RFC 2782 (rfc2782) - Page 1 of 12

A DNS RR for specifying the location of services (DNS SRV)

Network Working Group                                     A. Gulbrandsen
Request for Comments: 2782                            Troll Technologies
Obsoletes: 2052                                                 P. Vixie
Category: Standards Track                   Internet Software Consortium
                                                               L. Esibov
                                                         Microsoft Corp.
                                                           February 2000


       A DNS RR for specifying the location of services (DNS SRV)

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 (2000).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document describes a DNS RR which specifies the location of the
   server(s) for a specific protocol and domain.

Overview and rationale

   Currently, one must either know the exact address of a server to
   contact it, or broadcast a question.

   The SRV RR allows administrators to use several servers for a single
   domain, to move services from host to host with little fuss, and to
   designate some hosts as primary servers for a service and others as
   backups.

   Clients ask for a specific service/protocol for a specific domain
   (the word domain is used here in the strict RFC 1034 sense), and get
   back the names of any available servers.

   Note that where this document refers to "address records", it means A
   RR's, AAAA RR's, or their most modern equivalent.







Gulbrandsen, et al.         Standards Track