INTERNET-DRAFT Test and Example TLDs
October 29 1997
Expires April 28 1998
Test and Example Top Level Domain Names
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Donald E. Eastlake 3rd
Aliza R. Panitz
Status of This Document
This draft, file name draft-ietf-dnsind-test-tlds-04.txt, is
intended to be become a Best Current Practice RFC. Distribution of
this document is unlimited. Comments should be sent to the DNS
mailing list <namedroppers@internic.net> or to the authors.
This document is an Internet-Draft. 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
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Abstract
To reduce the likelihood of conflict and confusion, a number of top
level domain names are reserved for use in private testing, as
examples in documentation, and the like.
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INTERNET-DRAFT Test and Example TLDs
Table of Contents
Status of This Document....................................1
Abstract...................................................1
Table of Contents..........................................2
1. Introduction............................................3
2. TLDs for Testing and Documentation Examples.............3
3. Security Considerations.................................4
References.................................................5
Author's Addresses.........................................5
Expiration and File Name...................................5
D. Eastlake, A. Panitz [Page 2]
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1. Introduction
The global Internet Domain Name System is documented in RFC 1034,
1035, 1591 and numerous additional Requests for Comment. It defines
a tree of names starting with root, ".", immediately below which are
top level domain names such as .com and .us. Below top level domain
names there are normally additional levels of names.
2. TLDs for Testing and Documentation Examples
There is a need for top level domain names that can safely be used in
private testing, as examples in documentation, and for
experimentation, without fear of conflicts with actual top level
domain names in the global DNS, or which should be reserved to avoid
confusion. The creation and assignment of new top level domain names
is becoming an increasingly prominent decision as the domain name
system assumes increasing importance in the world. For this reason,
it is best to allocate a reasonably large number of names of
different lengths now to reduce the probability of a need for further
top level domain name creation and assignment for this purpose in the
foreseeable future.
To satisfy these needs, forty one domain names are reserved as
described below.
The following eleven top level domain names are permanently reserved.
.xy
.xz
.nil
.tld
.link
.site
.test
.example
.invalid
.localhost
.asixtythreecharacterstopleveldomainnamewhichisthelongestallowed
Note: two letter top level domain names are reserved for ISO
3166 / Universal Postal Union two letter country codes.
However, ISO 3166 reserves all two letter codes beginning with
"x" for local use and states that they will never be assigned to
a country.
These names are available for use in testing or as examples in
documentation except for .invalid, .link, and .localhost. .invalid
is intended for use in online construction of domain names that are
D. Eastlake, A. Panitz [Page 3]
INTERNET-DRAFT Test and Example TLDs
sure to be invalid. .link is reserved to avoid confusion with the
link.local domain provided in draft-ietf-dnsind-local-names-*.txt and
should not be used. The .localhost TLD is traditionally staticly
defined in host DNS implementations as having an A record pointing to
the loop back IP address and is reserved for that purpose and is
reserved for this use.
The above eleven names will be added to the root with a single type
TXT RR under each. The RDATA for these TXT RRs will contain the
single string
Reserved, see RFC NNNN.
[where NNNN is the number of the RFC this draft gets issued as.]
In addition, the thirty domain names formed by appending the digits 0
through 9 to "tld", "test", and "example, as listed below, are also
permanently reserved for test and documentation use; however, since
there are currently no TLDs with digits in them and the presence of
these names without the digit suffix should provide notice, it is not
intended that these thirty additional TLDs be entered into the root
zone.
.tld0 .test0 .example0
.tld1 .test1 .exmaple1
.tld2 .test2 .example2
.tld3 .test2 .example2
.tld4 .test4 .example4
.tld5 .test5 .exmaple5
.tld6 .test6 .example6
.tld7 .test7 .example7
.tld8 .test8 .example8
.tld9 .test9 .example9
3. Security Considerations
Confusion and conflict can be caused by the use of a current or
potential future top level domain name in testing, experimentation,
as an example in documentation, or the like. Test and experimental
software can escape and end up being run against the global
operational DNS. Even examples used "only" in documentation can end
up being coded and released or cause conflicts due to later real use
and the possible acquisition of intellectual property rights in such
"example" names.
The reservation of several top level domain names for these purposes
will minimize such confusion and conflict.
D. Eastlake, A. Panitz [Page 4]
INTERNET-DRAFT Test and Example TLDs
References
RFC 1034 - P. Mockapetris, "Domain names - concepts and facilities",
11/01/1987.
RFC 1035 - P. Mockapetris, "Domain names - implementation and
specification", 11/01/1987.
RFC 1591 - J. Postel, "Domain Name System Structure and Delegation",
03/03/1994.
draft-ietf-dnsind-local-names-*.txt
Author's Addresses
Donald E. Eastlake 3rd
CyberCash, Inc.
318 Acton Street
Carlisle, MA 01741 USA
Telephone: +1 978 287 4877
+1 703 620-4200 (main office, Reston, VA)
FAX: +1 978 371 7148
EMail: dee@cybercash.com
Aliza R. Panitz
AccessAbility Internet Services, Inc.
12515 Greenbriar Road
Potomac, MD 20854 USA
Telephone: +1 301 983-3547
FAX: +1 301 983-4899
EMail: buglady@ability.net
Expiration and File Name
This draft expires April 28 1998.
Its file name is draft-ietf-dnsind-test-tlds-04.txt.
D. Eastlake, A. Panitz [Page 5]
