RFC 811 (rfc811) - Page 1 of 4

Hostnames Server

Alternative Format: Original Text Document
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Ken Harrenstien                                           RFC-811
Vic White                                            1 March 1982
Elizabeth Feinler
Network Information Center
SRI International

                        HOSTNAMES SERVER




INTRODUCTION

   The NIC Internet Hostnames Server is an NCP/TCP-based host
   information program and protocol running on the SRI-NIC
   machine.  It is one of a series of ARPANET/Internet name
   services maintained by the Network Information Center (NIC) at
   SRI International on behalf of the Defense Communications
   Agency (DCA).  The function of this particular server is to
   deliver machine-readable name/address information describing
   networks, gateways, hosts, and eventually domains, within the
   internet environment.  As currently implemented, the server
   provides the information outlined in the DoD Internet Host
   Table Specification (RFC 810).

QUERY/RESPONSE FORMAT

   The name server accepts simple text query requests of the form

       []

   where square brackets ("[]") indicate an optional field.  The
   command key is a keyword indicating the nature of the request.
   The defined keys are explained below.

   The response, on the other hand, is of the form

       : 

   where  is a keyword indicating the nature of the
   response, and the rest of the response is interpreted in the
   context of the key.

COMMAND/RESPONSE KEYS

   The currently defined keywords are:

      Command Keys:

         HNAME   (find entry with given name)
         HADDR   (find entry with given address)
         ALL     (return entire host table)
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