Notice of Termination of Validation Services for Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No. 970326070-7070-01]

RIN 0693-XX31

Notice of Termination of Validation Services for Federal

Information Processing Standards (FIPS)

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; termination of validation services.

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SUMMARY: The NIST is terminating validation services for: FIPS 127-2,

Database Language SQL, and FIPS 128-2, Computer Graphics Metafile,

Continuous Acquisition and Life-Cycle Support Profile (CGM (CALS)), and

considering terminating validation services for FIPS 21-4, COBOL; FIPS

69-1, Fortran; FIPS 128-2, Computer Graphics Metafile, Air Transport

Association Profile (CGM (ATA)); FIPS 151-2, POSIX; and FIPS 160, C.

Comments are solicited.

NIST announced by Department Organization Order 30-2B the formation

of the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). Under the new ITL

organization, NIST is refocusing its program for information

technology, concentrating on the development of conformance tests for

emerging information technologies rather than the operation of software

testing services.

Therefore, the NIST is terminating validation services for FIPS

127-2, SQL, and FIPS 128-2, CGM (CALS), effective July 1, 1997. The

NIST is considering terminating validation services for FIPS 21-4,

COBOL; FIPS 69-1, Fortran; FIPS 128-2 CGM (ATA); FIPS 151-2, POSIX; and

FIPS 160, C, effective September 30, 1997. Advance notice of this

termination is given so that interested parties may establish testing

services if they wish to do so. Federal, state, and local government

agencies requiring validation of implementations for conformance to the

above standards

[[Page 16789]]

may specify their own testing or adopt other techniques for evaluating

conference to these specifications.

Information on the test methods and procedures for conformance

testing are available in the Validated Products List (VPL) on the

internet Universal Resource Locator (URL) address ftp://

speckle.ncsl.nist.gov/vpl/intro.htm. NIST test suites and testing

procedures are distributed freely via the World Wide Web (WWW)

Universal Resource Locator (URL) http://www.nist.gov/div897/ctg.

DATES: The effective date for terminating validation services for FIPS

127-2, SQL, and FIPS 128-2, CGM (CALS), is July 1, 1997. Comments on

terminating validation services for FIPS 21-4, COBOL; FIPS 69-1,

Fortran; FIPS 128-2, CGM (ATA); FIPS 151-2, POSIX; and FIPS 160, C,

must be received no later than May 8, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the termination should be sent

to: Director, Information Technology Laboratory, Attn: Validation

Services, Building 820, Room 562, National Institute of Standards and

Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Electronic comments should be sent

to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR COMMENTS CONTACT:

Ms. Lynne Rosenthal, National Institute of Standards and Technology,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899, telephone (301) 975-3283, email [email protected].

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, Public Law 104-106, and the Computer Security Act of 1987.

Elaine Bunten-Mines,

Director, Program Office.

[FR Doc. 97-8961 Filed 4-7-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-CN-M