Internet Architecture Board

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The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) is the committee charged with oversight of the technical and engineering development of the Internet by the Internet Society (ISOC).

It oversees a number of Task Forces, of which the most important are the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF).

The body which eventually became the IAB was originally formed by the United States Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under the name Internet Configuration Control Board in 1979; it eventually became the Internet Advisory Board in September, 1984, and then the Internet Activities Board in May, 1986 (the name was changed, while keeping the same acronym). It finally became the Internet Architecture Board, under ISOC, in January, 1992, as part of the Internet's transition from a U.S.-government entity to an international, public entity.

[edit] IAB activities

The IAB's current responsibilities include:

Architectural Oversight: The IAB provides oversight of, and occasional commentary on, aspects of the architecture for the network protocols and procedures used by the Internet.

Standards Process Oversight and Appeal: The IAB provides oversight of the process used to create Internet Standards. The IAB serves as an appeal board for complaints of improper execution of the standards process, through acting as an appeal body in respect of an Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) standards decision.

Request for Comments series: The IAB is responsible for editorial management and publication of the Request for Comments (RFC) document series.

Internet Assigned Numbers Authority: In conjunction with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the IAB is responsible for administration of the assignment of IETF protocol parameter values by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

External Liaison: The IAB acts as representative of the interests of the IETF in liaison relationships with other organizations concerned with standards and other technical and organizational issues relevant to the world-wide Internet.

Advice to the Internet Society: The IAB acts as a source of advice and guidance to the Board of Trustees and Officers of ISOC concerning technical, architectural, procedural, and (where appropriate) policy matters pertaining to the Internet and its enabling technologies.

Internet Engineering Steering Group Confirmation: The IAB confirms the IETF Chair and IESG Area Directors, from nominations provided by the IETF Nominating Committee.