From 4bfd864f10b68b71482b35c818559068ef8d5797 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Thomas Voss Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2024 20:54:24 +0100 Subject: doc: Add RFC documents --- doc/rfc/rfc2441.txt | 339 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 339 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/rfc/rfc2441.txt (limited to 'doc/rfc/rfc2441.txt') diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc2441.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc2441.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..42063a3 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc2441.txt @@ -0,0 +1,339 @@ + + + + + + +Network Working Group D. Cohen +Request for Comments: 2441 Myricom +Category: Informational November 1998 + + + Working with Jon + Tribute delivered at UCLA, October 30, 1998 + +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 (1998). All Rights Reserved. + +Tribute + + In 1973, after doing interactive flight simulation over the ARPAnet, + I joined ISI and applied that experience to interactive speech over + the ARPAnet. + + The communication requirements for realtime speech were unique (more + like UDP than like TCP). This got me involved in the Network Working + Group, and I started another project at ISI called "Internet + Concepts". + + In 1977 Steve Crocker, who was then at ISI, told me that Jon was + willing to join us, and that Jon will be a great addition to my + Internet Concepts project. Steve was right on both accounts. + + Jon and I worked together from 1977 until 1993 when I left ISI. + According to ISI's management Jon worked for me for several years, + and I worked for him for several years. In reality we never worked + for each other (nor for ISI), we always worked together, to advance + the technology that we believed in. Over most of those 16 years we + had our offices together, and always worked with each other, even + when we worked on totally different projects. + + Jon was always most pleasant to work with. He was most caring both + about the project, and about the individuals on the team. He was + always full of great intentions and humor. Jon was always ready for + mischiefs, one way or another. He was always game to hack something. + + + + + + +Cohen Informational [Page 1] + +RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998 + + + When I worked on the MOSIS project, in 1980, users submitted their + VLSI designs to us by e-mail. For several defense contractors, + getting access to the ARPAnet was too complex. We suggested that + they would use a commercial e-mail service, like TELEmail, instead. + + Then we had the problem of getting all the e-mail systems to + interoperate, since none of them was willing to interoperate with the + others. Jon and I solved this problem during one long night of + hacking. This hack later became the mail-tunnel that provided the + service known as "InterMail", for passing e-mail between various + non-cooperating systems, including systems like MCImail and IEEE's + COMPmail. + + I'm sure that Jon was so enthusiastic to work with me on it for two + reasons: + + * Such interoperability among heterogeneous e-mail systems + was our religion, with no tolerance for separatism; + + * We definitely were not supposed to do it. + + Jon hated bureaucracy and silly rules, as Cary Thomas so well + described. Too bad that we lived in an environment with so many + rules. + + We started Los-Nettos without lawyers and without formal contracts. + Handshakes were good enough. At that time several other regional + networks started around the country. Most of them were interested in + expansion, in glory, and in fortune. Jon was interested only in + getting the problem solved. + + This was Jon's priority, both at work, and in his life. + + I find it funny to read in the papers that Jon was the director of + IANA. Jon was IANA. Much more important, Jon was the corporate + memory of the Internet, and also the corporate style and the + technical taste of the Internet. + + Jon was an authority without bureaucracy. No silly rules! Jon's + authority was not derived from any management structure. It was due + to his personality, his dedication, deep understanding, and demanding + technical taste and style. + + Jon set the standards for both the Internet standards and for the + Internet standardization process. Jon turned the RFCs into a central + piece of the standardization process. + + + + + +Cohen Informational [Page 2] + +RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998 + + + One can also read that Jon was the editor of the RFC, and may think + that Jon checked only the grammar or the format of the RFCs. Nothing + could be further from the truth, not that he did not check it, but in + addition, being the corporate memory, Jon had indicated many times to + authors that earlier work had treated the same subject, and that + their work would be improved by learning about that earlier work. + + For the benefits of those in the audience who are either too young or + too old to remember let me recall some recent history: + + The Internet protocols (mainly IP, TCP, UDP, FTP, Telnet, FTP, and + even SNMP) were defined and documented in their RFCs. DoD adopted + them and announced a date