User Services Area

Director(s):


   o Joyce Reynolds:  jkrey@isi.edu


Area Summary reported by Joyce Reyolds/ISI

Seven working groups and one BOF (Birds of a Feather) in the User
Services Area of the IETF met in Washington, D.C..

Directory Information Services (pilot) Infrastructure Working Group
(DISI)

The DISI Working Group provides a forum to define user requirements in
X.500.  It is a combined effort of the User Services Area and the OSI
Integration Area.

The three papers (Advanced Usages Guide, the Pilot Project Catalog, and
the revision of RFC 1292/FYI 11) are all nicely on track.  Drafts of the
first two of those papers have been submitted, and the template for
responses to the RFC 1292 revision has been finalized.

DISI was originally chartered as a Working Group for X.500
documentation.  However, with the introduction of new directory services
protocols in the Internet (whois++), DISI decided that there was a role
for it in working on specifications for integrating the directory
services, and living up to the Directory Information Services
Infrastructure title of the group.  Consequently, DISI has decided to
revise the Charter to reflect the new goals, and Tim Howes of the
University of Michigan has agreed to be co-Chair of the revamped DISI in
order to bring a sense of balance between X.500 and whois++.

Internet Anonymous FTP Archives Working Group (IAFA).

The Internet Anonymous FTP Archives Working Group is chartered to define
a set of recommended standard procedures for the access and
administration of anonymous FTP archive sites on the Internet.

The Internet Anonymous FTP Archives Working Group met for what is
expected to be the last time.  In a discussion of the current User and
System Administration draft documents it was decided that a final
editing pass was required and that they could then be submitted for
Internet-Draft status.  The general consensus was that IAFA had
completed its mandate and that additional work in information
distribution on the network would be better performed in new and
existing working groups specifically tasked for the purpose.

Internet School Networking Working Group (ISN)



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The Internet School Networking Working Group is chartered to facilitate
the connection of the United States' K-12 (Kindergarten-12th Grade)
schools, public and private, to the Internet, and school networking in
general.

Three topics were discussed:


  1. Development of an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list for K-12
     questions.
  2. Connectivity models for school-or school-district-size
     organizations.
  3. Domain name conventions for K-12 organizations.


Results of the meeting were:  a temporary group was developed to work
with Jennifer Sellers and April Marine to post a first FAQ list; there
was agreement that the initial list of candidate connectivity models
would be fleshed out and offered for discussion and amplification; and
John Clement agreed to work with Ellen Hoffman to post a preliminary
list of current K-12 domain names and to request input of further
existing domain names.

Network Information Services Infrastructure Working Group (NISI)

NISI is exploring the requirements for common, shared Internet-wide
network information services.  The goal is to develop an understanding
for what is required to implement an information services
``infrastructure'' for the Internet.

Thirty-three people attended the NISI session.  The three main items on
the agenda were:


  1. Status of nic-profiles
  2. Net-help
  3. Future of NISI.


Nic-profiles.  Nic-profiles has been made an action item.  The near-term
goal is to have as many NICs as possible in our db by the March IETF.
Three people have volunteered to work with Pat Smith on pro-active
outreach to the obtain the nic information.  For the record, a mail
server is now in place to add/modify/retrieve information.  Send to
x500test@merit.edu and put ``help'' in the subject field to receive
further information.

Net-help.  Two short summary papers are going to be written.  One will
summarize the ``content'' side, what will be on the screen, etc.  Much
of this was discussed at the Boston meeting.  The other short paper will
describe the envisioned plan for implementation.  We plan on working
with representatives from another area (probably Applications) to handle
this area.

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The future of NISI. Again, there was a short period of discussion
regarding the future of NISI. The general tone is that NISI is needed
and will continue as a viable working group.

NOC-Tool Catalogue Revisions Working Group (NOCTOOL2)

The ``Son of NOCTools'' Working Group is updating and revising their
catalog to assist network managers in the selection and acquisition of
diagnostic and analytic tools for TCP/IP Internets.

NOCTool2 has submitted an Internet-Draft at this IETF for review and
forward to the RFC Editor for publication.  This Working Group has now
come to closure.

User Documents Revisions Working Group (USERDOC2)

The USERDOC2 Working Group is preparing a revised bibliography of
on-line and hard copy documents, reference materials, and training tools
addressing general networking information and how to use the Internet.
The target audience includes those individuals who provide services to
end users and end users themselves.

The Working Group session began with a brief overview of the shorter
bibliography and with a few minor revisions.  The document is currently
available within an internet archive file which is available at four
sites across the country.  We sought volunteers to make this information
available at the international level because we are conscious of the
fact that the current information is U.S. centric.  We also decided that
as a Group we would explore the mechanisms of document delivery with the
goal of facilitating the transfer of information to the users home host.
It was further ascertained that some of the original material within the
RFC 1175 was no longer current and other information such as conference
proceedings of an applicable nature would be more appropriate at this
point.  The Working roup will meet again at the next IETF in Columbus,
Ohio and will ascertain our future endeavors at that time.

Internet User Glossary Working Group (USERGLOS)

The USERGLOS Working Group is chartered to create an Internet specific
glossary of networking terms and acronyms for the Internet community.

USERGLOS met for the final time.  Some final editorial adjustments were
made to the Internet-Draft.  There were also a couple of entries removed
and a couple added.  Send the edited I-D to the RFC Editor in December.
This Working Group has now come to closure.

User Services Working Group (USWG)

The USWG provides a regular forum for people interested in all user
services to identify and initiate projects designed to improve the
quality of information available to end-users of the Internet.

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At this IETF session announcements included working groups coming to
closure (DISI (will be revised with a new charter and co-chair), IAFA,
NOCTOOL2, and USERGLOS) and new working groups starting up (WNILS, NIR,
URI, IIIR). The four new working groups will be a joint effort of the
Applications and User Services areas.  Editor's Note (md):  Please refer
to the Applications Area Report for a brief summary of these four
working groups.  New FYI RFC publications, current user services related
Internet-Drafts postings include:



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Internet-Drafts:


   o draft-malkin-newcomers-guide-00.txt
   o draft-ietf-noctool2-debug-tcpip-00.txt
   o draft-ietf-userdoc2-fyi-novice-01.txt
   o draft-ietf-userglos-glossary-00.txt


FYI RFCs:


   o FYI 16 ``Connecting to the Internet:  What Connecting Institutions
     Should Anticipate'', (Also RFC 1359), August 1992.

   o FYI 15 ``Privacy and Accuracy Issues in Network Information Center
     Databases'', (Also RFC 1355), August 1992.


Jill Foster provided an update on RARE ISUS activities.  Joyce Reynolds
provided reports on RIPE activities, and on NETF activities.

Steve Coya led a discussion on the Internet-Draft,
``draft-malkin-newcomers-guide-00.txt'' and requested comments from the
USWG. Peter Deutsch led a discussion on a USWG project in development
called, ``Internet Quick and Dirty''.  It is intended to be a short
document on descriptions of each network service with pointers on where
to obtain additional information.  Gary Malkin requested new volunteers
to help update the FAQ for New Internet Users and the FAQ for
Experienced Internet Users.  FYI16/RFC1359 was discussed, primarily
focusing on expanding and updating the document.

Training Materials BOF (TRAINMAT)

One BOF was held in the User Services area regarding a working group
formation on Training Materials.  Ideas and thoughts on forming a
working group on training materials were discussed, including having the
endeavor be a joint effort between RARE & IETF. The BOF attendees
decided that a working group should be formed.  Jill Foster and Ellen
Hoffman will be the co-Chairs of this new group.



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