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Internet Protocols

Many people consider Internet standards and Internet protocols almost magical. Although other standards may be more widely implemented, few are implemented in such a public way. Telecommunications protocols may affect more, but few standards are so interoperable implemented by so many different implementers. So what exactly makes a protocol an Internet standard? And what exactly is an Internet protocol?
As with so much else in life, these questions have two sets of answers. One set is simple, straightforward, and of limited practical usefulness. The other set, though more useful, is also far more involved. If you want the easy answers, you can find them in the next paragraph. If you want the useful answers, you’ll have to read all the chapters in Part One of this book.
An Internet protocol is a set of rules that specifies interaction between networked entities over the Internet or other TCP/IP networks. A protocol becomes an Internet standard if it is listed as such in the Internet standards document known as STD-1. RFC 2500 defined current Internet standards as of its publication date: June 1999. STD-1 is published approximately once every 100 RFCs and lists the status of all current RFCs.
The complicated but useful answers require asking even more questions: What is an RFC? An STD? How are Internet protocols documented? What other kinds of documents are relevant to Internet protocols? How does a protocol differ from an application? What are the steps that must be taken to create an Internet standard? What, exactly, is a protocol? Do all RFCs describe Internet standards? Do all RFCs describe protocols? Is there a simple list of current Internet standards?
The Internet Standards Process,” examines how a protocol makes its way from being an idea to being an Internet standard. Chapter 5, “Getting the RFCs,” identifies where to find documentation of current and future Internet standards.
Chapter 6, “Reading the RFCs,” tells you how to read and use RFCs and other related documents.