To understand the history, evolution, and current status of networking standards, an IP professional should have an understanding of the Request for Comments (RFC) process, and the particular RFCs involved in defining a particular service or protocol. Copies of the RFCs are available on the Internet in a variety of locations, but one of the most accessible is www.rfc-editor.org/rfc.html. This site provides FTP downloads of individual RFCs, listed in numerical order, as well as the ability to download a compressed file containing all current RFCs.

The RFC process does not provide for revisions of a particular RFC, but rather they are revised by creating a new RFC with a new number. RFCs that are revisions of an earlier RFC will list the RFCs they are replacing. It can be interesting to follow the trail of RFCs back using this information, to see the evolution of the topic over time. For our purposes, the following RFCs provide a wealth of information about the process of dynamic address assignment, specifically BOOTP and DHCP protocols.

RFC951: Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP)

This RFC was published in September 1985 and outlined the BOOTP protocol.

RFC1542: Clarifications and Extensions for the Bootstrap Protocol

This RFC, published in October 1993, was intended to clarify some issues relating to BOOTP, as well as deal with some new technology issues, such as...