Appendix A: Glossary
Appendix A: Glossary
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Term Definitions
Best Current Practice (BCP)
An RFC documenting operational guidelines and recommended practices based on community consensus and operational experience. BCPs use SHOULD/RECOMMENDED rather than MUST, acknowledging that practices may need adaptation to specific contexts.
Guideline
A recommended practice that SHOULD be followed unless context requires otherwise. Guidelines include:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Recommendation | What SHOULD be done |
| Rationale | Why it is recommended |
| Applicability | When to apply it |
| Exceptions | When it may not apply |
Procedure
A repeatable sequence of steps to accomplish an operational task. Procedures include:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| When to Use | Trigger conditions |
| Prerequisites | What must be true first |
| Steps | Sequential actions |
| Verification | How to confirm success |
| Recovery | What to do if it fails |
Recommendation
A statement using SHOULD or RECOMMENDED indicating preferred practice. Recommendations are flexible—they acknowledge that context may require different approaches.
Exception
A documented case where a guideline may not apply. Exceptions ensure that guidelines remain practical by acknowledging real-world scenarios where deviation is appropriate.
Trade-off
A comparison of different approaches showing their relative strengths and weaknesses. Trade-offs help readers make informed decisions when choosing between alternatives.
Applicability
The conditions under which a guideline or procedure applies. Applicability helps readers understand when to follow a practice and when to consider alternatives.
Abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Expansion |
|---|---|
| BCP | Best Current Practice |
| RFC | Request for Comments |
| Sev1/Sev2 | Severity 1/Severity 2 (incident levels) |
| SRE | Site Reliability Engineering |
End of Appendix A — RFC-RFCSTD-0004