[wg-c] definitions

[Kent Crispin <kent@songbird.com>]

Revised in light of Craig's comments.  It's certainly to much to ask 
that people always use these definitions, but at least if we have a 
common set to refer to, we can explain what we mean after the fact.

I have added crude change bars.

Comments welcome.

                       Definitions
 
  database: 1) (abstract) a formally structured collection of data;
    2) (concrete) a system of computer software/hardware that
    implements a database. 
  
| zone: "Zone" is a technical term in DNS with subtleties that are 
|   difficult to explain in a few words.  However, for our purposes we
|   may think of it as the information that defines a part of the DNS
|   hiearchy that share a common prefix, and that does not contain 
|   information for lower level zones.    Zone entries can either be
|   direct information (eg, the IP address  of a host in the zone), or
|   information that dscribes the hierarchy  of zones (the "glue"
|   records that connect zones).    For example, the .com zone
|   contains several million entries, most  of which reference a lower
|   level zone (subzone), ie, mostly glue.   aol.com is a subzone of
|   the .com zone; it contains some 16 million  entries, most of which
|   are direct data.  
 
| TLD: 1) One of the entries in the IANA-approved root zone.  2) The term    
|   may also be used in a generic technical sense to refer to an entry       
|   in any root zone.  I would prefer to use the term "pTLD" for that        
|   purpose -- otherwise we have to qualify the entries in the public        
|   Internet.                                                                
 
| pTLD: ("private" TLD) An entry in some root zone other than the            
|   IANA-approved one.  Most pTLDs are on private networks; a few are        
|   not:                                                                     
 
| aTLD: ("alternate" TLD) A pTLD in a root zone set up in                    
|   competition to the IANA root.  These graft onto the public               
|   Internet, though the names are not reachable through the public          
|   DNS.                                                                     
  
  gTLD: a TLD that has no enforced criteria for the entities that may
    register in it.  This departs somewhat from the rfc1591 definition. 
  
  Registry: a database associating DNS information with some person,
    legal entity, operational entity, or other referrent.  Note that we
    can speak of a registry in the abstract or in the concrete, as per
    the definition of "database" above.  To emphasize the abstract
    meaning we may use the terms "registry database", or possibly
    "registry data". 
  
  gTLD registry: a registry for a particular gTLD ("the .com registry").
  
  Registry operator: the organization or business that operates a
    registry.  This distinction is very important: NSI is the operator
    of the .com registry; Emergent was the operator of the prototype
    CORE registry. 
  
  Registry administrator: An entity delegated administrative authority       
    over a registry.  A registry administrator may or may not operate        
    the registry.  CORE was the administrator of the prototype CORE          
    registry.                                                                
  
  Registrar: an entity with a direct contractual relationship with,
    and special access to, a registry, that inserts records on behalf
    of others. 
  
  Registration agent: Registrar.  Nominet makes a distinction here that
    I don't fully understand -- if someone can explain that 
    distinction I would like to know..
  
  Shared Registry: a registry that allows access from multiple
    distinct registrars. 


-- 
Kent Crispin                               "Do good, and you'll be
kent@songbird.com                           lonesome." -- Mark Twain