Subject: RFC 2826 on IAB Technical Comment on the Unique DNS Root

From: RFC Editor <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 15:12:03 -0700

A new Request for Comments is now available in online RFC libraries.

        RFC 2826

        Title:	    IAB Technical Comment on the Unique DNS Root 
        Author(s):  IAB
        Status:     Informational
	Date:       May 2000
        Mailbox:    [email-masked]
        Pages:      6
        Characters: 13400
        Updates/Obsoletes/SeeAlso: None

        URL:        ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2826.txt

To remain a global network, the Internet requires the existence of a
globally unique public name space.  The DNS name space is a
hierarchical name space derived from a single, globally unique root.
This is a technical constraint inherent in the design of the DNS.
Therefore it is not technically feasible for there to be more than
one root in the public DNS.  That one root must be supported by a
set of coordinated root servers administered by a unique naming
authority.
 
Put simply, deploying multiple public DNS roots would raise a very
strong possibility that users of different ISPs who click on the same
link on a web page could end up at different destinations, against
the will of the web page designers.
 
This does not preclude private networks from operating their own
private name spaces, but if they wish to make use of names uniquely
defined for the global Internet, they have to fetch that information
from the global DNS naming hierarchy, and in particular from the
coordinated root servers of the global DNS naming hierarchy.

This document is a product of the Internet Architecture Board.

This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
memo is unlimited.

This announcement is sent to the IETF list and the RFC-DIST list.
Requests to be added to or deleted from the IETF distribution list
should be sent to [email-masked].  Requests to be
added to or deleted from the RFC-DIST distribution list should
be sent to [email-masked].

Details on obtaining RFCs via FTP or EMAIL may be obtained by sending
an EMAIL message to [email-masked] with the message body 
help: ways_to_get_rfcs.  For example:

        To: [email-masked]
        Subject: getting rfcs

        help: ways_to_get_rfcs

Requests for special distribution should be addressed to either the
author of the RFC in question, or to [email-masked].  Unless
specifically noted otherwise on the RFC itself, all RFCs are for
unlimited distribution.echo 
Submissions for Requests for Comments should be sent to
[email-masked].  Please consult RFC 2223, Instructions to RFC
Authors, for further information.

Joyce K. Reynolds and Sandy Ginoza
USC/Information Sciences Institute

...

Below is the data which will enable a MIME compliant Mail Reader 
implementation to automatically retrieve the ASCII version
of the RFCs.