Nameserver as object/entity or not ?

[Patrick <patrick@gandi.net>]

On Tue, Feb 06, 2001 at 08:58:03AM -0500, Brian W. Spolarich took time to write:
> 
> | That´s exact the way we do it here in Germany.
> | We dont´t know anything about Nameserver Objects and i still can´t see it
> | as a requirement.
> 
>   As Patrick pointed out, one advantage to keeping separate NS objects is that
> if one needs to change the address of a given server, only one record needs to be
> updated (i.e. normalization).  It would be interesting to know how often this is
> used.

>From experience, I can tell you that it is used. I was working before
in an ISP. One day we had to change our Internet connexion, which
changed the IP of our nameservers, thus the need to change the
properties of all domains using these nameservers.
I'm working in a Registrar now, and it happens that customer ask us
to change 50 or 100 domains at the same time because they change
nameservers or they change IP of one nameserver.

Let me give also another attribute that we can have for a nameserver
: the property, ie who owns it.
It happens that sometimes people are using nameservers for a domain
by mistake (ie not the correct nameserver). Then the given nameserver, not
configured for the domain, is still asked for information by other
nameservers around the world.

That is lame delegation, ok, no big deal.
But like one of our customer asked some times ago, there can be a lot
of things like that, putting charge on the nameserver. The customer
wanted to know if we (the Registrar) could remove the given
nameserver from the list of nameserver used by domains they do not
handle.
Problem : how do we authentify a request like that ? 
The customer in question wanted just to give us a fax on company
letterhead stating : such and such nameserver are ours, please be
sure they are only used for domains such and such.

However we have no (easy/automated/foolproof) way of verifying that
was is written on the document is true.

I do not know if it is useful, but having an attribute 'owned by'
might be of interest. 

It strikes me that there is also the whole thing with DNSSEC.
AFAIK (which is little) about that, nameserver have keys, and other
must know them. How do you distribute keys ? If the nameserver is in object
in the Registry database, you can associate with it its key to be
used by whoever needs them. Just an idea.

-- 
Patrick.