The US Domain
RFC 1480

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Network Working Group                                          A. Cooper
Request for Comments: 1480                                     J. Postel
Obsoletes: 1386                                                June 1993

                             The US Domain

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard.  Distribution of this memo is
   unlimited.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction ................................................  2
       1.1  The Internet Domain Name System.........................  2
       1.2  Top-Level Domains.......................................  3
       1.3  The US Domain ..........................................  4
   2.  Naming Structure ............................................  4
       2.1  State Codes ............................................  8
       2.2  Locality Names..........................................  8
       2.3  Schools ................................................ 10
       2.4  State Agencies.......................................... 15
       2.5  Federal Agencies ....................................... 15
       2.6  Distributed National Institutes......................... 15
       2.7  General Independent Entities............................ 16
       2.8  Examples of Names....................................... 17
   3.  Registration ................................................ 20
       3.1  Requirements ........................................... 20
       3.2  Direct Entries ......................................... 21
       3.2.1   IP-Hosts............................................. 21
       3.2.2   Non-IP Hosts ........................................ 21
       3.3  Delegated Subdomains ................................... 24
       3.3.1   Delegation Requirement............................... 26
       3.3.2   Delegation Procedures ............................... 28
       3.3.3   Subdomain Contacts................................... 29
   4.  Database Information......................................... 30
       4.1  Name Servers ........................................... 30
       4.2  Zone files ............................................. 30
       4.3  Resource Records ....................................... 31
       4.3.1   "A" Records ......................................... 32
       4.3.2   CNAME Records ....................................... 32
       4.3.3   MX Records .......................................... 33
       4.3.4   HINFO Records ....................................... 33
       4.3.5   PTR Records ......................................... 33
       4.4  Wildcards .............................................. 34
   5.  References .................................................. 35

Cooper & Postel                                                 [Page 1]
RFC 1480                     The US Domain                     June 1993

   6.  Security Considerations ..................................... 35
   7.  Authors' Addresses .......................................... 36
   Appendix-I:  US Domain Names BNF................................. 37
   Appendix-II: US Domain Questionnaire ............................ 42

1. INTRODUCTION

   1.1 The Internet Domain Name System

   The Domain Name System (DNS) provides for the translation between
   hostnames and addresses.  Within the Internet, this means translating
   from a name such as "venera.isi.edu", to an IP address such as
   "128.9.0.32".  The DNS is a set of protocols and databases.  The
   protocols define the syntax and semantics for a query language to ask
   questions about information located by DNS-style names.  The
   databases are distributed and replicated.  There is no dependence on
   a single central server, and each part of the database is provided in
   at least two servers.

   The assignment of the 32-bit IP addresses is a separate activity.  IP
   addresses are delegated by the central Internet Registry to regional
   authorities (such as the RIPE NCC for Europe) and the network
   providers.

   To have a network number assigned please contact your network service
   provider or regional registration authority.  To determine who this
   is (or as a last resort), you can contact the central Internet
   Registry at Hostmaster@INTERNIC.NET.

   In addition to translating names to addresses for hosts that are on
   the Internet, the DNS provides for registering DNS-style names for
   other hosts reachable (via electronic mail) through gateways or mail
   relays.  The records for such name registrations point to an Internet
   host (one with an IP address) that acts as a mail forwarder for the
   registered host.  For example, the host "bah.rochester.ny.us" is
   registered in the DNS with a pointer to the mail relay
   "relay1.uu.net".  This type of pointer is called an MX record.

   This gives electronic mail users a uniform mail addressing syntax and