{"draft":"draft-iab-protocol-maintenance-12","doc_id":"RFC9413","title":"Maintaining Robust Protocols","authors":["M. Thomson","D. Schinazi"],"format":["HTML","TEXT","PDF","XML"],"page_count":"14","pub_status":"INFORMATIONAL","status":"INFORMATIONAL","source":"IAB","abstract":"The main goal of the networking standards process is to enable the\r\nlong-term interoperability of protocols. This document describes\r\nactive protocol maintenance, a means to accomplish that goal. By\r\nevolving specifications and implementations, it is possible to reduce\r\nambiguity over time and create a healthy ecosystem.\r\n\r\nThe robustness principle, often phrased as \"be conservative in what\r\nyou send, and liberal in what you accept\", has long guided the design\r\nand implementation of Internet protocols. However, it has been\r\ninterpreted in a variety of ways. While some interpretations help\r\nensure the health of the Internet, others can negatively affect\r\ninteroperability over time. When a protocol is actively maintained,\r\nprotocol designers and implementers can avoid these pitfalls.","pub_date":"June 2023","keywords":["postel","law","robustness","principle","wrong","tolerance"],"obsoletes":[],"obsoleted_by":[],"updates":[],"updated_by":[],"see_also":[],"doi":"10.17487\/RFC9413","errata_url":"https:\/\/www.rfc-editor.org\/errata\/rfc9413"}