[ih] DNS origins?

[Dave Crocker]

On 6/9/2021 11:17 AM, Barbara Denny via Internet-history wrote:
>   I remember thoughts about DNS were  developed enough by summer of 1983 that  I was asked to prepare a talk about DNS and packet radio at what I believe was the last packet radio meeting.  Unfortunately I don't remember what I used to learn about DNS so I could prepare my thoughts. I remember this is where I met Jon Postel but I don't remember if Paul Mockepetris was there.


Some additions about timeline:


I had nothing to do with the creation of any aspect of the DNS.


However RFC 822, defining Internet mail format -- with relatively small 
modifications from RFC 733 --as published August 1982. It included 
support for domain name, which is to say support for the dotted name 
notation in a host reference.

SMTP also added domain name support, at the same time. (duh.  Written by 
Jon.)

I do not remember the details of how the directive to add this support 
in RFC 822 developed nor how I was told of the syntax.  822 was 
developed through group discussion, over email.  I don't even recall a 
face-to-face meeting for it.  SMTP definitely did have f2f sessions.

I only recall one discussion with Jon, concerning the handling of domain 
names in SMTP, where I was confused that it always passed the entire 
domain name, rather than stripping off the right-hand field, as the 
message transited a hop.  I had not yet understood that this was not a 
source route.

So I believe the general concept of the administrative/semantic 
hierarchy -- distinct from the distributed operational query mechanism 
-- was fully set by Fall of 1982.  (I'm not saying the latter wasn't but 
that I don't know anything about that part of the design timeline.)

d/

-- 
Dave Crocker
Brandenburg InternetWorking
bbiw.net