Network Working Group D. Latham Request for Comments: 1039 DoD Obsoletes RFC-945 January 1988
This RFC reproduces a memorandum issued on 2-JUL-87 from the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications,
and Intelligence (ASDC31) to the Director of the Defense
Communications Agency (DCA). This memo is distributed for
information only. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
There has been recent rapid progress in the specification and
implementation of computer protocols based on the International
Organization for Standardization model for Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI). The Government OSI Profile (GOSIP), dated 22
April 1987, contains sufficient information to specify adequately and
acquire interoperable vendor implementations of OSI message handling
and file transfer capabilities. Therefore, the policy on
standardization of host-to-host protocols for data communications,
promulgated by USDR&E memo of 23 March 1982, is modified as follows.
The OSI message handling and file transfer protocols, together with
their underlying protocols as defined in GOSIP, are adopted as
experimental co-standards to the DoD protocols which provide similar
services (MIL-STDs 1777, 1778, 1780, and 1781). These OSI protocols
may be specified in addition to, in lieu of, or as an optional
alternative to DoD protocols, in cases where the current DoD protocol
applicability statements apply. They are designated as experimental
because of the limited operational experience currently available
with the OSI protocols and the limited operational, testing, and
security environment currently defined in GOSIP. Services and
agencies choosing to implement OSI protocols at this time should
carefully evaluate these factors and be prepared to deal with the
complications which may accompany the introduction of new technology.
It is intended to adopt the OSI protocols as a full co-standard with the DoD protocols when GOSIP is formally approved as a Federal Information Processing Standard. Two years thereafter, the OSI protocols would become the sole mandatory interoperable protocol suite; however, a capability for interoperation with DoD protocols would be provided for the expected life of systems supporting the DoD protocols.
In order to extend the OSI protocol capabilities and provide
interoperability between the DoD and OSI protocols as rapidly as possible, the following actions are requested:
* Publish by November 1987 the DoD-OSI Interoperability and Transition Plan. The plan should provide for interoperation of the DoD and OSI protocols at the application level. A capability for experimental interoperability of DoD and OSI message handling and file transfer capabilities should be provided by March 1988, and a limit operational capability by January 1989. * Join the Corporation for Open Systems (COS) as the Department of Defense representative. COS is a non-profit consortium formed to deal with testing and other operational issues relating to OSI protocols. At the request of the Office of Management and Budget, the Services and other defense agencies should not join COS directly, but may participate as the agents of DCA on appropriate COS committees. * Coordinate Service and agency participation, in accordance with existing directives, in groups developing OSI standards, specifications and operating and management procedures. These groups include the Government OSI User's Group, the National Bureau of Standards OSI Implementor's Workshop, the Corporation for Open Systems, the Manufacturing and Automation Protocol (MAP) and Technical and Office Protocol (TOP) user's groups, the American National Standards Institute X3S3 and X3T5 committees, and the NATO Tri-Service Group on Communications and Electronic Equipment, Sub-Group 9 (Data Processing and Distribution).
This guidance provides for the interim steps necessary to continue progress toward implementation of OSI standards. As the technology
matures and DoD gains additional experience, the final implementation details will be provided in a DoD Directive.
[1] Dinneen, Memorandum of Dec 78, IEN-152.
[2] Dinneen, Memorandum of Apr 80, IEN-152.
[3] DeLauer, Memorandum of Mar 82, IEN-207.
[4] Latham, Memorandum of Apr 85, RFC-945.