This note is an attempt to describe how things work today and to bring some
precision to the current discussion. Except very mildly under the ISSUES
section at the end, this note does not propose anything new.
This is quick draft. There might be errors, missing pieces, assumptions, etc.
Please comment or fix.
ONE NAME SPACE
There’s really just one top level name space. The top level of the domain name
system (DNS) is *part* of this name space. Names for other uses are also part
of this space. Names not intended to be used as top-level *domain* names
(TLDs) leak into the public DNS, so it’s not really possible to keep these
apart.
Informal vs Formal Allocation
ICANN allocates top level names via its formal processes. IETF tends to
recognize names that have developed use informally, although sometimes IETF
will formally allocate a name prior to seeing the name in use. These processes
do not usually clash but have the potential for doing so.
EIGHT SUBSETS?
Here is an attempt to subdivide the entire name space into non-overlapping
subsets and to show the pathways for a name to move from one subset to another.
The subsets are annotated with whether the subset falls into the IETF’s,
ICANN’s or neither’s purview.
1. (Neither) Names that have not yet been used for anything. This is an
initial state for all names except two letter Latin letters. Names in this
subset may move to subsets 2, 4, 5, 6 or 7. Examples:
unusedname96456
2. (IETF) Names that have not been formally recognized but are being used
privately or for applications that have not yet become standard. Names in this
subset may move to subset 4. Examples:
onion
3. (ICANN) Two letter Latin characters that have not yet been assigned by the
ISO 3166 maintenance agency but might be in the future. Names in this subset
may move to subset 7 to become active ccTLDs. Examples:
xq
4. (IETF) Names the IETF has formally recognized as reserved for particular
non-DNS uses. Names in this subset are effectively permanent. (“Effectively
permanent” means they are expected to remain in this subset forever and there
is no defined process for changing the status of names in this subset.)
Examples:
example, local
5. (ICANN) Names ICANN has determined to be inappropriate to delegate. Names
in this subset are effectively permanent. Examples:
corp, home, mail
6. (ICANN) gTLDs, both Latin and IDN. Names in this subset are expected to
last indefinitely. If they are taken out of service they move to subset 8.
Examples:
net, info, xxx, xn--cg4bki
7. (ICANN) ccTLDs, both Latin and IDN. Names in this subset are expected to
last indefinitely. If they are taken out of service they move to subset 8.
Examples:
jp, uk, na, xn--fzc2c9e2c
8. (ICANN) Previously used TLDs that have been taken out of service. Names in
this subset must remain out of service for a very long time, currently
estimated at 50 years, to avoid unintended consequences. Examples:
cs
ISSUES
o ICANN speaks indistinctly about subset 5.
o Does the IETF have a process for moving a name from subset 2 to subset 4?
o A process for coordination between the IETF and ICANN regarding subsets 2, 4
and 5 would be helpful.
o Should there be some sort of operational penalty for leakage of names in
subsets 2, 4, 5 and 8 into the public DNS, e.g. a slow response from DNS
servers?
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