Network Working Group Postel Request for Comments: 945 ISI May 1985
This RFC reproduces a letter from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (ASDC3I) to the Director of the Defense Communications Agency (DCA). This letter is distributed for information only. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
In December 1978, the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Gerald P. Dinneen, USDR&E, issued a memorandum mandating the use of TCP/IP for all packet-oriented data networks where there is potential for host-to-host connectivity across network or subnetwork boundaries, and designating the Defense Communications Agency as the DoD Executive Agent for computer communications protocols (see IEN-152).
In April 1980, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Communications, Command, Control, and Intelligence, Gerald P. Dinneen, ASDC3I, issued a memorandum reaffirming the requirement of TCP/IP, confirming the role of DCA as the Executive Agent, and approving a plan for the organization and activities of the Executive Agent (see IEN-152).
In March 1982, Richard D. DeLauer, ASDC3I, issued a memorandum reaffirming the requirement for the use of TCP/IP, and reaffirming the role of DCA as Executive Agent (see IEN-207).
However, there is also a DoD policy of long standing to use non-DoD standards when such standards are available and meet the military requirements. This policy is cited in DeLauer's memorandum.
Because questions were raised about the DoD use of TCP/IP as a protocol standard, while the ISO is developing an differing set of standards, and the NBS is working toward establishing the ISO standards as FIPS, in May 1983 the National Research Council (NRC) was asked jointly by DoD and NBS to study the issues and recommend a course of action. The final report of the NRC committee was published in February 1985 (see RFC-942).
The enclosed letter is from Donald C. Latham (ASDC3I) to DCA transmitting the NRC report and requesting specific actions relative to the recommendations of the report.
Attached is the final report on "Transport Protocols for Department
Whenever international standards are available and can be used to
In order to insure that DoD is in a posture to evaluate TP once it
(1) develop the DoD military requirement specification for TP to insure that industry is aware of DoD needs as TP is commercially implemented.
(2) insure that appropriate advisory representation is provided to commercial standards working groups that are currently refining TP under the auspices of the National Bureau of Standards.
(3) insure that the DCA protocol test facility can accommodate TP testing as required when commercial implementations are available.
(4) develop a transition strategy for Option 2 of the report to include estimated resource requirements.
(5) evaluate the detailed recommendations presented in the Report (pages 61-64) as they apply to Option 2.
Donald C. Latham