[ih] IANA

[Vint Cerf]

Steve,

thanks for trying to get this straight. It's amazing how much we've  
forgotten.

Jake, when did Jon come to SRI? Did the NIC maintain the host.txt file  
initially (that sounds right to me)?

vint

On Aug 29, 2009, at 1:05 PM, Steve Crocker wrote:

> Johnny,
>
> I don't think this quite right.  The addresses for machines in the  
> Arpanet were formed two numbers.  One number was the address of the  
> IMP.  The other was from the particular interface on the IMP that  
> connected to the host.  The IMPs were numbered from 1 to 63.  The  
> interfaces were numbered from 0 to 3.  The host address was the IMP  
> address plus 64 times the interface.  UCLA had IMP number 1.  The  
> first host attached to it was addressed as host 1.  The second  
> host's address was 65.  Etc.
>
> IMP numbers were assigned by BBN in the order they were installed.   
> Host interfaces were used pretty much in order at each institution.
>
> I don't remember who precisely kept track of the overall list.  It  
> wasn't at UCLA and it wasn't in the early RFCs.  I believe SRI took  
> on this job, and eventually distributed the information in the form  
> of the host table.  Pretty early in the process we started using  
> names for the hosts, e.g. "UCLA" for host number 1, "SRI" for host  
> number 2, and then longer names to distinguish between hosts at each  
> institution, e.g. "UCLA-CCN" (I think) host 65.
>
> My memory of this is probably not 100% perfect, so I apologize in  
> advance if some details are wrong.  Please do cross check.
>
> Bob Braden can probably tell you much more, and perhaps ex SRI  
> people can fill in some blanks.  Check with Jake Feinler.  I have  
> cc'd Bob and Jake as well as Vint.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Steve
>
>
>
>
>
> On Aug 29, 2009, at 12:49 PM, Johnny RYAN wrote:
>
>> Dear Steve,
>>
>> I'm checking the chronology regarding IANA, the governance of DNS
>> etc., and I wonder if you could clarify when Jon Postel started the
>> task of keeping track of the addresses of the host machines on the
>> ARPANET? Vint Cerf suggests that it may have been when the RFCs
>> started in April 1969 but that you would know best.
>>
>> Does that sound right?
>>
>> Johnny
>>
>> --
>> My Next Book... http://johnnyryan.wordpress.com/books/net-history-2010/
>>
>> Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyryan1
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Aug 29, 2009 at 3:51 PM, Vint Cerf<vint at google.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> On Aug 29, 2009, at 10:18 AM, Johnny RYAN wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear All,
>>>>
>>>> I'd to make sure I have the chronology and causality right in the
>>>> development of ICANN
>>>>
>>>>> From 1968 onward, Jon Postel volunteered to keep track of the
>>>
>>> no, more like 1969 - when the RFCs were started (April). Steve  
>>> Crocker
>>> would know of course whether Jon volunteered sooner than that.
>>>>>
>>>> addresses of host machines on ARPANET and then Internet.
>>>> In 1983, the same year as Mockapetris developed the DNS, Postel  
>>>> setup
>>>> the IANA to manage the addresses and domain names
>>>> 1992, NSF issues solicitation for bidders to perform network
>>>> information service management
>>>> 1993-1998, Network Solutions contracted to perform domain name
>>>> registration service - working with / under (unclear here) the IANA
>>>> 1995, controversy arises when Network Solutions proposes a fee for
>>>> registering domains - the fee was apparently envisaged by NSF at  
>>>> the
>>>> outset,
>>>
>>> no, it think the fee matter arose as the registration rate  
>>> increased and
>>> NSF concluded that spending research $ on what was evidently a
>>> commercial activity did not make sense. It authorized $50/year with
>>> a two year minimum per domain name at first. This became very  
>>> controversial.
>>>
>>>> and the Dec 1994 review of Network Solutions work recommended
>>>> the fee. Controversy however came from the hesitancy on the part of
>>>> some about Network Solutions having a monopoly and the prospect of
>>>> their having no oversight from 1998 onward
>>>
>>> you seem to leave out a two year period when the community tried to
>>> self organize. An Ah Hoc committee was formed but did not converge
>>> entirely. As I recall, Jon initiated discussion about 1996 on the  
>>> matter
>>> of institutionalizing IANA functions in part because USC was  
>>> unwilling
>>> to provide legal protection for potential controversies over  
>>> rights to
>>> register particular domain names, etc. The attempt to self-organize
>>> led to a proposed Geneva-based entity but this ignited a firestorm
>>> among some members of Congress (who somehow thought that
>>> the US still "controlled" the Internet) and led to Ira Magaziner's
>>> involvement with the support of (or maybe at the request of?)
>>> then President Bill Clinton.
>>>>
>>>> 1997, prompted by Ira Magaziner, Clinton administration commits to
>>>> privitization in its 'Framework for Global Electronic Commerce'
>>>> 1998, January, US Department of Commerce Green Paper 'A Proposal to
>>>> Improve the Technical Management of Internet Names and Addresses'
>>>> proposes a private, not for profit corporation to coordinate DNS
>>>> 1998, US Department of Commerce publishes statement of policy on
>>>> Internet names and addresses and announces the beginning of a
>>>> transition of DNS functions to the new corporation, following a  
>>>> period
>>>> of further study and consultation.
>>>
>>> October 1998, Jon Postel dies - he would have served as the CTO of
>>> ICANN.
>>>>
>>>> November 1998, ICANN signs memorandum of understanding with the US
>>>> Department of Commerce to undertake joint study of the future for  
>>>> DNS
>>>> management that would be operated by the private sector.
>>>> December 1998, ICANN signs a transition agreement with the  
>>>> University
>>>> of Southern California in which it assumed the functions previously
>>>> fulfilled by the IANA.
>>>>
>>>> If this chronology is accurate, then the next problem I have is
>>>> understanding where the controversy from 2005 came from...
>>>>
>>>> I hope all of you are well, any input would be much appreciated.
>>>>
>>>> Johnny
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> My Next Book... http://johnnyryan.wordpress.com/books/net-history-2010/
>>>>
>>>> Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyryan1
>>>
>>>
>