network operators group

Sat Nov 27 04:57:13 UTC 1993

Hi. The following is a draft proposal for a new charter and scope for
the group, as we discussed at the October meeting. If we can agree on
something like this, let's post it to the wider lists (QED, etc.). I do
not think this group ("NA-NOG") and the large group proposed to be the
IOTF are mutually exclusive.
	Mark

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Proposal for a North American Network Operators Group

Mark Knopper
Elise Gerich

November 25, 1993

Introduction

As has been discussed recently on a number of lists and in several
group meetings, there is an increasing need to provide a forum for
coordination among transit network service providers. There are a
number of groups doing this already, with varying charters and agendas
and with varying membership, and we've seen a few proposals for new
groups on these lists over the last week or so. However, we are
concerned about a specific set of topics and discussions that need to
be carried out in an ongoing fashion among providers: the technical and
routing interactions and coordination required to actually make the
Internet work on a day-to-day basis. The Regional-techs group could
evolve into the  group that will accomplish these goals in an effective
fashion, without excessive administrative overhead.

Objectives of the Group

The goals of this group (we propose the new name of NA-NOG) 
are as follows. It will also be important to enumerate what
is explicitly NOT part of the set of objectives.

1. NA-NOG will host regular meetings of network service providers.
The intial proposal is to have 3 meetings per year.

2. Establish a forum for the exchange of technical information.

3. Discuss specific implementation issues which require cooperation
and coordination among network service providers to ensure the
stability of overall service to the network users.

4. Serve as a focal point for other common activities of the
participants (such as coordination of routing registry information).

6. Promote and coordinate interconnection of networks within North
America and to other continents.

The following are NOT objectives:

-1. Make bilateral or multilateral agreements about policies
and service features.

-2. Make agreements about pricing or billing.

-3. Coordinate purchases.

-4. Create protocol standards.

-5. Hold tutorials, workshops or professional society meetings.

-6. Report to any specific governing body such as ISOC or FNC.

Membership and Hosting 

The group should have membership that broadly includes network
providers. These may include private, public, federal, commercial
or other networks that consider themselves providers of Internet
services. However the representatives attending this group should
be prepared to engage in technical discussions. Membership
should not be limited to North American participants though
the general focus of the discussion should be from the NA
networking point of view.

Meetings should be hosted by participating network providers who
volunteer to provide facilities The Regional-Techs group agreed to meet
in January in an as-yet-unspecified location (San Diego was suggested),
and will continue the discussion of its future and broadening its scope
to include the objectives proposed here. We propose that the discussion
of network coordination issues for North America be held within this
group.