From 4bfd864f10b68b71482b35c818559068ef8d5797 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Thomas Voss Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2024 20:54:24 +0100 Subject: doc: Add RFC documents --- doc/rfc/rfc1034.txt | 3077 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 3077 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/rfc/rfc1034.txt (limited to 'doc/rfc/rfc1034.txt') diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc1034.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc1034.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..55cdb21 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc1034.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3077 @@ +Network Working Group P. Mockapetris +Request for Comments: 1034 ISI +Obsoletes: RFCs 882, 883, 973 November 1987 + + + DOMAIN NAMES - CONCEPTS AND FACILITIES + + + +1. STATUS OF THIS MEMO + +This RFC is an introduction to the Domain Name System (DNS), and omits +many details which can be found in a companion RFC, "Domain Names - +Implementation and Specification" [RFC-1035]. That RFC assumes that the +reader is familiar with the concepts discussed in this memo. + +A subset of DNS functions and data types constitute an official +protocol. The official protocol includes standard queries and their +responses and most of the Internet class data formats (e.g., host +addresses). + +However, the domain system is intentionally extensible. Researchers are +continuously proposing, implementing and experimenting with new data +types, query types, classes, functions, etc. Thus while the components +of the official protocol are expected to stay essentially unchanged and +operate as a production service, experimental behavior should always be +expected in extensions beyond the official protocol. Experimental or +obsolete features are clearly marked in these RFCs, and such information +should be used with caution. + +The reader is especially cautioned not to depend on the values which +appear in examples to be current or complete, since their purpose is +primarily pedagogical. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. + +2. INTRODUCTION + +This RFC introduces domain style names, their use for Internet mail and +host address support, and the protocols and servers used to implement +domain name facilities. + +2.1. The history of domain names + +The impetus for the development of the domain system was growth in the +Internet: + + - Host name to address mappings were maintained by the Network + Information Center (NIC) in a single file (HOSTS.TXT) which + was FTPed by all hosts [RFC-952, RFC-953]. The total network + + + +Mockapetris [Page 1] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + + bandwidth consumed in distributing a new version by this + scheme is proportional to the square of the number of hosts in + the network, and even when multiple levels of FTP are used, + the outgoing FTP load on the NIC host is considerable. + Explosive growth in the number of hosts didn't bode well for + the future. + + - The network population was also changing in character. The + timeshared hosts that made up the original ARPANET were being + replaced with local networks of workstations. Local + organizations were administering their own names and + addresses, but had to wait for the NIC to change HOSTS.TXT to + make changes visible to the Internet at large. Organizations + also wanted some local structure on the name space. + + - The applications on the Internet were getting more + sophisticated and creating a need for general purpose name + service. + + +The result was several ideas about name spaces and their management +[IEN-116, RFC-799, RFC-819, RFC-830]. The proposals varied, but a +common thread was the idea of a hierarchical name space, with the +hierarchy roughly corresponding to organizational structure, and names +using "." as the character to mark the boundary between hierarchy +levels. A design using a distributed database and generalized resources +was described in [RFC-882, RFC-883]. Based on experience with several +implementations, the system evolved into the scheme described in this +memo. + +The terms "domain" or "domain name" are used in many contexts beyond the +DNS described here. Very often, the term domain name is used to refer +to a name with structure indicated by dots, but no relation to the DNS. +This is particularly true in mail addressing [Quarterman 86]. + +2.2. DNS design goals + +The design goals of the DNS influence its structure. They are: + + - The primary goal is a consistent name space which will be used + for referring to resources. In order to avoid the problems + caused by ad hoc encodings, names should not be required to + contain network identifiers, addresses, routes, or similar + information as part of the name. + + - The sheer size of the database and frequency of updates + suggest that it must be maintained in a distributed manner, + with local caching to improve performance. Approaches that + + + +Mockapetris [Page 2] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + + attempt to collect a consistent copy of the entire database + will become more and more expensive and difficult, and hence + should be avoided. The same principle holds for the structure + of the name space, and in particular mechanisms for creating + and deleting names; these should also be distributed. + + - Where there tradeoffs between the cost of acquiring data, the + speed of updates, and the accuracy of caches, the source of + the data should control the tradeoff. + + - The costs of implementing such a facility dictate that it be + generally useful, and not restricted to a single application. + We should be able to use names to retrieve host addresses, + mailbox data, and other as yet undetermined information. All + data associated with a name is tagged with a type, and queries + can be limited to a single type. + + - Because we want the name space to be useful in dissimilar + networks and applications, we provide the ability to use the + same name space with different protocol families or + management. For example, host