Technical standards
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is a large, open, international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers who are interested in the evolution of the Internet architecture and its smooth operation. The IETF is open to any interested individual, and the IETF Mission Statement is documented in RFC 3935.
The actual technical work of the IETF is carried out in its working groups, which are organized by topic into several areas (e.g., routing, transport, security, and so forth). Much of the work is handled via mailing lists. The IETF holds meetings three times per year.
The IETF working groups are themselves grouped into areas and managed by Area Directors, or ADs. The ADs are members of the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Providing architectural oversight is the Internet Architecture Board (IAB - http://www.ietf.org/glossary.html#IAB). The IAB also adjudicates appeals when someone complains that the IESG has failed.
The IAB and IESG are chartered by the Internet Society (ISOC - http://www.ietf.org/glossary.html#ISOC) for these purposes. The General Area Director also serves as the chair of the IESG and of the IETF, and is an ex-officio member of the IAB.
ISOC
The Internet Society (ISOC) is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 whose purpose is to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. ISOC has offices in Washington, USA, and Geneva, Switzerland, and it is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.
ISOC has more than 80 organizational and more than 28,000 individual members in over 80 chapters around the world. ISOC has also created regional bureaus to better serve the regional Internet community. The Latin American and Caribbean bureau is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the African bureau in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the South and Southeast Asian bureau in Suva, Fiji.
The Internet Society:
- Provides leadership in addressing issues that confront the future of the Internet
- Provides a home for the groups responsible for Internet structure standards, such as the IETF and IAM
- Acts as a facilitator and coordinator of Internet-related initiatives around the world
- Runs international network training programs for developing economies that have played a vital role in setting up the Internet connections and networks in virtually every economy that has connected to the Internet during this time.
Internet Architecture Board (IAB)
The IAB is both an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) committee and an advisory body of the Internet Society (ISOC).
It is responsible for architectural oversight of IETF activities, Internet Standards Process oversight and appeal, and the appointment of the RFC Editor.
The IAB is also responsible for the management of the IETF protocol parameter registries.
Internet Engineering Policy Group (IEPG)
The Internet Engineering Policy Group (IEPG) is an informal gathering where those that will attend the IETF meeting meet on the Sunday prior to the IETF meeting. Issues that have an element of operational relevance, as well as anything of particular interest are discussed by those who will be attending the IETF meeting.
The Internet Engineering Steering Group
The IESG is responsible for technical management of IETF activities and the Internet standards process. As part of the ISOC, it administers the process according to the rules and procedures which have been ratified by the ISOC Trustees. The IESG is directly responsible for the actions associated with entry into and movement along the Internet "standards track," including final approval of specifications as Internet Standards.