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Domain Name Services
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Glossary
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ATLAS
Advanced Transaction Lookup and Signaling system.
ATLAS is VeriSign's next generation infrastructure platform built to
be a protocol agnostic, highly scalable, highly reliable, and secure
directory infrastructure for a broad range of identity or transaction
data lookups.
ccTLD
Country Code Top Level Domain
Constituencies
The ICANN Domain Name Supporting Organization
consists of a Names Council, several Constituencies and a General Assembly.
Each Constituency is self-organized. The initial Constituencies consist
of (in alphabetical order): 1. ccTLD registries; 2. commercial and business
entities; 3. gTLD registries; 4. ISP and connectivity providers; 5.
non-commercial domain name holders; 6. registrars; and 7. trademark,
other intellectual property and anti-counterfeiting interests. Any group
of individuals or entities may petition the ICANN Board for recognition
as a new or separate Constituency. (Constituency website URLs can be
found at http://www.icann.org/dnso/dnso.htm).
Cooperative Agreement
A type of contractual agreement often used
by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) that facilitates
cooperation between private organizations and the U.S. government for
the purposes of encouraging development of new technology with the ultimate
goal of turning that technology over to the private sector.
Country Code Top-Level Domain
A top-level domain containing a 2-character
abbreviation as defined by ISO 3166-1 (Codes for the Representation
of Names of Countries and Their Subdivisions). As of late 2004 there
are nearly 250 country code top level domains (ccTLDs) registered. Some
examples are .us for the United States, .ca for Canada, .jp for Japan,
.de for Germany, etc. ccTLDs are often contrasted to generic top level
domains (gTLDs). ccTLDs often have more restrictive registration requirements
including regional requirements whereas gTLDs tend to be open to all
registrants around the world.
DNS
Domain Name System
DNSO
Domain Name Supporting Organization - A supporting
organization of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).
It advises the ICANN Board with respect to policy issues relating to
the Domain Name System. The DNSO consists of: (i) a Names Council ("NC"),
consisting of representatives of constituencies elected by those Constituencies
and (ii) a General Assembly ("GA"), consisting of all interested
individuals and entities.
DoC
United States Department of Commerce
Domain Name
An addressing construct used for identifying
and locating computers on the Internet. Domain names provide a system
of easy-to-remember Internet addresses, which can be translated by the
Domain Name System (DNS) into the numeric addresses (Internet Protocol
(IP) numbers) used by the network. A domain name is hierarchical and
often conveys information about the type of entity using the domain
name. A domain name is simply a label that represents a domain, which
is a subset of the total domain name space. Domain names at the same
level of the hierarchy must be unique. Thus, for example, there can
be only one .COM at the top-level of the hierarchy, and only one verisign.com
at the next level of the hierarchy.
Domain Name System
A distributed database of information that
is used to translate domain names (which are easy for humans to remember
and use) into Internet Protocol (IP) numbers, which are what computers
need to find each other on the Internet. People working on computers
around the globe maintain their specific portion of this database, and
the data held in each portion of the database is made available to all
computers and users on the Internet. The DNS comprises computers, data
files, software, and people working together.
Drafting Committees
Drafting committees are bodies of Domain Name
Supporting Organization General Assembly members that are established
by the DNSO Names Council to carry out its consensus building responsibility.
Each recognized DNSO Constituency may participate in any drafting committee.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
General Assembly
The General Assembly (GA) is an open forum
for participation in the work of the ICANN Domain Name Supporting Organization
(DNSO). The participants in the GA should be individuals who have a
knowledge of and an interest in issues pertaining to the areas for which
the DNSO has primary responsibility, and who are willing to contribute
time, effort and expertise to the work of the DNSO, including work item
proposal and development, discussion of work items, draft document preparation,
and participation in research and drafting committees and working groups.
Generic Top Level Domain
A top-level domain name that is open to registrants
around the world in contrast to country code top-level domains that
are often restricted to registrants located in a particular country
or region. . gTLDs include .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info and .name.
gTLD
Generic Top Level Domain
Host
Also called a name server. A computer that
has both the software and the data (zone files) needed to resolve domain
names to Internet Protocol (IP) numbers.
