RFC 3425 (rfc3425) - Page 1 of 5

Obsoleting IQUERY

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Network Working Group                                        D. Lawrence
Request for Comments: 3425                                       Nominum
Updates: 1035                                              November 2002
Category: Standards Track


                           Obsoleting IQUERY

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   The IQUERY method of performing inverse DNS lookups, specified in RFC
   1035, has not been generally implemented and has usually been
   operationally disabled where it has been implemented.  Both reflect a
   general view in the community that the concept was unwise and that
   the widely-used alternate approach of using pointer (PTR) queries and
   reverse-mapping records is preferable.  Consequently, this document
   deprecates the IQUERY operation, declaring it entirely obsolete.
   This document updates RFC 1035.

1 - Introduction

   As specified in RFC 1035 (section 6.4), the IQUERY operation for DNS
   queries is used to look up the name(s) which are associated with the
   given value.  The value being sought is provided in the query's
   answer section and the response fills in the question section with
   one or more 3-tuples of type, name and class.

   As noted in [RFC 1035], section 6.4.3, inverse query processing can
   put quite an arduous burden on a server.  A server would need to
   perform either an exhaustive search of its database or maintain a
   separate database that is keyed by the values of the primary
   database.  Both of these approaches could strain system resource use,
   particularly for servers that are authoritative for millions of
   names.





Lawrence                    Standards Track
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