Operational Criteria for Root Name Servers (RFC2010)

Publishing Venue

Internet Society Requests For Comment (RFCs)

Related People

B. Manning: AUTHOR [+2][-]

P. Vixie: AUTHOR

Abstract

This document specifies the operational requirements of root name servers, including host hardware capacities, name server software revisions, network connectivity, and physical environment.

Network Working Group B. Manning

Request for Comments: 2010 ISI

Category: Informational P. Vixie

ISC

October 1996

Operational Criteria for Root Name Servers

Status of this Memo

This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo

does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of

this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

This document specifies the operational requirements of root name

servers, including host hardware capacities, name server software

revisions, network connectivity, and physical environment.

1 - Rationale and Scope

1.1. Historically, the name servers responsible for the root (".")

zone have also been responsible for all international top-level

domains (iTLD's, for example: COM, EDU, INT, ARPA). These name

servers have been operated by a cadre of highly capable volunteers,

and their administration has been loosely coordinated by the NIC

(first SRI-NIC and now InterNIC). Ultimate responsibility for the

correct operation of these servers and for the content of the DNS

zones they served has always rested with the IANA.

1.2. As described in [Postel96], many new TLD's may be created

shortly. Servers for all new and existing iTLD's will be subject to

the operational requirements given in [Postel96]. The set of servers

for the root (".") zone is likely to become disjoint from the set of

servers for any TLD or group of TLD's, including those maintained by

the InterNIC.

1.3. In spite of the similarities in operational requirements between

the servers for the iTLD's and the servers for the root (".") zone,

they are in fact different server sets with different administrators

and slightly different operational requirements. It is likely that

many contry code tld servers will have even more divergent

operational requirements. That said, the requirements set down in

this document could be successfully applied to any name server

(whether root, top level, or any other level), but may be more

draconian than necessary for servers other than those of the root

(".") zone.

Disclaimer: The selection of name server locations and

administrators, and the procedures for addressing

noncompliance with these stated operational

requirements, are outside the scope of this document.

Definition: For the purpose of this document, the term...