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From: harald.alvestrand@elab-runit.sintef.no (Harald Tveit Alvestrand)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains
Subject: Re: Proposal for use of DNS to store RFC 987, etc mappings
Message-ID: <1191*harald.alvestrand@elab-runit.sintef.no>
Date: 19 Jul 90 09:54:03 GMT
References: <9007181733.AA00361@janeb.cs.wisc.edu>
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Rob et al:
Your proposal requires (as far as I can see)
the registration of new toplevel domains C$no, C$us and so on.
Maybe we should follow Christian's proposal (I recognize the idea from
the MAILWAY code....), and put a single toplevel domain with name "X400"
or even "RFC987TABLE"?????

The administrative authority for the subdomains of this descends naturally
on the RARE MHS managers, since most of the national X.400 authorities
(whatever that is) will probably not even know what a DNS is.

Otherwise, I like your proposal.
One note: You should perhaps include a statement that "when mapping
information is not available due to DNS server downtime, the 987 gateway
should WAIT until the mapping is available, or a LONG timeout, before
non-delivering the message".
Second note: I have never seen a DNS name with a space in it.
The proposal (and RFC987 tables!) depend on $ and . being absent from
the attributes (or escaped, see the troubles with uk.ac!). With 
X.400/88 we get every character under the sun into the addresses.
Is this problem generally solved by using (numeric)?

Does DNS handle a name of the form

dom(number)dom.gurba .

correctly? (parentheses and space!)
I ask from ignorance of DNS....

                        Harald