What is Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

Since most data applications in wireless networks are IP-based, it comes as no surprise that the IETF and the protocols it specifies are becoming increasingly relevant to the wireless data industry. The IETF is organized in areas that organize technically related Working Groups. The current IETF areas are as follows:

• Applications Area deals with applications and application protocols like presence and instant messaging, network time protocol, calendaring, and scheduling.

• General Area addresses topics related to the general operation of the IETF, such as rules setting.

• Routing Area specifies routing protocols and their applicability.

• Internet Area defines IP protocol-related matters, such as the definition of its evolution, the support of network services such as PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol), and IP host configuration. Recently, it took on the role of specifying the Mobile IP protocol from the Routing Area, since Mobile IP is now perceived as a mobile remote IP network access technology, rather than a routing protocol.

• Operations and Management Area defines network management aspects and protocols, such as the well-known Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and its evolution.

• Security Area addresses Internet security aspects.

• Sub-IP Area is devoted to the definition of technologies and protocols that normally are located at a layer below IP in the protocol stack and are devoted to the provision of services such as VPNs, traffic engineering, and transport of link layers or even circuit emulation.

• Transport Area is responsible for the definition of transport-related matters, such as QoS, transport-level protocols (for instance, recently transport protocols for carrying signaling was defined), and congestion control.

Each of these areas is led by one or two area directors. Area directors and the IETF chair are members of the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG), which has the role of standards quality evaluation and can strongly influence the transition of an Internet Draft to proposed standards RFC status, by returning it to the WG until it attains an adequate level of quality to be published.