Question

One feature of the existing DNS .com hierarchy is that it is extremely "wide." (a) Propose a more hierarchical reorganization of the .com hierarchy. What objections might you foresee to your proposal's adoption? (b) What might be some of the consequences of having most DNS domain names contain four or more levels, versus the two of many existing names?

Short answer

Introduce industry-based sub-domains. Objections: Transitioning and complexity. Consequences: Improved organization, longer URLs, higher costs.

Step-by-step solution

Propose a More Hierarchical Organization

One approach to reorganize the .com hierarchy is to introduce additional sub-domains based on industry or purpose. For example, instead of having just 'example.com,' the structure could be 'companyname.industry.com' such as 'example.tech.com' or 'example.finance.com.' This would create a more structured and organized system that can help in categorizing and retrieving information more efficiently.

Address Potential Objections

Objections to this proposal might include resistance from existing domain owners who would need to transition to new sub-domains, as well as complications arising from implementing the changes across millions of existing domains. There could also be concerns about the increased complexity and potential costs associated with the reorganization.

Analyze Consequences of Increased Hierarchical Levels

Having most DNS domain names contain four or more levels might improve organizational clarity and better reflect the structure of larger entities. However, it could lead to longer URLs, which might be harder for users to remember and type. Additionally, the increased number of levels could add complexity to DNS management, potentially leading to higher administrative costs.

Key concepts

DNS structure

The Domain Name System (DNS) structure is like a big directory that helps you navigate the internet. Imagine it as a phone book where you can look up website names to find their corresponding IP addresses. The DNS structure is designed to be scalable, efficient, and straightforward to manage. This system is split into different levels, or domains, each serving a specific function. The top-level domains (TLDs) include .com, .org, .net, and country-specific codes such as .uk or .jp. These are followed by second-level and third-level domains, which further categorize and organize the web.

domain name system

The DNS (Domain Name System) is essentially the internet's address book. It translates human-readable domain names, like www.example.com, into machine-understandable IP addresses, such as 192.0.2.1. Without DNS, we'd have to remember the IP addresses of every site we wanted to visit, which is impractical. DNS operates through a network of servers that communicate with each other to provide the required information. These servers include DNS resolvers, root servers, TLD servers, and authoritative name servers, each playing a crucial role in resolving domain names to IP addresses.

hierarchical organization

The DNS system is organized hierarchically, which refers to a tree-like structure. At the top, we have the root level, denoted simply as a dot ('.'). Beneath it, we find the top-level domains (TLDs) like .com, .org, and country-specific domains. Further down are second-level domains (like 'example' in example.com), followed by further sub-domains (like 'blog' in blog.example.com). This hierarchy helps to efficiently organize and manage the vast number of domains and sub-domains on the internet. Introducing more sub-domains, like 'example.tech.com,' can help better categorize and organize domains, making them easier to manage and navigate. But this comes with potential challenges like resistance from existing domain owners and increased complexity in implementation.

sub-domains

Sub-domains are parts of a larger domain that help organize and navigate sections of a website. For instance, in the URL blog.example.com, 'blog' is a sub-domain of 'example.com'. Sub-domains can be used for various purposes, such as separating different departments of a company (e.g., sales.company.com) or different services (e.g., mail.server.com). They provide flexibility and a logical way to extend domain names. While introducing more sub-domains can contribute to better organization, it might result in more complex URLs that are harder to remember. Moreover, the management overhead increases with the number of sub-domains.

DNS management

Efficient DNS management is critical for the smooth operation of the internet. This involves configuring and maintaining DNS records, resolving issues, and ensuring that the DNS servers are secure and up-to-date. With the introduction of additional hierarchical levels, DNS management can become more complex and costly. The increased number of levels could mean more administrative tasks, like updating DNS records and ensuring consistency across multiple sub-domains. Proper DNS management ensures quick and precise domain name resolution, minimizing downtime and boosting the overall reliability of the internet.