Operational Criteria for Root Name Servers (RFC2010)
Original Publication Date: 1996-Oct-01
Included in the Prior Art Database: 2019-Feb-15
Publishing Venue
Internet Society Requests For Comment (RFCs)
Related People
B. Manning: AUTHOR [+1]
Related Documents
Abstract
This document specifies the operational requirements of root name servers, including host hardware capacities, name server software revisions, network connectivity, and physical environment. This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.
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.
Manning & Vixie Informational [Page 1]
RFC 2010 DNSSVR Criteria October 1996
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 "zone master" shall be used to designate the administrative owner of the content of a zone. This person is expected to have final responsibility for the selection and correct operation of all of the zone’s servers. For the root (".") zone, this is the IANA.
2 - Operational Requirements
2.1. Name server software. The zone master shall initially and periodically choose a name server package to run on all of the zone’s servers. It is expected that the BIND server will be used, at least initially, and that new versions or other servers will be specified from time to time.
Rationale: This requirement is based on the wide and free av...
