[ga-roots] TLD Clusters

["Jim Fleming" <JimFleming@prodigy.net>]

TLD Clusters exist now. Most TLDs (including .COM) have their own Cluster
of machines that handle queries for SLD.TLD names. In many cases, 5 or 6
systems are more than enough to form the TLD Cluster. As shown below,
the .TV TLD appears to have 5 servers in its TLD Cluster.

You can  use the tools here, to find the TLD Clusters.
http://root-dns.org

Legacy Root Servers : 198.41.0.4
VueDig Results : Answer = 5 : Authority = 0 : Additional = 5.
TV. 2D IN NS NS1.NIC.TV.
TV. 2D IN NS NS2.NIC.TV.
TV. 2D IN NS NS4.NIC.TV.
TV. 2D IN NS NS6.NIC.TV.
TV. 2D IN NS NS7.NIC.TV.

The so-called "root servers" point to these TLD Clusters. Internally,
the members of the TLD Cluster, know about all of the other members
of the TLD Cluster. In the example above, you could ask NS4.NIC.TV
who are the members of the TLD Cluster and it will tell you. As the TLD
Cluster is changed, the members of the TLD Cluster are the FIRST to know.
The "root servers" find out about the changes later. Some ISPs deal directly
with the TLD Cluster, it is more accurate, up-to-date, stable, etc.

Historically, there has been an enormous amount of FUD spread around
about the "root" and TLDs. One of the reasons this was able to be done
was because the .COM TLD Cluster was on the SAME servers as the
"legacy root". This caused people to refer to the .COM servers as "the
root".
Technically, that used to be correct, logically it was not.

.COM has now been migrated off of the "legacy root servers". This has
only happened now that .COM has been artificially positioned as "the root"
in people's minds. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there is now an
opportunity
to "more easily" change the .COM TLD Cluster in the "legacy root". Will
that happen tomorrow ? unlikely. Could it have happened when .COM
shared the same physical servers with the legacy root ? extremely unlikely
In short, .COM was physically parked on the roots, and then marketed as
the root, and now it is common to hear people refer to TLD Servers as
"root servers". Their casual disregard for clarity, helps to continue to
spread the FUD, that the Internet will crash, if people mess with "the
roots".

It also obscurs the discussions about the "load on the root". If one steps
back and looks at "the root" as a dozen servers seperate from all TLD
Clusters, then "the root" is very lightly loaded. Once an ISP finds out
where a TLD Cluster is located, it may not ask again, if ever. With other
software, one never has to ask "the root" where a TLD Cluster is. Because
of the wide-spread caching in the DNS, it turns out that many servers
know where (for example) the .TV Cluster is, and again, once that .TV
Cluster is found, software radar can lock on it, and use it as the source
for the best information on itself. As it evolves, it knows about the
changes.

For more on "Multiple TLD Clusters"...
http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/ietf/Current/msg12215.html
"Multiple TLD Clusters are new."


Jim Fleming
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Stefan Probst" <stefan.probst@opticom.v-nam.net>
To: "Jim Fleming" <JimFleming@prodigy.net>; <ga-roots@dnso.org>
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 5:20 AM
Subject: Re: [ga-roots] Re: ICANN Policy -- revised version


> At 02:48 15.06.01 -0500, Jim Fleming wrote:
> -------------------------
>
> >Leaving the "roots" out of it, what about the TLD Clusters ?
>
> Could you pls. explain for me dummy this "TLD Clusters" a bit more?
> And not only in regard to the Web, but also to services like eMail?
>
> Thanks,
> Stefan
>

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