IANA
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (See http://www.iana.org/)
ICANN
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (See: http://www.icann.org/)
IETF
Internet Engineering Task Force (See http://www.ietf.org/)
IFWP
International Forum on the White Paper (See http://www.ifwp.org/)
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
The function that currently oversees registration
for various Internet Protocol parameters, such as port numbers, protocol
and enterprise numbers, options, codes, and types. The IANA function
is currently located at the Information Sciences Institute at the University
of Southern California in Marina del Rey, CA and functions under the
direction of ICANN. (See http://www.iana.org/)
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers
An international not-for-profit, private sector
organization created to coordinate four key functions for the Internet:
the management of the domain name system, the allocation of IP address
space, the assignment of protocol parameters, and the management of
the root server system.(see http://www.ICANN.org)
Internet Domain Name
An addressing construct used for identifying
and locating computers on the Internet. Domain names provide a system
of easy-to-remember Internet addresses, which can be translated by the
Domain Name System (DNS) into the numeric addresses (Internet Protocol
(IP) numbers) used by the network. A domain name is hierarchical and
often conveys information about the type of entity using the domain
name. A domain name is simply a label that represents a domain, which
is a subset of the total domain name space. Domain names at the same
level of the hierarchy must be unique. Thus, for example, there can
be only one .COM at the top-level of the hierarchy, and only one verisign.com
at the next level of the hierarchy.
Internet Engineering Task Force
An international, voluntary body consisting
of network designers, engineers, researchers, vendors, and other interested
individuals who work together to address and resolve technical and operational
problems on the Internet and develop Internet standards and protocols.
The IETF, which was formed by the Internet Architecture Board (IAB),
meets three times a year, however the bulk of the collaboration and
work takes place on the various mailing lists maintained by its participants.(See http://www.ietf.org/)
International Forum on the White Paper
A group self-organized in June 1998 for the
purpose of creating an international forum that would respond to White
Paper recommendations.(See http://www.ifwp.org/)
Internet Protocol Number (IP address)
A unique, numeric identifier used to specify
hosts and networks. Internet Protocol (IP) numbers are part of a global,
standardized scheme for identifying machines that are connected to the
Internet. Technically speaking, IP numbers are 32 bit addresses that
consist of four octets, and they are expressed as four numbers between
0 and 255, separated by periods, for example: 198.41.0.52. IP allocation
for the Americas, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa is currently
handled by the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). IP allocation
for Europe is currently handled by RIPE (Reseaux IP Europeens). IP allocation
for the Asia/Pacific region is currently handled by the Asia-Pacific
Network Information Center (APNIC).
InterNIC
Internet Network Information Center. InterNIC
is a registered service mark of the U.S. Department of Commerce. InterNIC
was the name given to a project that originated in 1993 under a cooperative
agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF), which enabled
Network Solutions, Inc. (now VeriSign) to provide domain name registration
services in .com and .net. The InterNIC name is no longer used by VeriSign
for its services. The InterNIC is currently the name of a web site provided
by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (see http://www.interNIC.net/)
InterNIC Web Site
InterNIC is a registered service mark of the
U.S. Department of Commerce. This Web site has been established to provide
the public information regarding Internet domain name registration services.(See http://www.interNIC.net/)
IP
Internet Protocol (see Internet Protocol Number
or IP Addresses)
IP Address
A unique, numeric identifier used to specify
hosts and networks. Internet Protocol (IP) numbers are part of a global,
standardized scheme for identifying machines that are connected to the
Internet. Technically speaking, IP numbers are 32 bit addresses that
consist of four octets, and they are expressed as four numbers between
0 and 255, separated by periods, for example: 198.41.0.52. IP allocation
for the Americas, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa is currently
handled by the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). IP allocation
for Europe is currently handled by RIPE (Reseaux IPEuropeens). IP allocation
for the Asia/Pacific region is currently handled by the Asia-Pacific
Network Information Center (APNIC).
Lame Delegation
Listing a host (name server) that does not
contain a Start of Authority (SOA) record for a domain name when registering
a domain name with a registry or registrar.
Name Server
Also called a host. A computer that has both
the software and the data (zone files) needed to resolve domain names
to Internet Protocol (IP) numbers.
Name Service
Providing individuals or organizations with
domain name-to-Internet Protocol (IP) number resolution by maintaining
and making available the hardware, software, and data needed to perform
this function. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operate name servers
and provide their customers with name service when they register a domain
name. Most individuals are not in a position to operate a name server
on their own and will need to make arrangements for name service with
an ISP or some other person or organization.
Names Council
The Names Council (NC) is a part of the Domain
NamenSupporting Organization (DNSO), one of three supporting organizations
for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
It consists of three representatives from each DNSO constituency recognized
by the ICANN Board, with the temporary exception of the gTLD Registry
Constituency that currently has only one representative. The NC is responsible
for the management of the consensus building process of the DNSO.
