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

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 at heanet.ie