by which all of DoD units would have to use + TCP/IP. They even translated RFC791 from Jon's English to proper + Militarese. + + However, all the other countries (i.e., their governments and PTTs) + in the world joined the ISO wagon, the X.25 based suite of OSI + protocols. The US government joined them and defined GOSIP. All the + large computer companies (from IBM and DEC down) announced their + future plans to join the GOSIP bandwagon. DoD totally capitulated + and denounced the "DoD unique protocols" and was seeking ways to + forget all about them, spending million of dollars on GOSIP and + X.500. + + Against them, on the Internet side, there was a very small group of + young Davids. The OSI camp had its prestige, but we had working + systems, a large community of devotees, and properly documented + protocols that allowed integration of the TCP/IP suite into every + UNIX system, such as in every SUN workstation. + + Against the strict laws in Europe, their universities developed an + underground of Internet connections. One could get from California + to the university in Rome, for example, for example, by going first + over the Internet across the US to the east coast, then to the UK, + then using some private lines to France, then to CERN in Switzerland, + and from there to Rome - while breaking the laws of all those + countries with every packet. + + Meanwhile, in the states, Academia, and the research communities, + never knew about GOSIP. + + The Internet, against all the conventional wisdom, grew without + anyone being in charge, without central control, and without any + central planning. + + The war between the ISO and the TCP/IP camps never took place. One + camp turned out to be a no show. + + + +Cohen Informational [Page 3] + +RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998 + + + What made it all possible was the wise selection of what to + standardize and what not to, and the high quality of the standards in + a series of living documents. + + Our foundation and infrastructure of standards was the secret weapon + that won the war. Jon created it, using the RFC mechanism initiated + by Steve Crocker. It was Jon who immediately realized their + importance, and the need for someone to act as the curator, and + volunteered. + + The lightning speed with which Microsoft joined the Internet was not + possible without the quality of the existing standards that were so + well documented. + + During the transition from ARPA, through the NSF, to the commercial + world there was a point in which the trivial funding required for the + smooth operation of editing and distributing the RFCs was in doubt. + At that time the prospect of not having funds to run this operation + was very real. Finally the problem was solved and the process + suffered no interruption. + + What most of the involved agencies and managers did not know is that + there was never a danger of any interruption. Jon would have done it + even with no external funding. If they did not pay him to do it, he + would have paid them to let him do it. For him it was not a job, it + was labor of love. + + Jon never joined the PowerPoint generation. Jon always believed that + the content was the only thing that matters. Hand written slides + were good enough. Color and logos were distractions, a necessary + evil in certain occasions, not the style of choice. + + Jon defined quality by counting interesting ideas, not points per + inch. + + When fancy formatting creeped into the Internet community, Jon + resisted the temptation to allow fancy formats for RFCs. Instead, he + insisted on them being in ASCII, easy to e-mail, guaranteed to be + readable anywhere in the world. The instant availability and + usability of RFCs was much more important to him than how fancy they + looked. + + The Internet was not just a job for Jon. It was his hobby and his + mission in life. + + We will miss Jon, who was for the Internet its corporate memory, its + corporate style, and its corporate taste. + + + + +Cohen Informational [Page 4] + +RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998 + + + I will miss him even more as a colleague and a friend. + +In Summary: + + * Jon was pleasant, fun/funny, and unselfish. + He was full of mischief, adventure, humor, and caring. + He was devoted to his work, to the Internet, and to the + people who worked with him. + + * It was great working together and having neighboring + offices for 16 years. + + * Jon set the standards for the Internet standards. + + * Jon was the Internet's corporate memory, the corporate taste, + and the corporate style. + + * Jon was an authority without bureaucracy. + + * Jon was an Internet Missionary. + + * Jon was a great friend that I will miss for ever. + +Security Considerations + + Security issues are not relevant to this Tribute. + +Author's Address + + Danny Cohen + Myricom + + EMail: cohen@myri.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Cohen Informational [Page 5] + +RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998 + + +Full Copyright Statement + + Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). 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. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Cohen Informational [Page 6] + -- cgit v1.2.3