INTERNET-DRAFT S. Coffey
Category: Best Current Practice S. Strain
Expires: November 2000 Theale Volunteer Networking Group
May 2000
Filename: draft-coffeystrain-privatednstld-00.txt
DNS Top Level Domain For Private Networks
This document is an Internet-Draft and is in full conformance with
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/ietf/1id-abstracts.txt
The list of Internet-Draft Shadow Directories can be accessed at
http://www.ietf.org/shadow.html.
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the
Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) Theale Volunteer Networking Group (2000).
All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
The document outlines the use of a top level DNS domain ".pri", for
use within private networks.
A reserved top level domain would allow private domain names to be
chosen that would not conflict with current or future registered
public domain names.
Coffey & Strain [Page 1]
DNS TLD For Private Networks May 2000
1. Introduction
Increasingly, private networks require a domain name service for
both private and public (internet) domain names. However, it is not
required or desirable for the private namespace to be accessible
from outside the private network. A reserved top level domain
would allow a private namespace to be defined that would not
conflict with current or future registered public domain names.
2. Current Common Practice in private network domain names selection
Currently, common practice when selecting a private network domain
name follows one of two unsatisfactory paths:
(i) Use of registered public domain name
A private DNS server is configured as authoritative for the
registered domain name, in addition to the existing public facing
authoritative name server(s).
The private server holds the "private version" of the registered
domain, and delegates to subdomains as necessary.
This requires two different versions of a single zone, in
contravention of RFC1034. This can also lead to practical problems
if a DNS query from a server on the private network to a public name
server returns additional information regarding names in the "public
version" of the registered zone.
(ii) Use of an unregistered domain name
An unregistered domain name is chosen for the private network, for
example a company with a registered domain "acme.com" might choose
"acme.net" for the private network.
This avoids the problems of using a registered domain name, yet may
conflict with a future reservation of the domain chosen.
3. Using a Reserved Top Level Domain for private network domain names
A reserved top level domain name, ".pri", would allow a private
domain name to be chosen safely with no risk of conflict with
current or future registered domain names.
A private DNS server is configured as authoritative for the ".pri"
domain, and delegates the private subdomains as appropriate.
Coffey & Strain Expires Nov 2000 [Page 2]
DNS TLD For Private Networks May 2000
Use of a private domain naming scheme based on a consistent top
level domain also allows multiple trusted private networks to
integrate their domain naming schemes simply by merging and
synchronising the ".pri" zone.
Use of a clearly private domain name also can provide a clear
distinction to users and applications between trusted private hosts
and untrusted public hosts.
For example, Acme Corp may choose "acme.pri" for their private
domain name. They configure their DNS server to be authority for
".pri" and "acme.pri", whilst all domains outside of the ".pri"
domain will be resolved via public DNS servers. Should Acme Corp
wish to make its private domain names accessible to Cowboy Corp, who
use the private domain "cowboy.pri", then the two organisations
simply merge and synchronize their ".pri" zones.
4. Existing Reserved Top Level Domains
Existing reserved top level domains are described in RFC2606.
5. IANA Considerations
To enable the use of the domain ".pri" as described, IANA would need
to reserve the domain for this purpose.
6. Request for Comments
Please send comments by e-mail to:
sicoffey@yahoo.com, cc: sandy.strain@integralis.com
References
[RFC 1034] Mockapetris, P., "Domain names - concepts and facilities"
STD 13, RFC 1034, November 1987.
[RFC 1035] Mockapetris, P., "Domain names - implementation and
specification"
STD 13, RFC 1035, November 1987.
[RFC 1591] Postel, J., "Domain Name System Structure and Delegation"
RFC 1591, March 1994.
[RFC 2606] Eastlake & Panitz, "Reserved Top Level DNS Names"
BCP32, RFC 2606, June 1999.
Coffey & Strain Expires Nov 2000 [Page 3]
DNS TLD For Private Networks May 2000
Authors' Addresses
Please note that Simon Coffey will not be contactable from
24-Jun-200 to 26-Jul-2001 but will be reading e-mail at
approximately monthly intervals. Please contact Sandy Strain with
any urgent queries during this period.
Simon Coffey
c/o Integralis Ltd
Brunel Rd
Theale
READING
UK
EMail: sicoffey@yahoo.com
Sandy Strain
c/o Integralis Ltd
Brunel Rd
Theale
READING
UK
EMail: sandy.strain@integralis.com
Phone: +44 118 930 6060
Coffey & Strain Expires Nov 2000 [Page 4]