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From: sob@TMC.EDU (Stan Barber)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains
Subject: Re: Politics of domain naming sytles (unc.edu)
Message-ID: <9007072110.AA01663@tmc.edu>
Date: 7 Jul 90 21:10:04 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: inet
Organization: The Internet
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While the DNS is distributed, there remains a big problem with the
in-addr.arpa domain. While eng.umd.edu could be handed over to someone
to operate, it does not necessarily follow that 8.128.in-addr.arpa could
be handed over. If the enterprise network (or facility network if you like)
is subnetted and the entire subnet can be operated by one administrative 
group, it could work. Otherwise, it won't.

I would guess that there are two major problems at many sites:
	1. There are very few people who understand how to run the DNS
	right at any one site. Those sites with computer science departments
	and the like may have a larger number than some, but generally
	speaking the number is still low.
	2. Unless growth of departments have been well thought out or
	enough money exists to fully subnet as needed, there will sometimes
	be more than one administrative group on the same wire and that	
	wire may be a single legitimate subnet of the enterprise network.
	If the DNS is distributed within the main organization, who runs
	the in-addr.arpa for the subnet? [I am aware of the hacks in
	many routers that allow more than one subnet on a wire. What if
	you can afford to have fancy routers? Say, you can only afford the
	PC Routers or using a Sun as a router. What do you do?]

There is also the question of ultimate responsibility. Who is ultimately
responsible for the DNS run by a particular organization? What if that person
is not empowered to correct problems with the DNS in the sub-domains of that
organization?

To me, the way to correct this problem is to create appropriate procedures 
to allow subnetwork managers to register hosts with the central authority for
the site. That central authority would then be accountable for insuring the
accuracy of the information and timely updates to the central databases. If
the central authority is overworked, then funds need to be allocated by the
organization to improve the service provided by the central authority.

It is not a question of power. It is a question of good service, accuracy of
data, and cooperation.