RFC 1173 (rfc1173) - Page 2 of 5
Responsibilities of host and network managers: A summary of the "oral tradition" of the Internet
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
RFC 1173 Responsibilities of Host and Network Managers August 1990 the tools, access and experience needed for efficient analysis may not all exist at a single site. This communal approach to Internet management and maintenance is dictated by the present decentralized organizational structure. The structure, in turn, exists because it is inexpensive and responsive to diverse local needs. Furthermore, for the near term, it is our only choice; I don't see any prospect of either the government or private enterprise building a monolithic, centralized, ubiquitous "Ma Datagram" network provider in this century. 2. Responsibilities of Network Managers One or more individuals are responsible for every IP net or subnet which is connected to the Internet. Their names, phone numbers and postal addresses MUST be supplied to the Internet NIC (or to the local or regional transit network's NIC) prior to the network's initial connection to the Internet, and updates and corrections MUST be provided in a timely manner for as long as the net remains connected. In order to adequately deal with problems that may arise, a network manager must have either: A. System management access privileges on every host and router connected to the local network, or: B. The authority and access to either power off, re-boot, physically disconnect or disable forwarding IP datagrams from any individual host system that may be misbehaving. For all networks, a network manager capable of exercising this level of control MUST be accessible via telephone 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. For nets carrying transit traffic, a network manager SHOULD be accessible via telephone 24 hours a day. 3. Responsibilities of Host System Managers One or more individuals must be responsible for every host connected to the Internet. This person MUST have the authority, access and tools necessary to configure, operate and control access to the system. For important timesharing hosts, primary domain name servers and mail relays or gateways, responsible individual(s) SHOULD be accessible via telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For less-important timesharing hosts or single-user PCs or workstations, the responsible individual(s) MUST be prepared for the possiblity that their network manager may have to intervene in their Van Bokkelen
