RFC 2672 (rfc2672) - Page 1 of 9

Non-Terminal DNS Name Redirection

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Network Working Group                                        M. Crawford
Request for Comments: 2672                                      Fermilab
Category: Standards Track                                    August 1999


                   Non-Terminal DNS Name Redirection

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 (1999).  All Rights Reserved.

1.  Introduction

   This document defines a new DNS Resource Record called "DNAME", which
   provides the capability to map an entire subtree of the DNS name
   space to another domain.  It differs from the CNAME record which maps
   a single node of the name space.

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
   document are to be interpreted as described in [KWORD].

2.  Motivation

   This Resource Record and its processing rules were conceived as a
   solution to the problem of maintaining address-to-name mappings in a
   context of network renumbering.  Without the DNAME mechanism, an
   authoritative DNS server for the address-to-name mappings of some
   network must be reconfigured when that network is renumbered.  With
   DNAME, the zone can be constructed so that it needs no modification
   when renumbered.  DNAME can also be useful in other situations, such
   as when an organizational unit is renamed.

3. The DNAME Resource Record

   The DNAME RR has mnemonic DNAME and type code 39 (decimal).







Crawford                    Standards Track
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