Internet Protocol Handbook: Table of contents
A draft table of contents for a handbook of Internet protocol documents.
Postel, J., "Internet Protocol Handbook: Table of contents", RFC 766, DOI 10.17487/RFC0766, July 1980, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc766>.
@misc{rfc766,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 766,
howpublished = {RFC 766},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0766},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc766},
author = {J. Postel},
title = {{Internet Protocol Handbook: Table of contents}},
pagetotal = 2,
year = 1980,
month = jul,
} RFC text
Network Working Group J. Postel
Request for Comments: 766 ISI
July 1980
Obsoletes: IENs 94, 118
Internet Protocol Handbook
In recent years the ARPA Network Research Program has had as one concern
the interconnection of networks. In the course of this research a
family of protocols suitable for an internetwork environment has
emerged. Much of this work is documented in a series of project memos
called Internet Experiment Notes or IENs. A few of these IENs document
protocols in the internet protocol family. Most of the major internet
protocol documents have also been issued as RFCs.
The situation has evolved to the point that it is appropriate for the
internet family of protocols to replace the old ARPANET protocols. To
this end an Internet Protocol Handbook will be prepared by the Network
Information Center. This Handbook is tentatively planned to be
available at the end of 1980. This Internet Protocol Handbook will
closely parallel the old ARPANET Protocol Handbook, and will primarily
be a collection of existing RFCs and IENs.
Attached is the current draft table of contents for the Internet
Protocol Handbook. Any suggestions for additions should be sent to Jon
Postel (Postel@ISIF).
RFCs and IENs are public access document files and may be copied from
the Network Information Center online Library at SRI-KL via FTP using
the FTP user name ANONYMOUS and password GUEST. The IENs have pathnames
of the form "<NETINFO>IEN-nnn.TXT", and the RFCs have pathnames of the
form "<NETINFO>RFCnnn.TXT", where "nnn" is replaced by the document
number. [Note the inconsistency: IENs have a hyphen in the pathname,
RFCs don't.]
RFC 766
Internet Protocol Handbook
Table of Contents
Gateway Level
Internet Datagram Protocol RFC-760 IEN-128
How to Build a Gateway IEN-109
Gateway Monitoring Protocol IEN-131
Host Level
User Datagram Protocol IEN-88
Transmission Control Protocol RFC-761 IEN-129
Multiplexing Protocol IEN-90
Application Level
Time Server Protocol IEN-142
Name Server Protocol IEN-116
Trivial File Transfer Protocol IEN-133
Telnet Protocol RFC-764 IEN-148
File Transfer Protocol RFC-765 IEN-149
Internet Message Protocol RFC-753 IEN-85
Appendices
Assigned Numbers RFC-762 IEN-127
Protocol Options IEN-114
Address Mappings IEN-115
Document File Format Standards RFC-678
Mail Header Format Standards RFC-733
ISO Plain Language
On this page
§1Why Plan a Handbook
The memo says that work on interconnecting networks had produced a family of protocols documented in Internet Experiment Notes (IENs) and RFCs. It describes the Internet protocol family as ready to replace the old ARPANET protocols.
The Network Information Center was to prepare an Internet Protocol Handbook, primarily by collecting existing RFCs and IENs. RFC 766 publishes the current draft table of contents and invites suggestions for additions.
Internet protocols were documented in many separate notes and RFCs. This memo proposes gathering those documents into one handbook.
§2Proposed Handbook Sections
The draft outline organizes material into Gateway Level, Host Level, and Application Level. Gateway topics include the Internet Datagram Protocol and gateway monitoring; host topics include UDP, TCP, and multiplexing; application topics include time, name, file transfer, Telnet, and message protocols.
Appendices cover assigned numbers, protocol options, address mappings, document file format standards, and mail header format standards. The RFC presents an outline for a compilation, not new protocol specifications.
The planned handbook groups protocols by their role: gateways, hosts, or applications. Appendices would collect reference material such as assigned numbers and address mappings.
§3Accessing RFCs and IENs
The memo says RFCs and IENs were public-access files available from the Network Information Center at SRI-KL via FTP. It gives pathname patterns for each type: <NETINFO>IEN-nnn.TXT for IENs and <NETINFO>RFCnnn.TXT for RFCs, noting that the IEN form includes a hyphen and the RFC form does not.
The memo explains how readers could retrieve the source documents by FTP. It notes a difference in the filename pattern for IENs and RFCs.