Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Technical

Work of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority

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 © The Internet Society (2000). All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

This document places on record the text of the Memorandum of Understanding concerning the technical work of the IANA that was signed on March 1, 2000 between the IETF and ICANN, and ratified by the ICANN Board on March 10, 2000.

MoU text as signed

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING CONCERNING THE TECHNICAL WORK OF THE INTERNET ASSIGNED NUMBERS AUTHORITY

1. This Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") defines an agreement between the Internet Engineering Task Force and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. Its intent is exclusively to define the technical work to be carried out by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority on behalf of the Internet Engineering Task Force and the Internet Research Task Force. It is recognized that ICANN may, through the IANA, provide similar services to other organisations with respect to protocols not within IETF's scope (i.e. registries not created by IETF or IRTF action); nothing in this MOU limits ICANN's ability to do so.

2. This MOU will remain in effect until either modified or cancelled by mutual consent of the Internet Engineering Task Force and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or cancelled by either party with at least six (6) months notice.

3. Definition of terms and abbreviations used in this document.

ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a California non-profit corporation.

IANA - Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (a traditional name, used here to refer to the technical team making and publishing the assignments of Internet protocol technical parameters). The IANA technical team is now part of ICANN.

IETF - the Internet Engineering Task Force, the unincorporated association operating under such name that creates Internet Standards and related documents.

IAB - the Internet Architecture Board, an oversight committee of the IETF. The IAB is chartered to designate the IANA on behalf of the IETF.

IESG - the Internet Engineering Steering Group, a management committee of the IETF.

IRTF - the Internet Research Task Force, an unincorporated association also overseen by the IAB.

IRSG - the Internet Research Steering group, a management committee of the IRTF.

RFC - "Request For Comments", the archival document series of the IETF, also used by the IRTF and by third parties.

ISOC - the Internet Society, a not-for-profit corporation that supports the IETF.

   4. Agreed technical work items.  ICANN agrees that during the term of
   this MOU it shall cause IANA to comply,  for protocols within IETF's
   scope, with the following requirements, which ICANN and IETF
   acknowledge reflect the existing arrangements under which the IANA is
   operated:

4.1. The IANA will assign and register Internet protocol parameters only as directed by the criteria and procedures specified in RFCs, including Proposed, Draft and full Internet Standards and Best Current Practice documents, and any other RFC that calls for IANA assignment. If they are not so specified, or in case of ambiguity, IANA will continue to assign and register Internet protocol parameters that have traditionally been registered by IANA, following past and current practice for such assignments, unless otherwise directed by the IESG.

If in doubt or in case of a technical dispute, IANA will seek and follow technical guidance exclusively from the IESG. Where appropriate the IESG will appoint an expert to advise IANA.

The IANA will work with the IETF to develop any missing criteria and procedures over time, which the IANA will adopt when so instructed by the IESG.

4.2. In the event of technical dispute between the IANA and the IESG, both will seek guidance from the IAB whose decision shall be final.

4.3. Two particular assigned spaces present policy issues in addition to the technical considerations specified by the IETF: the assignment of domain names, and the assignment of IP address blocks. These policy issues are outside the scope of this MOU.

Note that (a) assignments of domain names for technical uses (such as domain names for inverse DNS lookup), (b) assignments of specialised address blocks (such as multicast or anycast blocks), and (c) experimental assignments are not considered to be policy issues, and shall remain subject to the provisions of this Section 4. (For purposes of this MOU, the term "assignments" includes allocations.) In the event ICANN adopts a policy that prevents it from complying with the provisions of this Section 4 with respect to the assignments described in (a) - (c) above, ICANN will notify the IETF, which may then exercise its ability to cancel this MOU under Section 2 above.

4.4. The IANA shall make available to the public, on-line and free of charge, information about each current assignment, including contact details for the assignee. Assignments published in RFCs by the RFC Editor and available publicly will be deemed to meet the requirements of this Section 4.4.

4.5. The IANA shall provide on-line facilities for the public to request Internet protocol parameter assignments and shall either execute such assignments, or deny them for non- conformance with applicable technical requirements, in a timely manner. There shall be no charge for assignments without the consent of the IAB. Requests shall only be denied on legitimate technical grounds.

For protocols within the IETF scope (i.e., registries created by IETF action), appeals against such denials may be made to the IESG and subsequently to the IAB as provided in 4.2 above.

4.6. The IANA shall have non-voting liaison seats on appropriate IETF committees as determined by the IETF, and may participate in all IETF discussions concerning technical requirements for protocol parameter assignment through such liaisons.

4.7. The IANA shall review all documents in IETF Last Call to identify any issues of concern to the IANA, and shall raise these issues with the IESG.

5. Application to IRTF/IRSG. The parties understand that certain of the protocol parameters to be assigned by IANA will be relevant to IRTF, rather than IETF. With respect to these protocol parameters, IANA will comply with the procedures set forth in Section 4, with the understanding that IRTF and IRSG shall be substituted for IETF and IESG, respectively, in such procedures. In the event of any question as to whether a particular protocol parameter relates principally to IETF or IRTF, the IAB shall have the authority to answer such question in its discretion.

6. General. This MOU does not constitute any of the parties as a partner, joint venturer, agent, principal or franchisee of any other party. The waiver of any provision of this MOU on any occasion shall not constitute a waiver for purposes of any other occasion. No party may transfer or assign any interest, right or obligation arising under this MOU without the prior written consent of each other party to this MOU.

7. Effectiveness of MOU. This Agreement requires the approval or ratification of the ICANN Board of Directors. The signatory for ICANN shall use his best efforts to secure and deliver to IETF such approval or ratification within two months of signing.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Memorandum of Understanding is executed as of this first day of March 2000 by the undersigned, acting through their duly authorized representatives:

INTERNET ENGINEERING TASK FORCE

   By: __________________________ Fred Baker, IETF Chair

Approved by:

   INTERNET ARCHITECTURE BOARD
   
   By: __________________________ Brian Carpenter, IAB Chair

INTERNET CORPORATION FOR ASSIGNED NAMES AND NUMBERS

   By:___________________________ Mike Roberts, President

Security considerations

This document does not directly impact the security of the Internet.

Acknowledgements

The technical heart of this document was discussed in the IETF POISSON working group in 1998 and 1999 and reviewed by the IESG and IAB. Jorge Contreras, Joyce K. Reynolds, and Louis Touton assisted in its finalisation.

Authors' Addresses

Brian E. Carpenter
iCAIR
Suite 150
1890 Maple Avenue
Evanston IL 60201
USA

EMail:

          brian@icair.org

Fred Baker
519 Lado Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
USA

EMail:

          fred@cisco.com

Michael M. Roberts
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) 4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 330
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
USA

EMail:

          roberts@icann.org

Full Copyright Statement

Copyright © The Internet Society (2000). 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.

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Acknowledgement

Funding for the RFC Editor function is currently provided by the Internet Society.