Cybertelecom Federal Internet Law & Policy An Educational Project

Domain Name System

Derived From: Internet Infrastructure: DHS Faces Challenges in Developing a Joint Public/Private Recovery Plan, GAO Report 06-672, p 7 (June 2006)

"The Domain Name System, ensures the uniqueness of each e-mail and Web site address. This system links names like www.senate.gov with the underlying numerical addresses that computers use to communicate with each other. It translates names into addresses and back again in a process invisible to the end user. This process relies on a system of servers, called domain name servers, which store data linking names with numbers. Each domain name server stores a limited set of names and numbers. They are linked by a series of 13 root servers, which coordinate the data and allow users to find the server that identifies the sites they want to reach. Domain name servers are organized into a hierarchy that parallels the organization of the domain names. For example, when someone wants to reach the Web site at www.senate.gov, his or her computer will ask one of the root servers for help.[5] The root server will direct the query to a second server that knows the location of names ending in the .gov top-level domain.[6] If the address includes a subdomain, the second server refers the query to a third server—in this case, one that knows the addresses for all names ending in senate.gov. The third server will then respond to the request with a numerical address, which the original requester uses to establish a direct connection with the www.senate.gov site. Figure 2 illustrates this example."

[5] This example assumes that the required domain name information is not available on the user’s local network.
[6] Although the Department of Commerce has authority to modify the root file containing this top-level domain information, it has delegated this authority to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit organization, and VeriSign, a private corporation.

Statistics

• Domain Names
  • Verisign Domain Name Industry Brief
    • Internet Security Intelligence Briefing, Verisign 3/15/2005
    • VeriSign Issues Quarterly Domain Name Industry Brief; Overall Domain Name Registration Tops Past Record at 66.3M, Verisign 12/3/2004
  • Domain Name Count Zooknic
  • Domain Tools Domain Counts & Internet Statistics (Domain Counts, IP Counts by Country, World IPs, DMOZ Listings, Registrar Stats)
  • TotalRegistrations
  • Detailed Domain Counts and Internet Statistic Whois.sc
  • Domain Name Statistics Germany
  • Domain Registrations Reach All-Time High Of 83.9 Million, AdvancedIPpipeline 8/19/2005
  • Netnames (total domain names 32 m as of March 202)
  • Hosts: Three-Letter Domains 1991-1998
  • Hosts: Two-letter Domains > 500,000 1991-1998
• Host Counts
  • ISC Internet Domain Survey (counts hosts)
  • Distribution of Host Computers Across Domain Names (undated)
• IP Numbers
  • Number Resource Organization
    • Internet Number Resource Report - March 2006
    • Internet Number Resource Report, Number Resource Organization (March 2005).
  • Domain Tools Domain Counts & Internet Statistics (IP County By Country)
  • Historial RIR Allocations http://www.aso.icann.org/stats/index.html, http://www.iana.org/assignments/ipv4-address-space.
• IPv6
• Total number of allocated IPv6 prefixes per RIR, RIPE NCC (Real time data

• Links
  • Internet Number Resource Report
    
  • Geoff Huston - BGP Table Growth
  • Internet Statistics via Whois Source
  • RIR Stats http://www.apnic.net/info/reports/index.html,
  • http://www.arin.net/statistics/index.html,
  • http://www.lacnic.net/en/est.html,
  • http://www.ripe.net/info/stats/
  • RIPE NCC (K Root) Statistics

Papers

• DNS Root Name Servers Explained For Non-Experts, ISOC 4/22/2005
• Signposts in Cyberspace: the Domain Name System and Internet Navigation, CSTB 2005
  • Internet report finally arrives seven years later, USA Today 4/1/2005
  • U.S. completes Internet traffic report, Globe and Mail 4/1/2005
• Markus Müller ,Who Owns the Internet? Ownership as a Legal Basis for American Control of the Internet, SSRN 12/7/2004
• John Morris, Alan Davidson , Policy Impact Assessments: Considering the Public Interest in Internet Standards Development, TPRC 9/13/03
• Classless Inter-Domain Routing Network Mag 11/8/02
• Paul Hoffman, "Reforming the Administration of the DNS Root," April 25, 2002.
• Donelan, Timeline of events with the Domain Name System
• CAIDA:  Internet Measurement: Myths about Internet data (5 dec 01) Myth: The DNS performs Well
• Competing DNS Roots:  Creative Destruction or Just Plain Destruction? Milton Mueller TPRC Fall 2001
• John S. Quarterman, The TLD Fiasco (1996).
• Cyberspace Law Institute, What's In a Name (1996).
• Cannon, NSI Implements New Internet Domain Name Policy (October 1996).
• Comments of the Domain Name Rights Coalition To the IAHC Draft Specifications for Administration and Management of gTLDs
• RFC 1034 Domain Name Concepts and Facilities. 1987
• P. Mockepetris, RFC 1035, Domain Names – Implementation and Specification, IETF (Nov. 1987).

