RFC3109


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Network Working Group R. Braden Request for Comments: 3109 ISI Category: Informational R. Bush RGnet J. Klensin AT&T May 2001 Request to Move STD 39 to Historic Status Status of this Memo This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. Copyright Notice Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2001). All Rights Reserved. Abstract This memo changes the status of STD 39, BBN Report 1822, "Specification of the Interconnection of a Host and an IMP", from Standard to Historic.

1. Introduction

The Internet design grew out of the pioneering packet-switched network called the ARPAnet. The ARPAnet was a mostly-US national network built of mini-computer packet switches, called Interface Message Processors (IMPs), that were linked by 56kbps leased telephone lines. The IMPs were designed and built by Bolt, Beranek, and Neumann (BBN) under contract with ARPA, beginning in 1968. One of BBN's first tasks was to define the standard hardware interface between a host and a colocated IMP. This interface was described in BBN Report 1822 [BBN1822], which was a bible for the administrators of the many different hosts that connected to the ARPAnet. The BBN Report 1822 host/IMP hardware interface was bit-serial and asynchronous. In 1968, the 8-bit byte had not yet been adopted as an industry standard, so the interface had to cope with word-based machines with arbitrary word length -- some common word lengths were 8, 12, 16, 24, 36, and 60, but there were others. From the software viewpoint, Report 1822 defined what would today be called the link- layer access protocol for the ARPAnet. Braden, et al. Informational [Page 1]
RFC 3109 Request to Move STD 39 to Historic Status May 2001 In 1983 the US DoD moved the ARPAnet technology to TCP/IP and split off parts of the ARPAnet to form a production facility called MILNET. The DoD mandated a byte-oriented, X.25-based interface for the MILNET IMPs. However, the machines on the research-oriented ARPAnet continued to use the 1822 interface under the new Internet protocol suite. Therefore, BBN Report 1822 was made an Internet Standard, STD 39, although the report was not republished as an RFC.

2. Action

Since the ARPAnet technology and the BBN 1822 interface are no longer in use, the IESG is moving BBN Report 1822 from Standard to Historic status. The STD number 39 is retired.

3. Security Considerations

Moving STD 39 to historic has no known effect on the security of the Internet.

4. References

[BBN1822] STD 39 is BBN Report 1822 "Specification for the Interconnection of a Host and an IMP". This can be ordered from Bolt, Beranek, and Newman, 10 Moulton Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Braden, et al. Informational [Page 2]
RFC 3109 Request to Move STD 39 to Historic Status May 2001

5. Authors' Addresses

Robert Braden USC/Information Sciences Institute 4676 Admiralty Way Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6695 Phone: +1 310-822-1511 EMail: braden@isi.edu Randy Bush 5147 Crystal Springs Bainbridge Island, WA US-98110 Phone: +1 206-780-0431 EMail: randy@psg.com John C. Klensin 1770 Massachusetts Ave, Suite 322 Cambridge, MA 02140, USA EMail: klensin@jck.com Braden, et al. Informational [Page 3]
RFC 3109 Request to Move STD 39 to Historic Status May 2001

6. Full Copyright Statement

Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2001). All Rights Reserved. This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are included on all such copies and derivative works. However, this document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or other Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose of developing Internet standards in which case the procedures for copyrights defined in the Internet Standards process must be followed, or as required to translate it into languages other than English. The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns. This document and the information contained herein is provided on an "AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Acknowledgement Funding for the RFC Editor function is currently provided by the Internet Society. Braden, et al. Informational [Page 4]