security Properties
Apr 2011  Submit HTTP Revision to IESG for consideration as a Draft 
          Standard
Apr 2011  Submit HTTP Security Properties to IESG for consideration as 
          Informational