Network Standards Organizations
Introduction to Standards
Standards are essential to ensure compatibility and interoperability between different systems and devices. They ensure that products from different manufacturers can work together as expected.
Why We Need Standards
- Create and maintain an open and competitive market for equipment manufacturers
- Guarantee national and international interoperability of data, telecommunication technology and processes
- Provide fixed quality and products to customers
- Allow products to be reused in different contexts
- Aid the design and implementation of ideas
- Provide guidelines to manufacturers, vendors, government agencies and other service providers to ensure interconnectivity
Types of Data Communication Standards
De facto (from the fact)
- Standards that have not been approved by an organized body
- Adopted as standards through widespread use
- Often established originally by manufacturers to define the functionality of a new product or technology
De jure (by law)
- Standards that have been legislated by an officially recognized body
Standards are developed through the cooperation of standards creation committees, forums, and government regulatory agencies.
Standards Creation Committees
ITU (International Telecommunications Union, formerly CCITT)
- Establishes standards for telecommunication in general and data systems in particular
ISO (International Standards Organization)
- Active in developing cooperation in scientific, technological, and economic activities
- Develops standards for many aspects of networking
ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
- Private nonprofit corporation affiliated with the U.S. federal government
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
- Aims to advance theory, creativity, and product quality in electrical engineering, electronics, radio, and related branches of engineering
- Oversees development and adoption of international standards for computing and communications
- Creates standards for wireless networking and networking hardware
- Website: http://standards.ieee.org/
EIA (Electronic Industries Association)
- Nonprofit organization devoted to promoting electronics manufacturing concerns
- Activities include public awareness education and lobbying efforts in addition to standards development
- Made significant contributions by defining physical connection interfaces and electronic signaling specifications for data communication
IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)
- Develops standards specifically for the Internet
Forums
- Work with universities and users to test, evaluate, and standardize new technologies
- Speed acceptance and use of technologies in the telecommunications community
- It presents their conclusions to standard bodies.
Regulatory Agencies
- Purpose is to protect the public interest by regulating radio, television and wire/cable communications
- Have authority over interstate and international commerce as it relates to communication
Internet Standards
- Thoroughly tested specifications that are useful to and adhered to by those who work with the internet
- Formalized regulations that must be followed
- A specification begins as an Internet draft and may attain Internet standard status
- An Internet draft is a working document that may be published as Request for Comment (RFC)
- RFCs are edited, assigned a number, and made available to all interested parties
