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Domain Name Services
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FAQ
General Registry/Registrar
Questions
Questions about the VeriSign Registry
Registry Services
Redemption Grace Period Questions
General Registry/Registrar Questions
What is an Internet domain
name registry?
An Internet domain name registry is an entity
that receives domain name system (DNS) information from domain name
registrars, inserts that information into a centralized database and
propagates the information in Internet zone files on the Internet so
that domain names can be found by users around the world via applications
such as the World Wide Web and email.
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What is the difference between
a registry and a registrar?
A registry provides direct services to registrars
only, not Internet end users. The registry database contains only domain
name service (DNS) information (domain name, name server names and name
server Internet Protocol [IP] numbers) along with the name of the registrar
that registered the name and basic transaction data. It does not contain
any domain name registrant or contact information.
A registrar provides direct services to domain
name registrants. The registrar database contains customer information
in addition to the DNS information contained in the registry database.
Registrars process name registrations for Internet end users and then
send the necessary DNS information to a registry for entry into the
centralized registry database. The DNS information is then propagated
over the Internet.
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Are registry and registrar
functions always separated?
No. Historically on the Internet, registry
and registrar functions were most often provided by the same organization.
More recently, these functions for some of the Internet's top-level
domains have been split to allow for competition in the registration
services business. There are still many organizations today that provide
consolidated registry and registrar services similar to the way they
used to be performed for the .com and .net top level domains.
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Questions about the VeriSign Registry
What is the charter of the
VeriSign registry?
The VeriSign registry is the exclusive registry
for the .com and .net top level domain names. As such it is tasked with
providing registry services to all registrars accredited by the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
for the .com and .net top level domain names.
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What agreements govern VeriSign's
operation of the .net and .com registries?
The applicable agreements can be found on the ICANN
Web site.
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How long will the VeriSign
registry be the exclusive registry for .com and .net?
Under the agreements referred to in the response
to the above question, the VeriSign registry will be the exclusive registry
for .com until November 10, 2007 with a possibility of a 4-year extension
and for .net until June 30, 2005 with the full right to compete to continue
as the registry.
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Who are the customers served
by the VeriSign registry?
The customers of the VeriSign registry are
registrars who have been accredited by the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and who have executed the Registrar
License and Agreement. Note that the VeriSign registry does not provide
direct services to Internet end users.
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Registry Services
What services does the VeriSign
registry provide registrars?
Through the Registry/Registrar Protocol (RRP)
that is a part of the Shared Registration System (SRS) developed by
VeriSign, registrars may add new or delete existing domain names, modify
name server information about existing domain names, transfer names
from another registrar, add name servers, modify name servers, query
the registry database and check availability of names on a real-time
basis. Through the VeriSign provided Registrar Tool, registrars may
administer domains, manage name servers, manage their registrar information
and generate reports. It is important to note that each registrar may
effect information about only domain names for which it is responsible.
In addition, 24-hour, 7 days per week telephone and email customer service
is available for all registrars associated with the VeriSign registry.
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What services does the VeriSign
registry provide for Internet end-users?
The most important service that the VeriSign
registry provides is the twice daily creation of the top-level domain
(TLD) zone files for .com and .net and the promulgation of those files
to the Internet's TLD servers. These files are the master "white
pages" of the Internet, and enable a domain name to correlate to
an Internet Protocol (IP) number.
The most visible VeriSign registry service
that is available to Internet end users besides general information
provided on the VeriSign Web site is the Registry Whois. This is the
authoritative Whois service for all second-level Internet domain names
registered in the .com and .net top level domains. This service is available
to anyone. For all registered second-level domain names in .com and
.net information as illustrated in the following example is displayed:
Domain Name:
LIBERTY.COM
Registrar: DOMAINDISCOVER
Whois Server: whois.domaindiscover.com
Referral URL: http://www.domaindiscover.com
Name Server: NS1.TRAINWEB.COM
Note that no end user contact information is
displayed because the VeriSign registry does not maintain that information.
If a name is not registered, a message is returned
saying that no match was found. That indicates that the name may be
available for registration. It should be noted though that the Whois
data is only updated once every 24 hours so it is possible that a name
showing in Whois has been registered since the last Whois update.
End users may also use the registry Whois to
obtain registry information about registrars and name servers associated
with .com and .net by entering the name of a registrar or a name server
name.
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Redemption Grace Period Questions
What is the Redemption Grace
Period?
The Redemption Grace Period (RGP) is a new
delete process developed by ICANN and implemented in to the COM/NET
Registry by VeriSign.
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How does the RGP process work?
Prior to January 25th, domains were deleted
in the following manner:
- Registrar
deleted a domain name.
- Domain
name was placed on registry-hold for 5 days (this removed it from the
zone file).
- Domain
was then deleted out of the Registry in a batch process on the 6th day.
Post January 25th, domain name deletions now
follow the new RGP guidelines:
- Registrar
deletes a domain name.
- Domain
name is placed on RedemptionPeriod (RP) for 30 days.
- During
this 30 day window, if the registrant would like the name redeemed,
they need to:
- The registrar will
"restore" the domain name using the Restore Command for a
fee. (This fee is determined by the registrar.)
- This places the
domain on "PendingRestore" status for 7 days (and places the
domain name back in the zone file).
- The registrar must
then submit a restore report to the Registry.
- Once the Restore
Command and Restore Report process is completed, the name goes back
on "Active" status.
- If, after
30 days, the name is still in RP status, the domain name will be moved
to PENDINGDELETE status for 5 days.
- When in this status,
the domain name WILL BE deleted.
- The status cannot
be removed by the registrar or the Registry.
- On the
6th day, the name is then deleted from the Registry.
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