KLH@SRI-NIC.ARPA (Ken Harrenstien) (10/23/85)
On the subject of registering host names (domain style names) with the NIC: Please do so, for the time being. As several people have pointed out, the MILNET is not required to make use of domain name servers. If you wish a MILNET host to talk with you, you must register your host with the NIC (send a message to HOSTMASTER@SRI-NIC.ARPA). However, this does not necessarily mean that you have to wait for an indefinite MILNET transition date before you can stop sending your hostname changes to the NIC. Since the NIC is responsible for bridging the gap between the current MILNET "flat" host table and the still-evolving ARPANET domain name system, we have been working on a survey program which will periodically query the servers for all known domains in order to build a near-complete host table. This "snapshot" can then be used in the usual way by any systems which rely on the simple table lookup method. Currently there are some problems which are preventing this strategy from working, and which need to be resolved by people outside of the NIC. Here is a partial list from Mark Lottor (MKL@SRI-NIC.ARPA); please contact him if you are in a position to help. ------------ - Some domains do not support or answer zone transfer requests; e.g. CMU has 3 servers but none do zone transfers. - Some domain servers do not send back host-info (CPU and OS types) for zone transfers. - Most domain servers do not send back WKS records (protocol lists) for zone transfers. ------------------ Note that the domain name system does not now support any consistent way of obtaining information about networks or network names. (These are represented by NET entries in the host table, which the NIC will continue to maintain as a global network number registry.) But since NET information can be useful when trying to figure out where an unknown internet connection is coming from, it seems as if there should be a better way of finding this than by either searching HOSTS.TXT or putting together a fake IN-ADDR "domain name". Who does one ask about the latter? The NIC? But isn't the NIC eventually supposed to NOT know about all Internet addresses? I have a feeling our survey program will be around for a long time... -------