address formats differ between + protocols, though all protocols have the notion of address. + The DNS tags all data with a class as well as the type, so + that we can allow parallel use of different formats for data + of type address. + + - We want name server transactions to be independent of the + communications system that carries them. Some systems may + wish to use datagrams for queries and responses, and only + establish virtual circuits for transactions that need the + reliability (e.g., database updates, long transactions); other + systems will use virtual circuits exclusively. + + - The system should be useful across a wide spectrum of host + capabilities. Both personal computers and large timeshared + hosts should be able to use the system, though perhaps in + different ways. + +2.3. Assumptions about usage + +The organization of the domain system derives from some assumptions +about the needs and usage patterns of its user community and is designed +to avoid many of the the complicated problems found in general purpose +database systems. + +The assumptions are: + + - The size of the total database will initially be proportional + + + +Mockapetris [Page 3] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + + to the number of hosts using the system, but will eventually + grow to be proportional to the number of users on those hosts + as mailboxes and other information are added to the domain + system. + + - Most of the data in the system will change very slowly (e.g., + mailbox bindings, host addresses), but that the system should + be able to deal with subsets that change more rapidly (on the + order of seconds or minutes). + + - The administrative boundaries used to distribute + responsibility for the database will usually correspond to + organizations that have one or more hosts. Each organization + that has responsibility for a particular set of domains will + provide redundant name servers, either on the organization's + own hosts or other hosts that the organization arranges to + use. + + - Clients of the domain system should be able to identify + trusted name servers they prefer to use before accepting + referrals to name servers outside of this "trusted" set. + + - Access to information is more critical than instantaneous + updates or guarantees of consistency. Hence the update + process allows updates to percolate out through the users of + the domain system rather than guaranteeing that all copies are + simultaneously updated. When updates are unavailable due to + network or host failure, the usual course is to believe old + information while continuing efforts to update it. The + general model is that copies are distributed with timeouts for + refreshing. The distributor sets the timeout value and the + recipient of the distribution is responsible for performing + the refresh. In special situations, very short intervals can + be specified, or the owner can prohibit copies. + + - In any system that has a distributed database, a particular + name server may be presented with a query that can only be + answered by some other server. The two general approaches to + dealing with this problem are "recursive", in which the first + server pursues the query for the client at another server, and + "iterative", in which the server refers the client to another + server and lets the client pursue the query. Both approaches + have advantages and disadvantages, but the iterative approach + is preferred for the datagram style of access. The domain + system requires implementation of the iterative approach, but + allows the recursive approach as an option. + + + + + +Mockapetris [Page 4] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + +The domain system assumes that all data originates in master files +scattered through the hosts that use the domain system. These master +files are updated by local system administrators. Master files are text +files that are read by a local name server, and hence become available +through the name servers to users of the domain system. The user +programs access name servers through standard programs called resolvers. + +The standard format of master files allows them to be exchanged between +hosts (via FTP, mail, or some other mechanism); this facility is useful +when an organization wants a domain, but doesn't want to support a name +server. The organization can maintain the master files locally using a +text editor, transfer them to a foreign host which runs a name server, +and then arrange with the system administrator of the name server to get +the files loaded. + +Each host's name servers and resolvers are configured by a local system +administrator [RFC-1033]. For a name server, this configuration data +includes the identity of local master files and instructions on which +non-local master files are to be loaded from foreign servers. The name +server uses the master files or copies to load its zones. For +resolvers, the configuration data identifies the name servers which +should be the primary sources of information. + +The domain system defines procedures for accessing the data and for +referrals to other name servers. The domain system also defines +procedures for caching retrieved data and for periodic refreshing of +data defined by the system administrator. + +The system administrators provide: + + - The definition of zone boundaries. + + - Master files of data. + + - Updates to master files. + + - Statements of the refresh policies desired. + +The domain system provides: + + - Standard formats for resource data. + + - Standard methods for querying the database. + + - Standard methods for name servers to refresh local data from + foreign name servers. + + + + + +Mockapetris [Page 5] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + +2.4. Elements of the DNS + +The DNS has three major components: + + - The DOMAIN NAME SPACE and RESOURCE RECORDS, which are + specifications for a tree structured name space and data + associated with the names. Conceptually, each node and leaf + of the domain name space tree names a set of information, and + query operations are attempts to extract