From: Masataka Ohta mohta@localhost
Subject: Re: against broken tld content
To: dnsop@localhost
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 02:25:10 +0859 ()
Sender: owner-dnsop@localhost
Below is a revised draft ID with the following changes.
1) "Content" is added to title.
Distributed Actions Against Broken TLD Content
2) some text added to "1. Introduction".
< the problem, this memo describes distriburted actions as a short
< term solution to protect the Internet against broken TLD zone content.
---
the problem, this memo describes distributed actions as a short
term solution to protect the Internet against broken TLD zone content
and the damage caused by it.
3) some text added to "3. Actions of ISPs".
If such action considerably reduces the number of available TLD servers,
ISPs may operate their own servers overriding the IP addresses
of formal TLD servers.
Such overriding servers should have
a copy of old zone content known not to be broken.
Or, if the fix for the zone content is obvious and easy, the
overriding servers may act as semi transparent proxies to
formal servers (routing tricks necessary as IP addresses of
the proxies and the formal servers are identical) modifying only
the broken part.
Considering that NAT-based network providers,
which provide limited service such as web and e-mail with semi
transparent DNS proxies, are often called ISP, it is fine
for ISPs to use DNS proxies, especially when it improves web
and/or e-mail environment of their customers. However, advance negotiation
should be made, if the override affects other ISPs.
Any further comment?
Masataka Ohta
--
INTERNET DRAFT M. Ohta
draft-ohta-broken-tld--1.txt Tokyo Institute of Technology
September 2003
Distributed Actions Against Broken TLD Content
Status of this Memo
This document is an Internet-Draft and is subject to all provisions
of Section 10 of RFC2026.
Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF), its areas, and its working groups. Note that
other groups may also distribute working documents as Internet-
Drafts.
Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
time. It is inappropriate to use Internet- Drafts as reference
material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."
The list of current Internet-Drafts can be accessed at
http://www.ietf.org/1id-abstracts.html The list of Internet-Draft
Shadow Directories can be accessed at http://www.ietf.org/shadow.html
Abstract
This memo describes actions against broken content of a primary
server of a TLD. Without waiting for an action of some, if any,
central authority, distributed actions TLD server operators and ISPs
can settle the issue, for a short term.
1. Introduction
DNS is a fully distributed database of domain names and their
associated values with loose integrity.
However, the primary server of a zone is a single point of failure of
the zone to hold the current most copy of the zone and such a failure
at TLD can cause a lot of damage to the Internet.
As it may take time for a central authority, if any, take care of the
problem, this memo describes distributed actions as a short term
solution to protect the Internet against broken TLD zone content and
the damage caused by it.
The long term solution is to let the primary server operator fix the
content or to change the primary server operator, which may involve a
M. Ohta Expires on March 22, 2004 [Page 1]
INTERNET DRAFT Broken TLD June 2003
central authority.
Similar technique is applicable to root servers with broken contents.
2. Actions of TLD Server Operators
A TLD server operator who have found that TLD zone content is broken
should disable zone transfer and use a copy of old zone content known
not to be broken.
Or, if the fix for the zone content is obvious and easy, the operator
may manually or automatically edit the content of the current most
one without updating SOA serial number. In this case, zone transfer
may not be disabled, though actions of ISPs described in section 3
may make the transfer from servers of broken content impossible.
3. Actions of ISPs
ISPs should disable routes to TLD servers with broken content and/or
filter packets to/from the TLD servers.
If such action considerably reduces the number of available TLD
servers, ISPs may operate their own servers overriding the IP
addresses of formal TLD servers. Such overriding servers should have
a copy of old zone content known not to be broken. Or, if the fix
for the zone content is obvious and easy, the overriding servers may
act as semi transparent proxies to formal servers (routing tricks
necessary as IP addresses of the proxies and the formal servers are
identical) modifying only the broken part. Considering that NAT-
based network providers, which provide limited service such as web
and e-mail with semi transparent DNS proxies, are often called ISP,
it is fine for ISPs to use DNS proxies, especially when it improves
web and/or e-mail environment of their customers. However, advance
negotiation should be made, if the override affects other ISPs.
ISPs should periodically check the servers, whether they still
contain broken content or not.
4. Security Considerations
As for security, TLD servers should never have broken content.
5. Author's Address
Masataka Ohta
Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering
Tokyo Institute of Technology
2-12-1, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, JAPAN
M. Ohta Expires on March 22, 2004 [Page 2]
INTERNET DRAFT Broken TLD June 2003
Phone: +81-3-5734-3299
Fax: +81-3-5734-3299
EMail: mohta@localhost
M. Ohta Expires on March 22, 2004 [Page 3]
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