National Telecommunications and Information
Administration
an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
the Executive Branch's principal voice on domestic and international
telecommunications and information technology issues. NTIA is the agency
within DoC that manages the cooperative agreement with VeriSign and
the Memorandum of Understanding with ICANN. (See http://www.ntia.doc.gov/)
NTIA
National Telecommunications and Information
Administration(See http://www.ntia.doc.gov/)
Operational Test and Evaluation
A process in which registrars licensed by the
Registry develop client systems and software to register and manage
domain names and name servers prior to live operation in the Shared
Registration System. The Shared Registration System includes an isolated,
shared Operational Test and Evaluation server environment that is used
for both initial registrar system development and ongoing registrar
development and testing. Prior to operation in the live Shared Registration
System, registrars must complete a basic functional evaluation in the
Operational Test and Evaluation environment to demonstrate full and
correct operation of their client systems. The evaluation must be completed
without error before registrars are given access to the live Shared
Registration System.
OT&E
Operational Test and Evaluation
Primary Server
The name server that will be used first and
will be relied upon before any of the other name servers that may be
listed when a domain name is registered with the registry. When registering
names with the Registry, registrars must provide the name and IP address
of a primary server for the name.
Registrant
The individual or organization that registers
a specific domain name with a registrar. This individual or organization
holds the right to use that specific domain name for a specified period
of time, provided certain conditions are met and the registration fees
are paid. This person or organization is the "legal entity"
bound by the terms of the Domain Name Registration Agreement with the
registrar. Note that the VeriSign registry provides direct services
to registrars only, not Internet end-users. The registry database contains
only domain name service (DNS) information (domain name, name server
names and name server Internet Protocol [IP] numbers) along with the
name of the registrar that registered the name and basic transaction
data. It does not contain any domain name registrant or contact information.
Registrars provide direct services to registrants.
Registrar
A registrar provides direct services to domain
name registrants. The registrar database contains customer information
in addition to the DNS information contained in the registry database.
Registrars process name registrations for Internet end-users and then
send the necessary DNS information to a registry for entry into the
centralized registry database and ultimate propagation over the Internet.
There are multiple registrars providing registration services through
VeriSign.(See http://www.interNIC.net/)
Registrar License and Agreement
The contract that registrars must enter into
with VeriSign in order to be able to provide registration services through
the VeriSign registry.(See http://www.icann.org/nsi/nsi-agreements.htm)
Registrar Whois
A searchable database maintained by registrars
that contains information about networks, networking organizations,
domain names, and the contacts associated with them for the com, net,
edu, and ISO 3166 country code top-level domains. Also, the protocol,
or set of rules, that describes the application used to access the database.
Each registrar implements the Whois protocol and maintains a separate
and distinct Whois database for its respective domain name registrations.
Registry
An Internet domain name registry is an entity
that receives domain name service (DNS) information from domain name
registrars, inserts that information into a centralized database and
propagates the information in Internet zone files on the Internet so
that domain names can be found by users around the world via applications
such as the world wide web and email. VeriSign is the exclusive registry
for the .com and .net top level domains.
Registry Agreement
The agreement executed on November 10, 1999
between ICANN and VeriSign. The agreement contains the terms and conditions
under which VeriSign is authorized to be the exclusive registry for
all second-level domain names in the .com and .net top level domain
names.(See http://www.icann.org/nsi/nsi-agreements.htm)
Registry Registrar Protocol (RRP)
A protocol for the registration and management
of second level domain names and associated name servers in both Top
Level Domains (TLDs) and country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs). This
protocol was developed by the VeriSign registry for use within the Shared
Registration System. RRP is a TCP-based, 7-bit US-ASCII text protocol
that permits multiple registrars to provide second level Internet domain
name registration services in the top level domains (TLDs) administered
by a TLD registry.
Registry Whois
This is the authoritative Whois service for
all second-level Internet domain names registered in the .com and .net
top-level domains. This service is available to anyone. For all registered
second-level domain names in .com or .net, information as illustrated
in the following example is displayed:
Domain Name: LIBERTY.COM
Registrar: DOMAINDISCOVER
Whois Server: whois.domaindiscover.com
Referral URL: http://www.domaindiscover.com
Name Server: NS1.TRAINWEB.COM
Name Server: NS2.TRAINWEB.COM
Status: ACTIVE
Updated Date: 09-mar-2004
Creation Date: 22-mar-1993
Expiration Date: 23-mar-2005
Note that no end-user contact information is
displayed because VeriSign does not maintain that information.
Root
The top of the Domain Name System (DNS) hierarchy.
Often referred to as the "dot."
Root Server
A machine that has the software and data needed
to locate name servers that contain authoritative data for the top-level
domains (e.g., root servers know which name servers contain authoritative
data for .com, .net, .fr, .uk. etc.). The root servers are, in fact,
name servers and contain authoritative data for the very top of the
Domain Name System (DNS) hierarchy. Currently, technical specifications
limit the number of root servers to 13. These machines are currently
located around the globe, in the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, and Japan.
