Cite this BCP: TXT

BCP 97 contains the following RFCs:
NumberFilesTitleAuthorsDateMore InfoStatus
RFC 3967, BCP 97     Clarifying when Standards Track Documents may Refer Normatively to Documents at a Lower Level R. Bush, T. NartenDecember 2004Updated by RFC 4897, RFC 8067, ErrataBest Current Practice
RFC 4897, BCP 97    Handling Normative References to Standards-Track DocumentsJ. Klensin, S. HartmanJune 2007Updates RFC 3967, ErrataBest Current Practice
RFC 8067, BCP 97    Updating When Standards Track Documents May Refer Normatively to Documents at a Lower LevelB. LeibaJanuary 2017Updates RFC 3967Best Current Practice

Abstract of RFC 3967

IETF procedures generally require that a standards track RFC may not have a normative reference to another standards track document at a lower maturity level or to a non standards track specification (other than specifications from other standards bodies). For example, a standards track document may not have a normative reference to an informational RFC. Exceptions to this rule are sometimes needed as the IETF uses informational RFCs to describe non-IETF standards or IETF-specific modes of use of such standards. This document clarifies and updates the procedure used in these circumstances. This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements.

Abstract of RFC 4897

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and Request for Comments (RFC) Editor have a long-standing rule that a document at a given maturity level cannot be published until all of the documents that it references as normative are at that maturity level or higher. This rule has sometimes resulted in very long publication delays for documents and some claims that it was a major obstruction to advancing documents in maturity level. The IETF agreed on a way to bypass this rule with RFC 3967. This document describes a simpler procedure for downward references to Standards-Track and Best Current Practice (BCP) documents, namely "note and move on". The procedure in RFC 3967 still applies for downward references to other classes of documents. In both cases, annotations should be added to such References. This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements.

Abstract of RFC 8067

RFC 3967 specifies a process for allowing normative references to documents at lower maturity levels ("downrefs"), which involves calling out the downref explicitly in the Last Call notice. That requirement has proven to be unnecessarily strict, and this document updates RFC 3967, allowing the IESG more flexibility in accepting downrefs in Standards Track documents.


For the definition of Status, see RFC 2026.

For the definition of Stream, see RFC 8729.




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