Links

• American Association of Domain Names
• Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy: Working Group on Intellectual Property, Interoperability and Standards
• American Association of Domain Names
• Berkman Center for Internet and Society (Harvard University):  ICANN Materials (including real audio archive of meetings)
• ccTLDs
• World Wide Alliance of Top Level Domain-names
• ccTLDs in chronological order of Top Level Domain creation at the Internic.
• ccTLDs and the corresponding NIC-handles in alphabetical order of names
• Council of Registrars (CORE)
• DNS: Domain Name System
• The Domain Name Rights Coalition (DNRC) seeks to obtain equitable, consistent and responsible domain name policies from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI).
• The Domain Hand Book. Ellen Rony & Peter Rony
• DNS News
• Enhanced Domain Name System
• IAHC Home
• IANA
• ICANN
• List of Accredited Registrars
• ICANN Watch
• International Organization for Standardization ISO 3166 Country Codes
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• International Trademark Association (INTA)
• Internet Democracy Project
• Internet Engineering Task Force
• J. Postel, IETF RFC 1591, Domain Name System Structure and Delegation (March 1994)
• InterNIC: Internet Domain Names
• ITU
• Res 102 Management of Internet Domains and Addresses
• Res 133 Role of administrations of Member States in the management of internationalized (multilingual) domain names
• SPU newslog on internationalized domain names
• SPU newslog on Internet governance
• SPU newslog on Internet names and addresses
• ITU-T & ICANN Reform
• NCAIR, Dispute Resolution Conference
• Network Solutions Incorporated
• NWFusion Research: DNS
• Rob's DNS Data Page (DNS status and statistics)
• RFC 1480, entitled The US Domain (Dr. Jon Postel established the original structure and administrative mechanisms of the usTLD)
• usTLD Administrator (Network Solutions has subcontracted administration of the usTLD to the Information Sciences Institute of the University of Southern California)
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• WIPO Ecommerce ccTLD Database
• Arbitration
• World Internetworking Alliance (an excellent resource)

Network Tools (see privacy, Forensics)

• Traceroute
• WHOIS

Audio

• Regional Internet Registries Statistics and Activities, NANOG 2004
• DNS Anomalies and Their Impact on DNS Cache Servers NANOG 32 2004
• Life and Times of J-Root NANOG 32
• INET Tutorial Internationalization of Domain Names
• DNSSEC Deployment: Big Steps Forward; Several Steps to Go NANOG 32
• IPv6 by 2006: The Case for IPv6 Deployment Throughout the Internet2 Community by 2006 Research Channel
• Toward Lowering the Load on DNS Root Nameservers, Nanog Oct 2002 1/7/03
• CATO: Who Rules the Root? ICANN, Domain Names, and the Battle over Internet Governance Milton Mueller Real AudioUN Meeting of the General Assembly devoted to information and communication technologies for development. June 17 Morning | Afternoon
• ICANN Meeting Nov 12-15, 2001
• Nov 1 The Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet legislative hearing on H.R. 2417, the "Dot Kids Name Act of 2001." Witnesses will be by invitation only., 10:00 a.m. in 2123 RHOB
• ICANN Mar 9-13 Australia Real Audio from Berkman
• House Commerce Committee - Is ICANN's New Generation of Internet Domain Name Selection Process Thwarting Competition?"  Thursday, February 8, 2001 Real Audio
• June 1998 Press conference announcing the release of The White Paper.

Alternative Systems

• ALTERNIC.NET / ALTERNIC.NIC
• UltraDNS
• DeNIC
• New.net
• Alternative DNS
• UCANN
• .BIZ tld
• Open Root Server Confederation

Security

• DNSSEC Deployment at the Root, CircleID 5/23/2006
• NIST Special Publication 800-81, Secure Domain Name System (DNS) Deployment Guide, NIST 5/16/2006
• Draft NIST Special Publication 800-81, Secure Domain Name System (DNS) Deployment Guide, NIST 8/12/2005
• DNSSEC
• BGP

Books

• The Domain Name Handbook; High Stakes and Strategies in Cyberspace by Ellen Rony, Peter R. Rony [Amazon]
• Domain Names for Dummies (For Dummies) by Susan Wels (Contributor), et al [Amazon]

