NAO 212-12B

TELECOMMUNICATIONS STANDARD: NAMES, ADDRESSES, AND GATEWAYS IN ELECTRONIC MAIL SYSTEMS

Issued 10/7/93; Effective 09/24/93

SECTION 1. PURPOSE.

.01 This Order provides National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) policy guidance for the structured assignment of names and addressing mail in electronic mail (e-mail) systems and for the addition of e-mail gateways to networks.

.02 This Order complies with General Services Administration (GSA) instructions for registering organization names as expressed in U.S. Government Open System Interconnect Profile (GOSIP) Registration Services, Instruction to Applicants.

.03 This Order implements Department of Commerce (DOC) policies issued in the Information Technology (IT) Management Handbook.

SECTION 2. SCOPE.

.01 This Order applies to all NOAA locations and e-mail systems and includes:

a. e-mail sent by NOAA network users to users of the same and other e-mail systems in NOAA; and

b. e-mail sent by outside users to NOAA employees through gateways into NOAA e-mail systems.

SECTION 3. BACKGROUND.

.01 Structuring e-mail naming conventions is part of NOAA's interoperability program to achieve compliance with the compulsory Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 146, GOSIP. NOAA's GOSIP migration is authorized by NAO 212-12A, Telecommunication Standards: NOAA Interoperability Profile (NIP).

.02 Each Line Office (LO), Staff Office (SO), and Program Office (PO) must develop:

a. a convergence plan describing its existing communications environment;

b. a plan for how interoperability will be achieved; and

c. a schedule for GOSIP migration.

.03 FIPS 146 specifies two Open System Interconnect (OSI) protocol standards covering e-mail services at the application layer: X.400, E-Mail; and X.500, Directory Services.

.04 GSA is the registration authority for GOSIP by delegation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and has developed instructions for registering organization names. These comply with rules for creating Private Management Domain Names (PRMD) as defined by the Consultative Committee for International Telephony and Telegraphy (CCITT), linking GOSIP to International Standards Organization activities.

.05 NOAA uses numerous e-mail systems extensively. These were established individually and were based on user requirements and resources. Each system has its own address format and conventions. System multiplicity complicates e-mail addressing when messages cross e-mail systems.

.06 Standardizing e-mail naming and addressing practices will facilitate the electronic exchange of information within, to, and from NOAA.

SECTION 4. RESPONSIBILITIES.

.01 The Senior Official for Information Resource Management (SOIRM):

a. approves telecommunications standards and network interoperability waivers;

b. approves all deviations from the policies described in this Order; and

c. delegates the authority to approve e-mail and gateway names to ISFO.

.02

The Network Advisory Review Board (NARB):

a. provides comments and recommendations regarding telecommunications standards to the SOIRM; and

b. advises on the content and administration of NOAA's e-mail naming policy.

.03 ISFO, Office of Administration:

a. administers e-mail policy;

b. approves all e-mail and gateway names;

c. coordinates telecommunications requirements and standards;

d. coordinates e-mail and gateway naming conventions with affected programs such as the Earth System Data and Information Management (ESDIM);

e. registers NOAA's organization name with GSA;

f. maintains both a NOAA-wide registry of name assignments at the aggregate level and shorter gateway names, and coordinates other e-mail registrations with non-NOAA entities;

g. issues implementation details and procedures in the Telecom Handbook as authorized in NAO 212-10, Telecommunications Planning, Acquisition, and Management; and

h. publishes e-mail names in the NOAA Locator.

.04 ISFO may delegate responsibility for approving e-mail and gateway names and determining detailed naming structures within the broader naming policy and gateway naming conventions as described in Section 5. of this Order. ISFO may delegate responsibilities to offices to which aggregate names have been assigned or to a network information center (or equivalent) with broad internetwork responsibilities.

.05 LOs/SOs/POs:

a. develop networks and communications that comply with existing standards and policy or support convergence plans that either lead to compliance or document, for higher level approval, compelling reasons for noncompliance; and

b. apply the e-mail naming policy and obtain approvals, if warranted, for policy deviations from the SOIRM.

SECTION 5. PROCEDURES/REQUIREMENTS.

.01 Names at every level in the naming structure of e-mail systems will be registered with the offices responsible for assigning them.

.02 For systems external to NOAA (e.g., the Internet, X.400, or other widely used public systems), ISFO will request registrations for LOs/SOs/POs desiring name registrations with external systems, in conformance with GSA naming registration requirements. LOs/SOs/POs must submit external registration requests to ISFO for review and submission to the external authority. The LOs/SOs/POs may either request ISFO to assign names or propose names for registration. Each request for e-mail naming registration or address space shall include the following information:

a. the external system to which each registration request pertains;

b. the name, telephone number, and mailing address (including NOAA mail routing code) of the person submitting the request;

c. the submitter's e-mail address, if any;

d. the span of the NOAA organizational structure covered by the requested name registration; and

e. if the request includes a proposed name, it shall include the reasons supporting it.

