Subject: WG Review: Recharter of DNS Extensions (dnsext)

From: IESG Secretary <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:25:39 -0800 (PST)

A modified charter has been submitted for the DNS Extensions (dnsext)
working group in the Internet Area of the IETF.  The IESG has not made any
determination as yet.  The modified charter is provided below for
informational purposes only.  Please send your comments to the IESG
mailing list ([email-masked]) by Tuesday, November 30, 2010.

DNS Extensions (dnsext)
---------------------------------------------
Status: Active Working Group
Last updated: 2010-11-09

Chairs:
  Olafur Gudmundsson <[email-masked]>
  Andrew Sullivan <[email-masked]>

Internet Area Directors:
  Ralph Droms <[email-masked]>
  Jari Arkko <[email-masked]>

Internet Area Advisor:
  Ralph Droms <[email-masked]>

Mailing Lists:
  Address:	[email-masked]
  To Subscribe:	https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/dnsext
  Archive:	http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/dnsext/

Description of Working Group:

The DNS has a large installed base and repertoire of protocol
specifications. The DNSEXT working group will actively advance DNS
protocol-related RFCs on the standards track while thoroughly
reviewing further proposed extensions. The scope of the DNSEXT WG is
confined to the DNS protocol, particularly changes that affect DNS
protocols "on the wire" or the internal processing of DNS data. DNS
operations are out of scope for the WG.

The WG will consider work in the following areas:

* DNSSEC and TSIG/TKEY algorithm maintenance
* Mechanisms that complement, or are alternatives to, TSIG and SIG(0)
* Hardening DNS protocol and providing guidance to implementers
* Advancing existing DNS-related Proposed Standard RFCs to Draft/Full
  Standard
* Obsoleting DNS-related RFCs
* Maintaining a Wiki containing a guide to DNS protocol RFCs
* Improving DNS zone synchronization mechanisms 
* Examining transport protocols, possibly adding new ones.
* Mechanisms to alias DNS trees or parts thereof

While the DNS offers two mechanisms for aliasing DNS labels -- CNAME
and DNAME -- neither of these provides the support necessary to alias
completely one part of the DNS tree as another part.  There are claims
that the restriction has proven to be too great in practice,
particularly with burgeoning deployment of IDNA and the need to
provide domain name variants.  The issue is made more complex by
DNSSEC

The DNSEXT WG will evaluate ways to provide such aliasing, to add
metadata to zones to allow easier operation of zones when such
aliasing is needed, or both.  The WG will also provide an
informational document outlining the various strategies available,
what they might be used for, and what their limitations are.  It is
possible that the WG will conclude no aliasing or metadata support is
possible, or that none of the proposals so far made are adequate.

Before formal adoption of any work item at least 5 working group
participants must publicly state that the item is within charter and
is a worthwhile item for further study.

The DNSEXT WG will conduct the specified RFC5395 review of RR
templates as they are posted, and EDNS0 Option templates if EDNS0-bis
updates registration requirements.

The WG will review DNS protocol related work which may originate
elsewhere in the IETF, including AD-sponsored submissions or drafts
in other working group.

Goals and Milestones:

Done           AXFR Clarify to IESG
Done           DNS existing transport protocol
                    recommendations/clarifications to IESG
Dec 2010       RFC3597-bis Unknown RR advanced to IESG for PS 
Dec 2010       DNSKEY Registry fixes and allocation procedure
                    advanced to IESG
Dec 2010       EDNS0-bis update advanced to IESG
Dec 2010       TSIG/MD5 Obsoleting to IESG
Dec 2010       IXFR-only to IESG
Jan 2011       DNSSEC Errata document to IESG 
Jul 2011       WG consensus on new or revised RRTYPEs for aliasing
                    work
Jul 2011       Interoperation testing on new or revised RRTYPEs
                    (particularly with existing deployed code)
Nov 2011       Document on new RRTYPE or revised RRTYPE handling for
                    alias to IESG
Nov 2011       Document on in-zone metadata for aliases to IESG
Nov 2011       Document on uses and limitations of different alias
                    techniques to IESG