BCP stands for “Best Current Practice.” It is a type of document published within the Request for Comments (RFC) series by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). BCP documents provide guidance and recommendations on best practices for various aspects of internet operations, protocols, and technologies. BCPs are intended to help network administrators, engineers, and practitioners make informed decisions when designing, implementing, and managing internet systems and services.
Key characteristics of BCP documents:
- Best Practices: BCP documents offer a set of best practices that have been identified and agreed upon by the IETF community. These practices are based on experience, research, and consensus.
- Operational Guidance: BCPs address operational considerations, such as security, network management, addressing, routing, and other technical and procedural aspects of running networks and internet services.
- Consensus-Driven: Like other RFCs, BCP documents are developed through a consensus-driven process within the IETF community. This ensures that the practices recommended in BCPs have broad support and are considered reliable.
- Different Levels: BCPs are categorized into different levels, such as BCP 14, BCP 26, and so on. These levels help indicate the status and relevance of the document. For example, BCP 14 deals with addressing in IPv4 and IPv6.
- Applicability: BCP documents address specific areas of concern, such as network management, security, and operational practices. They are not protocols themselves but offer guidance on implementing and using existing protocols effectively.
- Regular Updates: BCPs may be updated over time to reflect changes in technology, security threats, and operational needs. The IETF community reviews and updates BCPs to ensure they remain current and relevant.
- Global Relevance: BCPs are widely referenced in the internet engineering community and are used by network operators, administrators, and engineers around the world to improve the security and reliability of internet services.
- Non-Normative: BCPs are considered non-normative, meaning that they don’t establish new protocols or standards. Instead, they provide advice and recommendations to improve the implementation and operation of existing protocols and technologies.
Examples of BCP documents include guidelines for IPv6 address allocation, network operations center (NOC) practices, email message format recommendations, and more.
Overall, BCP documents play a critical role in helping internet practitioners adopt best practices to enhance the stability, security, and effectiveness of their networks and services.