[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46444-46445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22404]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 960726208-6208-01]
RIN 0693-XX21
Proposed Withdrawal of Thirty-two Federal Information Processing
Standards (FIPS) Publications
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The following Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)
Publications are proposed for withdrawal from the FIPS series:
--FIPS 1-2, Code for Information Interchange, Its Representations,
Subsets, and Extension (ANSI X3.4-1986/R1992, X3.32-1990, X3.41-
1990)
--FIPS 11-3, Guideline: American National Dictionary for Information
Systems (ANSI X3.172-1990 & X3.172A-1992)
--FIPS 16-1, Bit Sequencing of Code for Information Interchange in
Serial-By-Bit Data Transmission (ANSI X3.15-1976/R1983&R1990)
FIPS 17-1, Character Structure and Character Parity Sense for
Serial-By-Bit Data Communication in the Code for Information
Interchange (ANSI X3.16-1976/R1983&R1990)
--FIPS 19-2, Catalog of Widely Used Code Sets
--FIPS 22-1, Synchronous Signaling Rates Between Data Terminal and
Data Communication Equipment (ANSI X3.1-1976)
--FIPS 34, Guide for the Use of International System of Units (SI)
in Federal Information Processing Standards Publications
--FIPS 49, Guideline on Computer Performance Management: An
Introduction
--FIPS 57, Guidelines for the Measurement of Interactive Computer
Service Response Time and Turnaround Time
--FIPS 58-1, Representations of Local Time of the Day for
Information Interchange (ANSI X3.43-1986)
--FIPS 59, Representations of Universal Time, Local Time
Differentials, and United States Time Zone References for
Information Interchange (ANSI X3.51-1975)
--FIPS 68-2, BASIC (ANSI X3.113-1987)
--FIPS 70-1, Representation of Geographic Point Locations for
Information Interchange (ANSI X3.61-1986)
--FIPS 75, Guideline on Constructing Benchmarks for ADP System
Acquisitions
--FIPS 76, Guideline for Planning and Using a Data Dictionary System
--FIPS 77, Guideline for Planning and Management of Database
Applications
--FIPS 86, Additional Controls for Use with American National
Standard Code for Information Interchange (ANSI X3.64-1979/R1990)
--FIPS 88, Guideline on Integrity Assurance and Control in Database
Administration
--FIPS 94, Guideline on Electrical Power for ADP Installations
--FIPS 96, Guideline for Developing and Implementing a Charging
System for Data Processing Services
--FIPS 99, Guideline: A Framework for the Evaluation and Comparison
of Software Development Tools
--FIPS 103, Codes for the Identification of Hydrologic Units in the
United States and the Caribbean Outlying Areas (USGS/CIRCULAR #878-A
& ANSI X3.145-1986)
--FIPS 104-1, ANS Codes for the Representation of Names of
Countries, Dependencies, and Areas of Special Sovereignty for
Information Interchange
--FIPS 109, Pascal (ANSI/IEEE 770X3.97-1983/R1990)
--FIPS 110, Guideline for Choosing a Data Management Approach
--FIPS 123, Specification for a Data Descriptive File for
Information Interchange (DDF) (ANSI/ISO 8211-1985/R1992)
--FIPS 124, Guideline on Functional Specifications for Database
Management Systems
--FIPS 126, Database Language NDL (ANSI X3.133-1986)
--FIPS 152, Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) (ISO 8879-
1986)
--FIPS 156, Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS) (ANSI
X3.138-1988&X3.138A-1991)
--FIPS 157, Guideline for Quality Control of Image Scanners (ANSI/
AIIM MS44-1988)
--FIPS 158-1, The User Interface Component of the Applications
Portability Profile (MIT X Version 11, Release 5)
Many of these FIPS adopt voluntary industry standards for Federal
government use, but the FIPS documents have not been updated to
reference current or revised voluntary industry standards. In some
cases, commercial products implementing the voluntary industry
standards, such as the American National Code for Information
Interchange, are widely available. In other cases, the industry
specifications have not been implemented in commercial off-the-shelf
products. As a result, it is no longer necessary for the government to
mandate standards in these areas.
Others of these FIPS provide advisory guidance to Federal agencies
with no requirements for compulsory and binding use. They explain and
[[Page 46445]]
recommend practices in the management and selection of systems. The
earliest of these guidelines is nearly twenty years old, and the most
recent guideline is ten years old. Information technology has changed
considerably since they were issued during the era of centralized
computing on mainframe computers. Today, Federal organizations use a
wide variety of hardware, software, distributed systems, and networks,
and there are many sources of information on all aspects of managing
these resources.
NIST believes that it would not be cost effective to revise these
standards and guidelines, thereby duplicating information that is
broadly available from a variety of sources. Withdrawal means that the
FIPS standards and guidelines will no longer be part of a subscription
service that is provided by the National Technical Information Service,
and that NIST will no longer be able to revise or answer questions
about the FIPS.
Current voluntary industry standards should be used by agencies in
their procurement actions where appropriate, in accordance with OMB
Circular A-119, Federal Participation and Use of Voluntary Industry
Standards. NIST will continue to provide information about good
information technology practices through publications, electronic
bulletin boards and Internet pages.
Prior to the submission of this proposed withdrawal to the
Secretary of Commerce for review and approval, it is essential to
assure that consideration is given to the needs and views of
manufacturers, the public, and State and local governments. The purpose
of this notice is to solicit such views.
Interested parties may obtain copies of these standards and
guidelines from the National Technical Information Service, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-
4650.
DATE: Comments on this proposed withdrawal of these FIPS must be
received on or before December 2, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the withdrawal should be sent
to: Director, Computer Systems Laboratory, ATTN: Proposed Withdrawal of
32 FIPS, Technology Building, Room A-231, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Electronic comments
should be sent to: fips.comments@nist.gov.
Comments received in response to this notice will be made part of
the public record and will be made available for inspection and copying
in the Central Reference and Records Inspection Facility, Room 6020,
Herbert C. Hoover Building, 14th Street between Pennsylvania and
Constitution Avenues, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Shirley M. Radack, telephone (301)
975-2833, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg,
MD 20899.
Authority: Federal Information Processing Standards Publications
(FIPS PUBS) are issued by the National Institute of Standards and
Technology after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to
Section 5131 of the Information Technology Management Reform Act of
1996 and the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 104-106.
Dated: August 28, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-22404 Filed 8-30-96; 8:45 am]
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