RFC 1032 (rfc1032) - Page 1 of 14
Domain administrators guide
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group M. Stahl
Request for Comments: 1032 SRI International
November 1987
DOMAIN ADMINISTRATORS GUIDE
STATUS OF THIS MEMO
This memo describes procedures for registering a domain with the
Network Information Center (NIC) of Defense Data Network (DDN), and
offers guidelines on the establishment and administration of a domain
in accordance with the requirements specified in RFC-920. It is
intended for use by domain administrators. This memo should be used
in conjunction with RFC-920, which is an official policy statement of
the Internet Activities Board (IAB) and the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA). Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
BACKGROUND
Domains are adminstrative entities that provide decentralized
management of host naming and addressing. The domain-naming system
is distributed and hierarchical.
The NIC is designated by the Defense Communications Agency (DCA) to
provide registry services for the domain-naming system on the DDN and
DARPA portions of the Internet.
As registrar of top-level and second-level domains, as well as
administrator of the root domain name servers on behalf of DARPA and
DDN, the NIC is responsible for maintaining the root server zone
files and their binary equivalents. In addition, the NIC is
responsible for administering the top-level domains of "ARPA," "COM,"
"EDU," "ORG," "GOV," and "MIL" on behalf of DCA and DARPA until it
becomes feasible for other appropriate organizations to assume those
responsibilities.
It is recommended that the guidelines described in this document be
used by domain administrators in the establishment and control of
second-level domains.
THE DOMAIN ADMINISTRATOR
The role of the domain administrator (DA) is that of coordinator,
manager, and technician. If his domain is established at the second
level or lower in the tree, the DA must register by interacting with
the management of the domain directly above his, making certain that
Stahl