Internet Accounting (acct)

Charter

Chair(s):
     Cyndi Mills, cmills@bbn.com
     Gregory Ruth, gruth@bbn.com

Mailing Lists:
     General Discussion:  accounting-wg@wugate.wustl.edu
     To Subscribe:  accounting-wg-request@wugate.wustl.edu
     Archive:

Description of Working Group:

     The Internet Accounting Working Group has the goal of producing
     standards for the generation of accounting data within the
     Internet that can be used to support a wide range of management
     and cost allocation policies.  The introduction of a common set
     of tools and interpretations should ease the implementation of
     organizational policies for Internet components and make them
     more equitable in a multi-vendor environment.

     In the following accounting model, this Working Group is
     primarily concerned with defining standards for the Meter
     function and recommending protocols for the Collector function.
     Individual accounting applications (billing applications) and
     organizational policies will not be addressed, although
     examples should be provided.

     Meter <--> Collector <--> Application <--> Policy

     First, examine a wide range of existing and hypothetical
     policies to understand what set of information is required to
     satisfy usage reporting requirements.  Next, evaluate existing
     mechanisms to generate this information and define the
     specifications of each accounting parameter to be generated.
     Determine the requirements for local storage and how parameters
     may be aggregated.  Recommend a data collection protocol and
     internal formats for processing by accounting applications.

     This will result in an Internet Draft suitable for experimental
     verification and implementation.

     In parallel with the definition of the draft standard, develop
     a suite of test scenarios to verify the model.  Identify
     candidates for prototyping and implementation.


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Goals and Milestones:

Done       Policy Models Examined.

Done       Internet Accounting Background Working Draft Written.

Done       Collection Protocols Working Papers Written.

Done       Internet Accounting Background final draft submitted as an
           informational document

Done       Collection protocol working papers reviewed.

Done       Collection protocol recommendation.

Mar 1992   Architecture submission as Internet Draft.

Jul 1992   Architecture submission as RFC

Done       Architecture working papers written.



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