[dns-operations] Delegation checking (was: Re: Some DNSSEC trivia)

[Joe Abley]

On 9-Jan-2008, at 18:41, Mark Andrews wrote:

> 	There is a real dollar cost to registries not performing
> 	these checks.  Doing the check at the registry level will
> 	minimise the overall cost.

There's a real dollar cost to a registry in performing these checks,  
and a bigger cost in taking action in response to the observed results.

There's a real dollar cost to a registrar in dealing with a registry  
that removes names from the DNS when lame delegations are found,  
regardless of whether they receive notification in advance of the  
removal of the name.

For a commercial registry or registrar, what is the benefit to the  
shareholders of performing such checks and taking corresponding  
action? All I see are costs and competitive disadvantage. "It'll save  
ISC money" doesn't sound like a winning argument :-)

Personally, I wish there were no lame delegations anywhere in the  
namespace, but I struggle to see a business case here. If there's no  
commercial motivation for doing it, why would anybody expect it ever  
to happen without regulation?


Joe