WebSocket Subprotocols: Clarifying Registry Procedures for the WebSocket Subprotocol Name Registry

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)                         T. Hardie
Request for Comments: 7936                                     July 2016
Updates: 6455
Category: Standards Track
ISSN: 2070-1721


                     Clarifying Registry Procedures
              for the WebSocket Subprotocol Name Registry

Abstract

   This document clarifies the instructions to IANA for the subprotocol
   registry set up for WebSockets in RFC 6455.

Status of This Memo

   This is an Internet Standards Track document.

   This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
   (IETF).  It represents the consensus of the IETF community.  It has
   received public review and has been approved for publication by the
   Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG).  Further information on
   Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 7841.

   Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
   and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
   http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7936.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2016 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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   described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ................................................... 2
   2. Clarified Instructions ......................................... 2
   3. Security Considerations ........................................ 2
   4. IANA Considerations ............................................ 2
   5. Normative References ........................................... 3
   Acknowledgements .................................................. 3
   Author's Address .................................................. 3

1.  Introduction

   Section 11.5 of [RFC6455] sets up a WebSocket Subprotocol Name
   Registry at IANA and directs IANA to use First Come First Serve
   registration procedures as set out in [RFC5226].  The reuse of this
   registry by other protocols has indicated that some clarification of
   the instructions to IANA would be useful.

2.  Clarified Instructions

   The tokens registered in the WebSocket Subprotocol Name Registry
   created by Section 11.5 of RFC 6455 are matched using case-sensitive
   string match.  IANA is, however, instructed to decline registrations
   in the registry which differ only as to case, in order to minimize
   potential confusion among different registered versions.  For other
   useful advice on avoiding collision, registrants are encouraged to
   consult the non-normative Section 1.9 of RFC 6455.

3.  Security Considerations

   This document describes an update to registry policy, not a protocol.

4.  IANA Considerations

   This document is, in its entirety, a clarification of the registry
   policy for the WebSocket Subprotocol Name Registry.  As part of this
   clarification, IANA has listed both this document and RFC 6455 as
   references for the WebSocket Subprotocol Name Registry.  In addition,
   IANA has included the following note under the registry's
   Registration Procedures: "Please see Section 2 of RFC 7936, which
   clarifies that registrations which differ from existing registrations
   only by case will be refused."

5.  Normative References

   [RFC6455]  Fette, I. and A. Melnikov, "The WebSocket Protocol",
              RFC 6455, DOI 10.17487/RFC6455, December 2011,
              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6455>.

   [RFC5226]  Narten, T. and H. Alvestrand, "Guidelines for Writing an
              IANA Considerations Section in RFCs", BCP 26, RFC 5226,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC5226, May 2008,
              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5226>.

Acknowledgements

   Takeshi Yoshino, Anne Van Kesteren, Julian Reshke, Barry Leiba, and
   Alexey Melnikov reviewed this update.  Harald Alvestrand acted as
   document shepherd.

Author's Address

   Ted Hardie

   Email: ted.ietf@gmail.com