Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!umich!ox.com!b-tech!zeeff From: zeeff@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us (Jon Zeeff) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip Subject: Re: name handling in DNS resolvers Message-ID: Date: 24 May 91 19:53:25 GMT References: <9105171735.AA25294@ftp.com> Organization: UMCC Lines: 21 > BIND (and derivations - most UN*Xes) build a search list of > progressively wider domains to successively append to the user > provided name... >The Internet's experience with defaulting of partial domains is poor. >Perhaps my response to another person who recently asked for the same thing >will explain. > >The Host Requirements RFCs (1123 in this case) address this issue (pp 83, 84), >and their view of "search lists" is that they should not be implemented unless I don't think "domain guessing" should be done at all. It causes problems with getting the wrong host, with uucp addresses, with users switching machines ("why does this address work in this window and not the other?" or "why can't so and so reach me? I gave them my address that works for others.") and with name server load. Make people specify the full address all the time and give them a keyboard macro or alias where typing the extra characters is a problem. -- Jon Zeeff (NIC handle JZ) zeeff@console.ais.org