RRP
Registry/Registrar Protocol
Resolve
The term used to describe the process by which
domain names are matched with corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) numbers.
"Resolution" is accomplished by a combination of computers
and software, referred to as name servers, that use the data in the
Domain Name System to determine which IP numbers correspond to a particular
domain name.
Secondary Server
A name server that will be used in addition
to and as a backup for the primary name server for a domain name. Names
and IP addresses of secondary servers are provided by registrars when
they register names with the VeriSign registry.
Second-Level Domain Name
In the Domain Name System (DNS), the next level
of the hierarchy underneath the top-level domains. In a domain name,
that portion of the domain name that appears immediately to the left
of the top-level domain. For example, the "verisign" in "verisign.com."
Second-level domain names are used to represent businesses and other
commercial concerns on the Internet.
Shared Registration System
The Shared Registration System developed by
VeriSign permits multiple registrars to provide Internet domain name
registration services within the top-level domains (TLDs) administered
by VeriSign. The System (a protocol and associated hardware and software)
includes the following subsystems: a database server subsystem, a registration
subsystem ensuring equivalent access to the registry by all registrars;
a billing subsystem; a systems development and testing subsystem; a
TLD zone file generation subsystem; and a Whois subsystem. The System
is consistent with, and supportive of, the provisions of the Statement
of Policy on Domain Name System administration, Management of Internet
Names and Addresses, 63 Fed Reg. 31741 (1998) (the "White Paper"),
as well as Amendment No. 11 to Cooperative Agreement NCR-92-18742 between
the U.S. Government and VeriSign.
SOA
Start of Authority
SRS
Shared Registration System
SSL
SSL is an acronym for "Secure Socket Layer,"
a security protocol that provides communications privacy over the Internet.
The protocol allows client/server applications to communicate in a way
that is designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, or message forgery.
Start of Authority (SOA) Resource Record
A type of record used in the distributed database
that is the Domain Name System (DNS) to indicate that a particular name
server contains authoritative data for a particular domain.
Supporting Organizations
The ICANN Supporting Organizations serve as
advisory bodies to the SOA Resource Board, with the primary responsibility
of developing and recommending substantive policies regarding those
matters falling within their specific responsibilities.
TLD
Top Level Domain
TLD Zone
A file that contains data describing a portion
of the domain name space for a specific top-level domain. Zone files
contain the information needed to resolve domain names to Internet Protocol
(IP) numbers. Zone files contain domain names, their associated name
server names and the IP addresses for those name servers.
TLD Zone Files
Files that contain data describing a portion
of the domain name space for specific top–level domains. Zone files
contain the information needed to resolve domain names to Internet Protocol
(IP) numbers. Zone files contain domain names, their associated name
server names and the IP addresses for those name servers. VeriSign updates
TLD zone files for the .com and .net TLDs every five minutes.
Top Level Domain
In the Domain Name System (DNS), the highest
level of the hierarchy after the root. In a domain name, that portion
of the domain name that appears furthest to the right. For example,
the "com" in "verisign.com."
URL
Universal Resource Locator, an address used
to locate Web sites on the Internet (e.g., http://www.verisign.com)
White Paper
A Statement of Policy for the Management of
Internet Names and Addresses released by the U.S. Department of Commerce
in June 1998 in response to comments received to the Green Paper recommendations
published in January 1998. Among other things, the White Paper called
for the creation of a global, not-for-profit organization that would
eventually assume the responsibility for coordinating four key functions
for the Internet: the management of the domain name system, the allocation
of IP address space, the assignment of protocol parameters, and the
management of the root server system.
Whois
A searchable database maintained by registries
and registrars that contains information about domain name registrations
in the com, net, org, edu, and ISO 3166 country code top-level domains.
Also, the protocol, or set of rules, that describes the application
used to access the database.(See Registrar Whois and Registry Whois.)
Whois Server
The URL (Web address) where the Whois service
for a particular registry or registrar may be found. This is one of
the items of information provided by the VeriSign
Whois.
Working Groups
Working Groups are bodies of Domain Name Supporting
Organization General Assembly members that are established by the DNSO
Names Council to carry out its consensus building responsibility. Each
recognized DNSO Constituency may participate in any working group.
Zone File Access Agreement
An agreement with VeriSign that must be executed
by parties requesting access to the VeriSign TLD zone files.
Zone Files
Files that contain data describing a portion
of the domain name space for specific top level domains. Zone files
contain the information needed to resolve domain names to Internet Protocol
(IP) numbers. Zone files contain domain names, their associated name
server names and the IP addresses for those name servers. VeriSign updates
zone files for the .com and .net TLDs every five minutes.
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