New Instance of RIPE NCC Operated K-root Server Deployed in Helsinki, Finland

Amsterdam, 28 October 2004

On Thursday 28, October 2004, The RIPE NCC (Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre) deployed a new mirror instance of the K-root Internet root name server at the Finnish Internet Exchange (FICIX ry) in Helsinki, Finland. FICIX has also hosted i.root-server since 2003.

The K-root server is one of the 13 Internet root name servers that resolve lookups for domain names all over the world and form a critical part of the global Internet infrastructure. The Domain Name System (DNS) is a service used to translate between host names and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses by virtually all Internetworking software, including e-mail and web browsers.

The K-root service is provided by a set of distributed mirror instances using IPv4 anycast. Each mirror instance announces the 193.0.14.0/24 network in AS25152. A K-root mirror instance consists of a cluster of server machines running the NSD name server software.

The RIPE NCC has operated the K-root server since 1997 when the first server was installed at the London Internet Exchange (LINX) in London, UK. Since early 2003, RIPE NCC technicians have deployed mirror instances of the K-root server in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Athens, Doha, Milan and Reykjavik. There are plans to have up to ten instances of the K-root server deployed by the end of 2004.

More information on the Finnish Internet exchange is available at:
http://www.ficix.fi/

Information about this node and the general requirements and guidelines for expressions of interest for hosting a mirror instance of K-root can be found on the K-root website

http://k.root-servers.org/