specific types of + information from a particular set. A query names the domain + name of interest and describes the type of resource + information that is desired. For example, the Internet + uses some of its domain names to identify hosts; queries for + address resources return Internet host addresses. + + - NAME SERVERS are server programs which hold information about + the domain tree's structure and set information. A name + server may cache structure or set information about any part + of the domain tree, but in general a particular name server + has complete information about a subset of the domain space, + and pointers to other name servers that can be used to lead to + information from any part of the domain tree. Name servers + know the parts of the domain tree for which they have complete + information; a name server is said to be an AUTHORITY for + these parts of the name space. Authoritative information is + organized into units called ZONEs, and these zones can be + automatically distributed to the name servers which provide + redundant service for the data in a zone. + + - RESOLVERS are programs that extract information from name + servers in response to client requests. Resolvers must be + able to access at least one name server and use that name + server's information to answer a query directly, or pursue the + query using referrals to other name servers. A resolver will + typically be a system routine that is directly accessible to + user programs; hence no protocol is necessary between the + resolver and the user program. + +These three components roughly correspond to the three layers or views +of the domain system: + + - From the user's point of view, the domain system is accessed + through a simple procedure or OS call to a local resolver. + The domain space consists of a single tree and the user can + request information from any section of the tree. + + - From the resolver's point of view, the domain system is + composed of an unknown number of name servers. Each name + + + +Mockapetris [Page 6] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + + server has one or more pieces of the whole domain tree's data, + but the resolver views each of these databases as essentially + static. + + - From a name server's point of view, the domain system consists + of separate sets of local information called zones. The name + server has local copies of some of the zones. The name server + must periodically refresh its zones from master copies in + local files or foreign name servers. The name server must + concurrently process queries that arrive from resolvers. + +In the interests of performance, implementations may couple these +functions. For example, a resolver on the same machine as a name server +might share a database consisting of the the zones managed by the name +server and the cache managed by the resolver. + +3. DOMAIN NAME SPACE and RESOURCE RECORDS + +3.1. Name space specifications and terminology + +The domain name space is a tree structure. Each node and leaf on the +tree corresponds to a resource set (which may be empty). The domain +system makes no distinctions between the uses of the interior nodes and +leaves, and this memo uses the term "node" to refer to both. + +Each node has a label, which is zero to 63 octets in length. Brother +nodes may not have the same label, although the same label can be used +for nodes which are not brothers. One label is reserved, and that is +the null (i.e., zero length) label used for the root. + +The domain name of a node is the list of the labels on the path from the +node to the root of the tree. By convention, the labels that compose a +domain name are printed or read left to right, from the most specific +(lowest, farthest from the root) to the least specific (highest, closest +to the root). + +Internally, programs that manipulate domain names should represent them +as sequences of labels, where each label is a length octet followed by +an octet string. Because all domain names end at the root, which has a +null string for a label, these internal representations can use a length +byte of zero to terminate a domain name. + +By convention, domain names can be stored with arbitrary case, but +domain name comparisons for all present domain functions are done in a +case-insensitive manner, assuming an ASCII character set, and a high +order zero bit. This means that you are free to create a node with +label "A" or a node with label "a", but not both as brothers; you could +refer to either using "a" or "A". When you receive a domain name or + + + +Mockapetris [Page 7] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + +label, you should preserve its case. The rationale for this choice is +that we may someday need to add full binary domain names for new +services; existing services would not be changed. + +When a user needs to type a domain name, the length of each label is +omitted and the labels are separated by dots ("."). Since a complete +domain name ends with the root label, this leads to a printed form which +ends in a dot. We use this property to distinguish between: + + - a character string which represents a complete domain name + (often called "absolute"). For example, "poneria.ISI.EDU." + + - a character string that represents the starting labels of a + domain name which is incomplete, and should be completed by + local software using knowledge of the local domain (often + called "relative"). For example, "poneria" used in the + ISI.EDU domain. + +Relative names are either taken relative to a well known origin, or to a +list of domains used as a search list. Relative names appear mostly at +the user interface, where their interpretation varies from +implementation to implementation, and in master files, where they are +relative to a single origin domain name. The most common interpretation +uses the root "." as either the single origin or as one of the members +of the search list, so a multi-label relative name is often one where +the trailing dot has been omitted to save typing. + +To simplify implementations, the total number of octets that represent a +domain