Subject: Re: Other mechanisms for DNS server discovery.

From: Thomas Narten <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 1999 10:27:31 -0400

Peter Tattam <[email-masked]> writes:

> In light of the fact that DNS is absolutely essential for a working
> stack these days and that there are mechanisms built in to IPv6 for
> automatic address and network configuration, is there any merit in
> providing some sure fire way of seeding a DNS server list for a host
> with a mechanism that is different from DHCP?  Perhaps including it
> in Router advertisements.

You've hit on the generic topic of how does a client bootstrap itself
into a sufficiently-configured node able to use the Internet.

A WG is likely to be created that deals with this exact topic. There
was a BOF in Minneapolis (see
http://www.ietf.cnri.reston.va.us/proceedings/99mar/index.html and go
section 2.3.10) and there will be another meeting in Oslo. A couple of
drafts have also been produced for the Oslo meeting
(draft-hattig-homenet-reqts-00.txt, and
draft-guttman-nits-reqts-00.txt).

There is also a mailing list: [email-masked].

The NITS effort should focus on both v4 and v6, since many of the
issues (though not necessarily the solutions) are the same in both
spaces. The overall goal is to make "plug-and-play" really work. One
of the configurations of concern is a "home network" where there might
not be a DHCP (or even DNS) server. Note that the term "home network"
is a bit misleading, as the plug-and-play problem also applies to two
laptops at the beach communicating over (say) a limited-range wireless
link.

I strongly encourage interested folk to participate in that effort.

Thomas
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