Re: Network Solutions is now in the wringer

[Jeremy Porter <jerry () freeside fc net>]

In message <199903281722.LAA00911 () freeside fc net>, Jeremy Porter writes:
> In message <3.0.6.32.19990327224345.00d4ad00 () norfolk infi net>, Dean Robb writes:
> > At 01:22 3/27/99 -0600, Sean Donelan wrote:
> > > pceasy () norfolk INfi NET (Dean Robb) writes:
> > > > While not a network operator, I think it would be most prudent to consider
> > > > and discuss (among those who ARE netops) what do to if, say, the root
> > > > server were suddenly comletely unaccessible for several days/permanently
> > > > for *whatever* reason.  
> > >
> > > Duh, isn't that why there is more than one root server in the world?
> >
> > My concern is with the master server that NSI operates.  My hope was that a
> > netop who *didn't* have a contingency plan might start putting one together.  
> >
> > > However I feel some people confuse the data in the root servers, with
> > > the databases used to generate those zone files.  There is a subtle, but
> > > important difference.  And why simply copying the zone files is not
> > > sufficient.
> >
> > So who has copies of the databases?  If NSI's master (the a-root?) is
> > unavailable, new domains obviously wouldn't propagate, but how long can the
> > other root servers go without getting an update?  Does the system as
> > currently configured *require* some server somewhere to be the master and
> > is there one that can take over if NSI's are toast?
>
>       origin = A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET
>        mail addr = hostmaster.INTERNIC.NET
>        serial = 1999032605
>        refresh = 1800 (30M)
>        retry   = 900 (15M)
>        expire  = 604800 (1W)
>        minimum ttl = 86400 (1D)
>
> Well the expire is 1W so by default the zones will be valid in all servers for a week
> after a.root-servers.net goes away (if that were to happen.)

Sigh, as somone else already pointed out, the root-servers manually zone transfer
and will not nessesarily expire the zone.  At any rate I can see the problem lasting
long enough to impact anything.  Some people might even claim DNS is not required for
proper functioning, and that DNS isn't in the Nanog charter, although perhaps root-servers
are as they have some impact on performance.  I don't really beleive that the operational
folks at network solutions would actual do delibert things to interfere with root zone
operations.  Frankly while all the things network solutions has done lately, not one
of them seems to be with the scope of this mailing list, as no offically supported
operational functions have been broken.  (I can see how if you wrote a script that
depending on a particulaj output of whois, how it would be annoying, but I can't recall
the RFC where that particular output format is specified.  I don't believe WWW services
were ever required.

Ah well, off to do operational related things, I guess I should ignoring nanog more,
as it just doesn't seem relevant to anything in particular.  (Other than whining.)

--- jerry () fc net
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