News & Blogs

• NIST Tool Helps Internet Master Top-level Domains, NIST 5/13/2008
• Comparison of Traffic from the DNS Root Nameservers as Measured in DITL 2006 and 2007, caida 4/17/2008
• Search Engine Killed The Domain Name Star? Japan Has a New Trend, CircleID 3/28/2008
• Kaput: What Your Domain Becomes if U.S. Treasury Says So, Peerflow 3/7/2008
• Don't Register Your Domain in the U.S. if it's Controversial, CircleID 3/5/2008
• What's in a name? Cybersquatting case has an answer, CW 2/15/2008
• Google Evicts 'Domain Name Tasters' From AdSense, Ecommerce Times 1/29/2008
• Network Solutions amends Net registration process, CNET 1/11/2008
• Network Solutions Holding Domain Names Ransom - We're domain front-running so scammers don't have to!, dslreports 1/10/2008
• After Furor, Network Solutions Stands by Name Policy, NYT 1/10/2008
• ARIN Elects Officers for 2008, ARIN 1/10/2008
• EFF Challenges Bogus Patent on Internet Subdomains, EFF 8/24/2007
• Domain Names Can't Be Trespassed: Utube.com v. YouTube, CircleID 6/13/2007
• GoDaddy to Adopt 850K Orphaned Domains, Ecommerce Times 5/30/2007
• Misbehaving Name Servers and What They're Missing, IP Journal 4/19/2005
• In name dispute, it's Googles vs. Google, CNET 7/7/2004
• IP address fight in N.J. worries ISPs, CW 7/2/2004
• Domain name registration again in vogue, CNET 6/14/2004
• Network Solutions Offers 100-Year Net Addresses, Wash Post 3/26/2004
• Domain Names Are Big Again, NYTimes 3/1/2004
• Time to challenge US control of the Internet, Jakarta Post 4/2/2004
• New domain names aid net to grow, BBC 3/23/2004
• Who should run the Net?, CNET 3/18/2004
• WSIS Internet Governance Forum, WSIS 3/11/2004
• Web name wait lists 'will hurt the little guy', New Scientist 3/11/2004
• 2004-02-26 CH, Geneva - Workshop on Internet Governance, ITU 1/20/2004
• Return of the domain name, Independent Online 1/13/2004
• DNS: Defending Your Domain, Network Mag 1/13/2004
• Lawmakers: Domain name oversight too lax, CNET 9/5/03
• DNS marks 20th birthday, InfoWorld 6/24/03
• Falwell gets rights to Internet addresses containing his name, Hampton Roads Daily Press 6/20/03
• Has the UDRP broadened trademark owners' rights?, World TM 7/2/03
• Falwell gets rights to Internet addresses containing his name, Hampton Roads Daily Press 6/20/03
• Eurid will manage .eu top-level domain, CW 5/23/03
• Internet Body to OK Non-English Domains, Yahoo 3/28/03
• Feds Increasingly Seizing Web Addresses, AP 3/5/03
• Court dismisses Falwell domain name case, CNET 3/5/03
• Supreme Court Refuses Sex.com Case, Register 2/26/03
• Smooth Sailing With .ORG Transition, Internet News 1/29/03
• ICANN Inks .Org Deal With PIR, Internet News 12/4/02
• The Rogue DNS Phenomenon, Newsfactor 11/25/02
• Transfer of .org control delayed, CNET 12/10/02
• Gov't OKs Virginia Group To Run Dot-Org, Wash Post 12/2/02
• New domains could be on the way Internet Magazine 11/12/02
• ISOC Wins Control Of '.Org' Domain Reuters 10/15/02
• Internet Society Picked As Manager of '.org' Wash Post 10/15/02
• ICANN Reaffirms .org Appointment, Internet News 9/26/02
• Dot-Org Selection Process Criticized, Wash Post 9/13/02
• New .Org Nominee An Old ICANN Face, Internet News 8/21/02
• Eleven vie for .org name, CNET 7/17/02
• The end of the revolution (Mueller on ICANN), Salon 6/26/02
• In Fights Over .Com Names, Trademark Owners Usually Win, NYT 6/24/02
• S. Africa wants '.za' control, CNN 6/10/02
• Many Dot-Name Domains Break The Rules, Newsbytes 5/31/02
• Navy Domain Hijacked By German Porn Site, Newsbytes 5/24/02
• With '.pro' Comes a Certifiable Snub: New Domain for Professionals Draws Ire of the Ineligible, Wash Tech 5/15/02
• .eu Regulation published, Eurlex 5/10/02
• New Dot-Au Addresses May Be On The Way, Wash Tech 4/26/02
• Falwell says parody site violates his trademark, USA Today 4/5/02
• EU flies flag in cyberspace, BBC 3/27/02
• EU to form .eu Internet address, MSNBC 3/25/02
