[dns-wg] HEAnet comments on Future of RIPE Hostcount Document

[Brian Nisbet <]

Hi,

These are some comments that HEAnet would like to submit
on the "Future of the RIPE Hostcount" Document presented
at RIPE 49.

	- perhaps the paper should refer to the current
		distributed nature of the host count; this is
		something which might or might not be possible
		with the alternatives suggested

	- the current host count also gathers the numbers of SOAs,
		also a measure of the size and growth of the Internet

	- and the host count also generates an error file per
		TLD; this could be useful in maintaining the
		integrity of the DNS

	- in #2.1, I think attribution should be made to the author
		of the host program, the late Erik Wassenaar.

	- in #2.2, it should be said that the RIPE host count is
		used as a metric of Internet size, and an index of
		its growth.  Certainly, we use it in HEAnet.

	- it might be argued that the host count also could provide
		some KPIs (key performance indicators) for RIPE NCC,
		its members, and other bodies

	- in #2.3, it mentions used addresses not entered in the DNS.
		The converse also occurs i.e. A records for hosts which
		are not reachable.  We know that some people use the DNS
		as a database and that it often includes firewalled 	  		machines and 
even rfc-1918 addresses

	- in #3, another possibility to estimate the size of the 				Internet 
is to measure the number of domains.  This 				might be done by the CC 
TLDs in Europe, for example

Regards,

Brian.

--
Brian Nisbet,
HEAnet, Brooklawn Hse, Crampton Ave, Shelbourne rd, Dublin 4.
Tel:+35316609040/Fax:+35316603666 email:brian.nisbet@localhost