Procedures for the operation of the UK scheme for the allocation of ISO DCC format OSI Network Layer addresses (including the operation of the associated UK Registration Authority)
This British Standard sets out the procedures for the allocation of OSI Network Layer addresses of the ISO DCC format within the UK. Addresses in this format may be used as OSI network-addresses, OSI NSAP-addresses, network-entity-titles or for other purposes as defined in Network Layer standards. In the remainder of this British Standard, references to formats for OSI network-addresses are to be understood as applying equally to all such uses.
NOTE. The same formats are applicable to all the types of Network Layer address described above. For details of the differences of usage of addresses of these kinds, initial reference should be made to the part of the OSI Basic Reference Model that deals with naming and addressing, BS ISO 7498-3, to the Tutorial on Naming and Addressing, BS ISO/IEC TR 10730, to the OSI Network Service Definition, BS ISO/IEC 8348, and to the Intra-Domain Routeing Protocol, BS ISO/IEC 10589.
Briefly, except where generic addressing is used:
- an OSI network-address identifies a transport-entity by identifying the set of NSAPs that provide access to a transport-entity;
- an OSI NSAP-address identifies a single NSAP;
- a network-entity-title identifies a network-entity (and is used in Network Layer routeing).
Owing to differences in dates of issue, not all published Network Layer standards may make these distinctions; in particular 'network-address' is not always distinguished from 'NSAP address'.
The standard for OSI Network Layer Addressing (BS ISO/IEC 8348 : 1993) specifies a number of formats of OSI Network Layer address and establishes ISO as the top-level Registration Authority for all OSI Network Layer addresses. One of the address formats is the ISO DCC format; and, for that format specifically, annex A of BS ISO/IEC 8348 : 1993 allocates a portion of the global address space to the UK and assigns responsibility for the sub-allocation of that portion, within the UK, to BSI as the UK P-member of ISO. A UK Registration Authority (UKRA) has been appointed under the authority of the Board of BSI to administer this allocation.
The standard defines the three component elements of the scheme, namely:
a) the specification of the formats of the addresses allocated: the address structure;
b) the principles of operation of the scheme and the role of the UK Registration Authority (UKRA) and other bodies to which responsibility for its operation has been assigned: the administration
of the scheme;
c) the set of administrative procedures by which allocations are requested and subsequently controlled: the procedures.
The standard does not specify how the addresses are to be encoded in protocol.
The standard applies to the allocation and use of all OSI Network Layer addresses of the ISO DCC variety allocated to the UK by ISO in its capacity as Registration Authority for OSI Network Layer addresses as a whole. It applies to such addresses wherever and whenever they are used, irrespective of the purpose or manner of their use. Therefore all such addresses are allocated according to the procedures set out in this standard.