Editing Internet Standard (section)

=== Internet Standard Specifications ===
Specifications subject to the Internet Standards Process can be categorized into one of the following: Technical Specification (TS) and Applicability Statement (AS).<ref name=":1">{{Cite IETF |last=Bradner|first=S.|date=October 1996|title=The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 3|doi=10.17487/rfc2026 |rfc=2026}}</ref> A Technical Specification is a statement describing all relevant aspects of a protocol, service, procedure, convention, or format.<ref name=":1" /> This includes its scope and its intent for use, or "domain of applicability". However, a TSs use within the Internet is defined by an Applicability Statement. An AS specifies how, and under what circumstances, TSs may be applied to support a particular Internet capability. An AS identifies the ways in which relevant TSs are combined and specifies the parameters or sub-functions of TS protocols. An AS also describes the domains of applicability of TSs, such as Internet routers, terminal server, or datagram-based database servers.<ref name=":1" /> An AS also applies one of the following "requirement levels" to each of the TSs to which it refers:

* Required: Implementation of the referenced TS is required to achieve interoperability. For example, Internet systems using the [[Internet protocol suite|Internet Protocol Suite]] are required to implement [[IP address|IP]] and [[Internet Control Message Protocol|ICMP]].<ref name=":1" />
* Recommended:  Implementation of the referenced TS is not required, but is desirable in the domain of applicability of the AS. Inclusion of the functions, features, and protocols of Recommended TSs in the developments of systems is encouraged. For example, the [[Telnet|TELNET]] protocol should be implemented by all systems that intend to use remote access.<ref name=":1" />
* Elective: Implementation of the referenced TS is optional. The TS is only necessary in a specific environment. For example, the DECNET MIB could be seen as valuable in an environment where the [[DECnet|DECNET]] protocol is used.<ref name=":1" />