RE: [wg-c] distributing gTLD whois

["Roeland M. J. Meyer" <rmeyer@mhsc.com>]

This seems like a good idea and one that should be implemented in code. Can
you send references to appropriate links and documents? Ones suitible for
codifying?

However, there remains the deployment issue. How many DNS servers implement
BIND8? Bear in mind that, MANY commercial Unices are significantly down-rev
and are still running BIND4 or older, not to mention the flock of crufty old
BSD and SCO systems out there (I personally know of one old VAX 11/780 still
in operation, with Unix 4.2bsd). Until the SRV feature is more widely
deployed, it cannot be used as the sole mechanism. (Don't forget that even
when the software is installed, it must still be configured properly)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Newell, Tom [mailto:tomn@netsol.com]
> Sent: Monday, March 20, 2000 8:22 AM
> To: 'rmeyer@mhsc.com'; 'Dave Crocker'; 'Rick H Wesson'
> Cc: wg-c@dnso.org
> Subject: RE: [wg-c] distributing gTLD whois
>
>
> Why not use DNS?  Specify the location of a whois
> service for a zone using SRV?  Rework whois clients
> to make them SRV-aware.  Client would:
>
> 	1.  SRV query to parent-dom for zone to
> 	locate whois service location
> 	2.  Whois query to location returned, client
> 	queries location identified.
>
> No need for centralized tables; zone administrators
> manage service location directly; seems to scale...
>
> This has actually been an approach under discussion
> at recent CENTR meetings.
>
> --Tom
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roeland M. J. Meyer [mailto:rmeyer@mhsc.com]
> Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2000 2:17 PM
> To: 'Dave Crocker'; 'Rick H Wesson'
> Cc: wg-c@dnso.org
> Subject: RE: [wg-c] distributing gTLD whois
>
>
> Dave,
>
> I agree, but this still leaves unreolved, the issue of where
> to find the
> whois servers. as the phrase "whois.<SLD>.<TLD> is not at all
> consistent
> across whois service implementors. The central mapping server
> whould be a
> good addition.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-wg-c@dnso.org [mailto:owner-wg-c@dnso.org]On
> > Behalf Of Dave
> > Crocker
> > Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2000 9:45 AM
> > To: Rick H Wesson
> > Cc: wg-c@dnso.org
> > Subject: Re: [wg-c] distributing gTLD whois
> >
> >
> > At 08:41 AM 3/19/00 -0800, Rick H Wesson wrote:
> > >when new registries come on line it will be difficult to
> traverse the
> > >whois tree with current whois clients. there are several
> > ways to solve
> > >the problem I would like to hear which proposal might work best.
> > >
> > >   a) allocate the TLD in TLD.whois.int maping to the registry's
> > >      whois service.
> >
> > This is really the same approach as is taken for in-addr.int, namely
> > creating a 'centralized' mapping table.  It is a
> > well-understood approach,
> > though it is separated from the main set of data that the
> > registry-related
> > people work with.
> >
> >
> > >   b) require the current manager of rs.internic.net to merge all
> > >      whois queries into the current whois service
> providing referals
> > >      to the actual authorative service.
> >
> > The extreme version of 'centralized'.
> >
> > And...
> >
> > I believe there is an alternate approach that is simpler,
> > scales well, and
> > is more natural for the registry folk to deal with:
> >
> >          Require whois support for .<TLD>.  So to find out about the
> > registration of brandenburg.com, you ave whois query .com.
> > To find out the
> > registration of icann.org, you have whois query .org.
> >
> > This is thoroughly predictable and involves maintenance by
> > the organization
> > already responsible for the relevant TLD.
> >
> > d/
> >
> > =-=-=-=-=
> > Dave Crocker  <dcrocker@brandenburg.com>
> > Brandenburg Consulting  <www.brandenburg.com>
> > Tel: +1.408.246.8253,  Fax: +1.408.273.6464
> > 675 Spruce Drive,  Sunnyvale, CA 94086 USA
> >
>