• Court shuts down '.usa' Web address scam, CNN 3/11/02
• Court Shuts Down Website Selling Bogus Domain Names ".USA," ".BRIT," Deceptively Marketed as Useable, FTC 3/11/02
• Expired domain names point to porn, NWFusion 3/6/02
• Wrestling loses WWF to wildlife, CNET 2/28/02
• The Murky Debate Over an Internet Address Database, nyt 2/25/02
• Commission welcomes European Parliament's endorsement of '.eu' Internet domain name, RAPID 2/28/02
• EP Committee wants to amend '.EU' Regulation , EuroActiv 1/30/02
• New '.name' addresses nearly here, MSNBC 1/14/02
• Internet Suffix for Individuals Starts, NYT 1/14/02
• Revamp The Domain Name Dispute Policy, ISP Planet 1/9/02
• VeriSign adds .tv to its top-level domain holdings, NWFusion 1/9/02
• Internet naming regulators tackle domain names with non-Latin characters, Nando 1/2/02
• Sold to the Highest Squatter, ISP Planet 12/28/01
• NeuLevel Rolls Out New Plan on Disputed .Biz Names, Wash Tech 12/18/01
• Registry to return fees for .biz domains, CNET 12/18/01
• One Internet, Many Voices - International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Address Development of Multilingual Domain Names, ITU 12/18/01
• IETF wraps up foreign-language domain name effort, NWFusion 12/14/01
• Court: U.S. law trumps domain decisions, CNET 12/10/01
• Govt Should Stay Out Of Internet, Newsbytes 11/15/01
• Hackers Could Easily Shut Down Net, Reuters 11/15/01
• Congressman Threatens Domain Name Legislation, Newsfactor 11/13/01
• Internet Name Lists Need to Be Accurate - Lawmaker, Wash Tech 11/13/01
• Lottery unveils computer literacy Cash, CNEWS 10/16/01
• The Wait Continues For New TLDs, INews 10/18/01
• The Wait Continues For New Top-Level Domains, INews 10/18/01
• Dot-Biz Launch Delayed Until November, Newsfactor 10/18/01
• Dot-Biz Launch Delayed Again, Washtech 10/18/01
• More Than 50,000 .biz Names On Hold, AP 10/16/01
• New Net Domain 'Fiasco', BBC 10/12/01
• Judge Bars Lottery For '.biz' Web Domain, Reuters 10/12/01
• Afilias calls to explain .info fiasco, Register 10/10/01
• '.Info' Web domain addresses go live on the Internet, CW 9/25/01
• Stake your claim on a .name, CNET 9/7/01
• Controversy dogs .biz domain Launch, MSNBC 9/7/01
• U.N. study: Obtain trademark for domain name protection, Nando 9/5/01
• New Internet Domains Fall Flat, Puget 7/2/01
• EU Gives Initial Backing to '.eu' Internet Domain, Reuters 6/28/01
• Lockheed Wins Internet Domain Name Rights From China Critic, Washtech 5/29/01
• New top-level Internet domain names soon available, NAndo 5/16/01
• VeriSign's Internet domain names deal nearly done, Nando 5/16/01
• .biz, .info Cleared For Launch, NewsBytes 5/16/01
• VeriSign May Ditch Domain Deal, Standard 5/16/01
• VeriSign's Fate to Be Determined on Monday, InternetNews 5/14/01
• VeriSign Runs Into Increasing Resistance, InternetNews 5/18/01
• Smoking Gun Unravels VeriSign, Register 5/18/01
• US Government Will Appoint Private Manager For .Edu, Newsbytes 4/11/01
• Govt launches study of dns, NWFusion 4/11/01
• VeriSign tests foreign domain names, CNET 4/19/01
• Web Sites Using .org Fear Eviction, Washtech 4/2/01
• VeriSign will still manage dot-com addresses; dot-orgs going elsewhere, Nando 4/2/01
• New Weapon Against Reverse Domain Name Hijacking, InternetNEws 3/9/01
• VeriSign cuts new deal on .com names, NAndo 3/2/01
• United Nations seeks domain rules, C|NET 2/21/01
• U.N.: Country Codes Need Rules, Wired 2/21/01
• WIPO disgraces itself over CelineDion.com, Register 2/23/01
• U.S. Shuts Down Web-Site Name Scam, WashTech 2/15/01
• FTC Shuts Down Online Scam, IN 2/15/01
• FTC Halts Domain Name scam, FTC 2/15/01
• Congress Should Stay Out Of Cybersquatting - Patent Office Jan 19 washtech
• Coalition Complains About Domains Jan 19 infoworld
• Domain Names In Hebrew Launched Dec 28 internetnews
• Registrar Wants To Create ".Pro" Internet Domain Oct 2, 2000 washtech
• Minister Urgers WIPO Anti Squatting Policy InternetNews 6/23