[dns-operations] Why are cnames called "canonical" names?

[Mark Andrews]

In message <55272759.9030605 at easydns.com>, "Mark E. Jeftovic" writes:
> 
> Thanks but that page doesn't go into why the term "canonical" was
> adopted, as opposed to "alias" (which makes sense), or even "knickname",
> "doppelganger" or something like "pointer".
> 
> Somebody did send me a very comprehensive background off list which goes
> back to Kernighan & Ritchie's "C" book.
> 
> - mark

The target (RHS) of the CNAME is supposed to be the official
(canonical) name of the entity (though nameservers are required to
handle CNAME chains when this requirement is not being met).

The LHS is the alias.
The RHS is the canonical name.

Think of CNAME as "the canonical name of this alias is ..."

Now if were providing a list of alias for this entity then ALIAS would be
the right name for the record and more than one of them would be supported.

Mark

> Roland Dobbins wrote:
> > On 10 Apr 2015, at 6:26, Mark E. Jeftovic wrote:
> > 
> >> Is it in the "accepted as genuine" sense of "included in the list of
> >> sacred books officially accepted as genuine" definition of "canonical"
> >> that led to this?
> > 
> > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNAME_record>
> > 
> > -----------------------------------
> > Roland Dobbins <rdobbins at arbor.net>
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> 
> -- 
> Mark E. Jeftovic <markjr at easydns.com>
> Founder & CEO, easyDNS Technologies Inc.
> +1-(416)-535-8672 ext 225
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