IP Security Document Roadmap
RFC 2411

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Network  Working Group                                        R. Thayer
Request for Comments: 2411                 Sable Technology Corporation
Category: Informational                                    N. Doraswamy
                                                           Bay Networks
                                                               R. Glenn
                                                                   NIST
                                                          November 1998

                              IP Security
                            Document Roadmap

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   The IPsec protocol suite is used to provide privacy and
   authentication services at the IP layer.  Several documents are used
   to describe this protocol suite.  The interrelationship and
   organization of the various documents covering the IPsec protocol are
   discussed here.  An explanation of what to find in which document,
   and what to include in new Encryption Algorithm and Authentication
   Algorithm documents are described.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ................................................2
   2. Interrelationship of IPsec Documents ........................2
   3. Keying Material .............................................4
   4. Recommended Content of Algorithm Documents ..................5
   4.1 Encryption and Authentication Algorithms ...................5
   4.2 Encryption Algorithms ......................................6
   4.3 Authentication Algorithms ..................................7
   5. Security Considerations .....................................8
   6. Acknowledgments .............................................8
   7. References ..................................................9
   8. Authors' Addresses .........................................10
   9. Full Copyright Statement ...................................11

Thayer, et. al.              Informational                      [Page 1]
RFC 2411              IP Security Document Roadmap         November 1998

1. Introduction

   This document is intended to provide guidelines for the development
   of collateral specifications describing the use of new encryption and
   authentication algorithms with the ESP protocol, described in [ESP]
   and new authentication algorithms used with the AH protocol,
   described in [AH].  ESP and AH are part of the IP Security
   architecture described in [Arch].  There is a requirement for a
   well-known procedure that can be used to add new encryption
   algorithms or authentication algorithms to ESP and AH, not only while
   the initial document set is undergoing development but after the base
   documents have achieved RFC status.  Following the guidelines
   discussed below simplifies adding new algorithms and reduces that
   amount of redundant documentation.

   The goal in writing a new Encryption Algorithm or Authentication
   Algorithm document is to concentrate on the application of the
   specific algorithm within ESP and AH.  General ESP and AH concepts,
   definitions, and issues are covered in the ESP and AH documents. The
   algorithms themselves are not described in these documents.  This
   gives us the capability to add new algorithms and also specify how
   any given algorithm might interact with other algorithms. The intent
   is to achieve the goal of avoiding duplication of information and
   excessive numbers of documents, the so-called "draft explosion"
   effect.

2. Interrelationship of IPsec Documents

   The documents describing the set of IPsec protocols are divided into
   seven groups.  This is illustrated in Figure 1.  There is a main
   Architecture document which broadly covers the general concepts,
   security requirements, definitions, and mechanisms defining IPsec
   technology.

   There is an ESP Protocol document and an AH Protocol document which
   covers the packet format and general issues regarding the respective
   protocols.  These protocol documents also contain default values if
   appropriate, such as the default padding contents, and mandatory to
   implement algorithms.  These documents dictate some of the values in
   the Domain Of Interpretation document [DOI].  Note the DOI document
   is itself part of the IANA Assigned Numbers mechanism and so the
   values described in the DOI are well-known.  See [DOI] for more
   information on the mechanism.

   The "Encryption Algorithm" document set, shown on the left, is the
   set of documents describing how various encryption algorithms are
   used for ESP.  These documents are intended to fit in this roadmap,
   and should avoid overlap with the ESP protocol document and with the

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