RFC 5511 · PROPOSED STANDARD · 2009

Routing Backus-Naur Form : A Syntax Used to Form Encoding Rules in Various Routing Protocol Specifications

Overview

RFC 5511, “Routing Backus-Naur Form : A Syntax Used to Form Encoding Rules in Various Routing Protocol Specifications”, is a Proposed Standard document published in April 2009 by A. Farrel. The canonical text is published by the RFC Editor.

Abstract

Several protocols have been specified in the Routing Area of the IETF using a common variant of the Backus-Naur Form (BNF) of representing message syntax. However, there is no formal definition of this version of BNF.

There is value in using the same variant of BNF for the set of protocols that are commonly used together. This reduces confusion and simplifies implementation.

Updating existing documents to use some other variant of BNF that is already formally documented would be a substantial piece of work.

This document provides a formal definition of the variant of BNF that has been used (that we call Routing BNF) and makes it available for use by new protocols. [STANDARDS-TRACK]

Abstract as published in the RFC, via rfc-editor.org.

What “Proposed Standard” means

An entry-level standards-track specification: stable, peer-reviewed and a solid basis for implementation, though it may still evolve before becoming an Internet Standard.

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The canonical text of RFC 5511 is hosted at rfc-editor.org. Available in TXT,HTML.

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