name (i.e., the sum of all label octets and label lengths) is +limited to 255. + +A domain is identified by a domain name, and consists of that part of +the domain name space that is at or below the domain name which +specifies the domain. A domain is a subdomain of another domain if it +is contained within that domain. This relationship can be tested by +seeing if the subdomain's name ends with the containing domain's name. +For example, A.B.C.D is a subdomain of B.C.D, C.D, D, and " ". + +3.2. Administrative guidelines on use + +As a matter of policy, the DNS technical specifications do not mandate a +particular tree structure or rules for selecting labels; its goal is to +be as general as possible, so that it can be used to build arbitrary +applications. In particular, the system was designed so that the name +space did not have to be organized along the lines of network +boundaries, name servers, etc. The rationale for this is not that the +name space should have no implied semantics, but rather that the choice +of implied semantics should be left open to be used for the problem at + + + +Mockapetris [Page 8] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + +hand, and that different parts of the tree can have different implied +semantics. For example, the IN-ADDR.ARPA domain is organized and +distributed by network and host address because its role is to translate +from network or host numbers to names; NetBIOS domains [RFC-1001, RFC- +1002] are flat because that is appropriate for that application. + +However, there are some guidelines that apply to the "normal" parts of +the name space used for hosts, mailboxes, etc., that will make the name +space more uniform, provide for growth, and minimize problems as +software is converted from the older host table. The political +decisions about the top levels of the tree originated in RFC-920. +Current policy for the top levels is discussed in [RFC-1032]. MILNET +conversion issues are covered in [RFC-1031]. + +Lower domains which will eventually be broken into multiple zones should +provide branching at the top of the domain so that the eventual +decomposition can be done without renaming. Node labels which use +special characters, leading digits, etc., are likely to break older +software which depends on more restrictive choices. + +3.3. Technical guidelines on use + +Before the DNS can be used to hold naming information for some kind of +object, two needs must be met: + + - A convention for mapping between object names and domain + names. This describes how information about an object is + accessed. + + - RR types and data formats for describing the object. + +These rules can be quite simple or fairly complex. Very often, the +designer must take into account existing formats and plan for upward +compatibility for existing usage. Multiple mappings or levels of +mapping may be required. + +For hosts, the mapping depends on the existing syntax for host names +which is a subset of the usual text representation for domain names, +together with RR formats for describing host addresses, etc. Because we +need a reliable inverse mapping from address to host name, a special +mapping for addresses into the IN-ADDR.ARPA domain is also defined. + +For mailboxes, the mapping is slightly more complex. The usual mail +address @ is mapped into a domain name by +converting into a single label (regardles of dots it +contains), converting into a domain name using the usual +text format for domain names (dots denote label breaks), and +concatenating the two to form a single domain name. Thus the mailbox + + + +Mockapetris [Page 9] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + +HOSTMASTER@SRI-NIC.ARPA is represented as a domain name by +HOSTMASTER.SRI-NIC.ARPA. An appreciation for the reasons behind this +design also must take into account the scheme for mail exchanges [RFC- +974]. + +The typical user is not concerned with defining these rules, but should +understand that they usually are the result of numerous compromises +between desires for upward compatibility with old usage, interactions +between different object definitions, and the inevitable urge to add new +features when defining the rules. The way the DNS is used to support +some object is often more crucial than the restrictions inherent in the +DNS. + +3.4. Example name space + +The following figure shows a part of the current domain name space, and +is used in many examples in this RFC. Note that the tree is a very +small subset of the actual name space. + + | + | + +---------------------+------------------+ + | | | + MIL EDU ARPA + | | | + | | | + +-----+-----+ | +------+-----+-----+ + | | | | | | | + BRL NOSC DARPA | IN-ADDR SRI-NIC ACC + | + +--------+------------------+---------------+--------+ + | | | | | + UCI MIT | UDEL YALE + | ISI + | | + +---+---+ | + | | | + LCS ACHILLES +--+-----+-----+--------+ + | | | | | | + XX A C VAXA VENERA Mockapetris + +In this example, the root domain has three immediate subdomains: MIL, +EDU, and ARPA. The LCS.MIT.EDU domain has one immediate subdomain named +XX.LCS.MIT.EDU. All of the leaves are also domains. + +3.5. Preferred name syntax + +The DNS specifications attempt to be as general as possible in the rules + + + +Mockapetris [Page 10] + +RFC 1034 Domain Concepts and Facilities November 1987 + + +for constructing domain names. The idea is that the name of any +existing object can be expressed as a domain name with minimal changes. +However, when assigning a domain name for an object, the prudent user +will select a name which satisfies both the rules of the domain system +and any existing rules for the object, whether these rules are published +or implied by existing programs. + +For example, when naming a mail domain, the user should satisfy both the +rules of this memo and those in RFC-822. When creating a new host name, +the old rules for HOSTS.TXT should be followed. This avoids problems +when old software is converted to use domain names. + +The following syntax will result in fewer problems with many +applications that use domain names (e.g., mail, TELNET). + + ::= | " " + + ::=