1 / 9

The Origins of the DNS and Its Namespace

The Origins of the DNS and Its Namespace. Craig Partridge Subbing for Several More Worthy Folks. In The Beginning. Early host database was a text file Operational nightmare! Rate of change in file was growing exponentially NIC staff overwhelmed

flint
Download Presentation

The Origins of the DNS and Its Namespace

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Origins of the DNS and Its Namespace Craig Partridge Subbing for Several More Worthy Folks

  2. In The Beginning... • Early host database was a text file • Operational nightmare! • Rate of change in file was growing exponentially • NIC staff overwhelmed • Everyone copied it (nightly!) to get current version • Network overwhelmed • Many opportunities for errors • And we experienced many of them • Fate sharing model wrong • Affected parties couldn’t change database • Flat name space: who gets to have Frodo?

  3. The Domain Name System • A distributed database that implemented a hierarchical namespace that could be delegated • EDU server delegates management of harvard.edu to Harvard • Harvard can sub-delegate internally if desired • Fixed most problems • Maintenance now distributed • Network traffic reduced (after we got bugs out) • Fate sharing (you make errors in your own namespace) • Multiple hosts named frodo

  4. The Roll Out Begins • Namedroppers mailing list starts Mar ‘83 • Initial DNS spec released Nov ‘83 • The first namespace RFC came out in Oct ‘84 • About this point, the NIC starts to permit domain names in HOSTS.TXT • First usable version of BIND (2.0) appears Aug ‘85 • At CSNET, I’m asked to get BIND working and integrated with email

  5. Fall of 1985 - The Pace Quickens • BIND means UNIX folks now fully engaged • Namespace issues crop up • Is the namespace right? (E.g. NET) • Any rules about what you can do in delegated domain? • What do the names mean (esp. for Email) • Email model turns out to be broken • Mail Drops and Mail Forwarders and MAILA queries • With help, I figure out how to make it work and write RFC • Jon Postel recognizes a botch • Mockapetris, Partridge, Nedved, Postel and Crowcroft sent off to develop Mail eXchanger RRs.

  6. MX in brief • MX records allowed us to mail to arbitrary DNS names • No longer did the right sign of an @ have to be a host • In fact, it didn’t even have to be on the network! • Could forward transparently through email gateways • Namespace issues and use become more acute • A meeting called for January 1986 • Hosted by Jake Feinler of SRI • SRI-NIC, BITNET, UUCP Project, CSNET, ISI (IANA), UC Berkeley BIND team • During the meeting the Challenger blew up

  7. DNS Issues • Would it be universal namespace? • CSNET, UUCP and Internet all prepared to adopt one naming scheme (BITNET unsure) • What should the name structure be? • What about X.400/X.500 namespace compatibility? • Mark Horton says we ought to at least not rule out • Postel firmly opposed to compatibility • Provider info in names? • Harvard.cs.net, harvard.csnet.bbn.com, harvard.edu? • Ddn-nic.sri.com or nic.ddn.mil? • Who decides who gets to have a domain name? • Network turf issues, and procedural issues

  8. DNS Resolution • Yes to universal namespace • BITNET rep firmly browbeaten • Naming issues • X.400/X.500 “compromise” • Postel allocates .us to himself to preclude US interworking • But agrees to permit other countries to structure as they wish • Names don’t include service provider info • Harvard.edu • DDN NIC gives out domain names and sets policies

  9. What We Didn’t Think About... • Trademarks • Never came up in the meeting • We did discuss briefly how to resolve two requests for the same name • We decided that first-come first-served was simplest • Provided first requester was competent • Slightly more restrictions on country codes • Had to be in ISO list of two-level abbreviations

More Related