.03 ISFO will coordinate short-form names (aliases) for outsiders so that addressing e-mail to NOAA users is simpler than would otherwise be required by a gateway and the internal e-mail systems.

.04 ISFO will work with LOs/SOs/POs to develop name assignments so names currently used in existing systems can be incorporated into a coordinated, NOAA-wide naming plan.

.05 For internal systems, ISFO will assign names at the most aggregate level in the naming structure of each system. ISFO will assign blocks of names as defined by the initial character or initial string of characters, delegating the administration of the naming system within a block of names to the "owner" (assignee) of the block. The owner may delegate sub-blocks and may delegate the administration at lower, less aggregate levels in the naming structure.

For example, in a three-part naming system such as individual/group/aggregate, a LO could be assigned the block of aggregate names beginning with "L." If the LO needs several aggregate names, all those names would begin with "L," and other organizational entities would not use aggregate names beginning with "L." This LO would be free to assign aggregate names beginning with that letter and would be free to assign group names at will, except that for consistency with other LOs, it would use the group name "AA" for the offices of its Associate Administrator, "MB" for its Management and Budget staff, and "IA" for its International Affairs staff.

.06 Names at the most aggregate level in an internal e-mail system shall be selected to represent a major organizational or program entity. ISFO will assign aggregate names in different internal e-mail systems to keep them as consistent with each other as possible. When names in an external e-mail system include organizational or program entities within NOAA, the names selected shall be meaningful to outside users (e.g., J.Doe@NMFS.NOAA.GOV instead of J.DOE@NMFS-CC).

.07 The naming plan is a hybrid of:

a. a pre-structured naming scheme following the organizational structure of NOAA; and

b. an ad hoc, first-come-first-served naming structure.

The virtues of prestructured naming are that names are predictable and are reserved in a rational pattern for future use. The virtues of ad hoc naming are that names might be shorter, more mnemonic and more meaningful to persons outside NOAA. The object of this hybrid scheme is to balance these virtues and to produce names that are neither too parochial nor too inflexible.

.08 For the ad hoc part of the naming plan, NOAA elements may submit requests to ISFO that a particular name be assigned for its major organizational or program entity. To be accepted, the proposed names must be mnemonic for that major organizational or program entity, must not be misleading, and must not conflict with any names in use or already assigned for use.

a. If the proposed names conflict with a block of names already reserved but not in use, ISFO will contact the organization for which the name has been reserved (via the Department, if outside NOAA) to determine whether there is any plan to use the particular name requested. When conflicts exist with a reservation within NOAA, ISFO will contact the Personnel Programs and Organization Analysis Division (OA22) to determine whether any reorganization plans might cause actual conflicts.

b. If there are no significant problems with the use of the requested names, ISFO will assign them as requested. If there are significant technical or administrative problems, ISFO will resolve them in the interest of overall efficiency.

c. Each request for an ad hoc name shall include the following information:

1. the internal system to which the registration request pertains;

2. the name, telephone number, and mailing address (including NOAA mail routing code) of the person submitting the request;

3. the submitter's e-mail address, if any;

4. the span of the NOAA organizational structure covered by the requested name registration; and

5. the reasons supporting the proposal.

.09 Discontinued or obsolete names may be removed from the reservation list by the responsible organizations.

.10 Prior to any procurement, when LOs/SOs/POs are planning to install e-mail gateways, they shall first consult with ISFO to determine whether additional gateways are necessary or advisable. LOs/SOs/POs shall explain how the addresses and other header information will be translated, limitations on attachments, how directories will be synchronized, and how the proposed gateway will fit into the existing network architecture. LO/SO/POs shall register the gateways with ISFO. The registration request shall include the following information:

a. the e-mail system for which the gateway will translate;

b. the name, telephone number, and mailing address (including mail routing code) of the person submitting the request;

c. the submitter's e-mail address, if any;

d. the syntax to be used in sending e-mail through the gateway, in each direction; and

e. the request for gateway name, or proposed name, and the reasons supporting the proposal.

SECTION 6. NON-COMPLIANCE.

.01 Organizations that do not implement naming conventions in accordance with the provision of this Order must document why they are not complying and provide a copy to NOAA's SOIRM for approval.

.02 Organizations that do not comply with the naming conventions described in this NAO because they were "grandfathered" are encouraged to revise existing names to achieve compliance. Plans to achieve compliance should be documented in the GOSIP Convergence Plan.

SECTION 7. EFFECT ON OTHER ISSUANCES.

None.

SIGNED,
Director, Office of Administration

Office of Primary Interest:
   Office of Administration
   Information Systems and Finance Office
   Systems Division
   Telecommunications and ADP Security Branch (OA124)