Printable Version: RFC1160.PDF
RFC 1160 The IAB May 1990
States.
At the international level, a Coordinating Committee for
Intercontinental Research Networks (CCIRN) has been formed which
includes the U.S. FNC and its counterparts in North America and
Europe. Co-chaired by the executive directors of the FNC and the
European Association of Research Networks (RARE), the CCIRN provides
a forum for cooperative planning among the principal North American
and European research networking bodies.
2. Internet Activities Board
The Internet Activities Board (IAB) is the coordinating committee for
Internet design, engineering and management. The Internet is a
collection of over two thousand of packet switched networks located
principally in the U.S., but also in many other parts of the world,
all interlinked and operating using the protocols of the TCP/IP
protocol suite. The IAB is an independent committee of researchers
and professionals with a technical interest in the health and
evolution of the Internet system. Membership changes with time to
adjust to the current realities of the research interests of the
participants, the needs of the Internet system and the concerns of
constituent members of the Internet.
IAB members are deeply committed to making the Internet function
effectively and evolve to meet a large scale, high speed future. New
members are appointed by the chairman of the IAB, with the advice and
consent of the remaining members. The chairman serves a term of two
years and is elected by the members of the IAB. The IAB focuses on
the TCP/IP protocol suite, and extensions to the Internet system to
support multiple protocol suites.
The IAB has two principal subsidiary task forces:
1) Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
2) Internet Research Task Force (IRTF)
Each of these Task Forces is led by a chairman and guided by a
Steering Group which reports to the IAB through its chairman. Each
task force is organized, by the chairman, as required, to carry out
its charter. For the most part, a collection of Working Groups
carries out the work program of each Task Force.
All decisions of the IAB are made public. The principal vehicle by
which IAB decisions are propagated to the parties interested in the
Internet and its TCP/IP protocol suite is the Request for Comment
(RFC) note series. The archival RFC series was initiated in 1969 by
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