Internet Systems Consortium
Encyclopedia
Internet Systems Consortium, Inc., also known as ISC, is a Delaware-registered, 501(c)(3) public benefit non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting the infrastructure of the universal connected self-organizing Internet by developing and maintaining core production quality software, protocols, and operations. ISC is the developer of several key Internet technologies that enable the global Internet; such as BIND
, ISC DHCP, OpenReg, ISC AFTR, an implementation of an IPv4/IPv6 transition protocol based on Dual-Stack Lite, which is under development by several large ISPs within the IETF protocol standards development process.
ISC operates one of the 13 global authoritative DNS
root servers, F-root
. Over the years, a number of additional software systems were operated under ISC (INN
, Lynx
) to better support the Internet's infrastructure. ISC also expanded their operational activities to include Internet hosting facilities for other open source projects such as NetBSD
, XFree86
, kernel.org
, secondary name service (SNS
) for more than 50 top-level domains, and a DNS OARC (Operations, Analysis and Research Center) for monitoring and reporting of the Internet's DNS.
ISC is actively involved in community design process, author and participate in the creation of the IETF
standards, including the production of managed open source software used as reference implementation of the DNS.
following the footsteps of CSRG
at U.C.Berkeley, Digital Equipment Corp., and Vixie Enterprises. Due to the importance of BIND as an essential component of the Internet's infrastructure, founders of ISC felt very strongly that BIND's continued support and enhancement should be managed and funded by an independent entity. IANA
(Jon Postel
) designated ISC as a root name server operator - initially as NS.ISC.ORG, later changed to F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET - to enable ISC to support the use of BIND by root name servers.
In January 2004 the original ISC's projects, assets and staff were transferred to Internet Systems Consortium, Inc., the current ISC.
, OpenReg, a DHCP
implementation, INN, and an NTP
implementation. Some aspects of its software have, in the past, been developed by developers that are commercially employed by Nominum.
. The ISC license is OpenBSD
's preferred license for new code.
"F" root server, the first such server to be distributed using anycast
. In 2007 it was announced that ISC and ICANN
would sign an agreement regarding the operation of F, the first such agreement made between ICANN and a root-server operator.
moderators list and relays for moderated groups so individual server operators don't have to track moderator changes.
(DNS) to discover every Internet host. The survey began when only a few hundred hosts were Internet linked. The earliest published reports dated 1993 were performed by Network Wizards owner Mark K. Lottor. The Internet host count was 1,313,000 in January 1993 and 818,374,269 in the latest January 2011 survey.
ISC is the current sponsor and publisher with technical operations subcontracted to Network Wizards.
BIND
BIND , or named , is the most widely used DNS software on the Internet.On Unix-like operating systems it is the de facto standard.Originally written by four graduate students at the Computer Systems Research Group at the University of California, Berkeley , the name originates as an acronym from...
, ISC DHCP, OpenReg, ISC AFTR, an implementation of an IPv4/IPv6 transition protocol based on Dual-Stack Lite, which is under development by several large ISPs within the IETF protocol standards development process.
ISC operates one of the 13 global authoritative DNS
Domain name system
The Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
root servers, F-root
Root nameserver
A root name server is a name server for the Domain Name System's root zone. It directly answers requests for records in the root zone and answers other requests returning a list of the designated authoritative name servers for the appropriate top-level domain...
. Over the years, a number of additional software systems were operated under ISC (INN
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
, Lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
) to better support the Internet's infrastructure. ISC also expanded their operational activities to include Internet hosting facilities for other open source projects such as NetBSD
NetBSD
NetBSD is a freely available open source version of the Berkeley Software Distribution Unix operating system. It was the second open source BSD descendant to be formally released, after 386BSD, and continues to be actively developed. The NetBSD project is primarily focused on high quality design,...
, XFree86
XFree86
XFree86 is an implementation of the X Window System. It was originally written for Unix-like operating systems on IBM PC compatibles and is now available for many other operating systems and platforms. It is free and open source software under the XFree86 License version 1.1. It is developed by the...
, kernel.org
Kernel.org
Kernel.org is a main repository of source code for the Linux kernel, the base of the popular Linux operating system. It makes all versions of the source code available to all users. It also hosts various other projects, like Google Android...
, secondary name service (SNS
SNS
-Commerce:* SNS Bank, a Dutch bank.* Steak n Shake, a U.S. restaurant chain* Street News Service, a news agency for street newspapers-Computing:* Amazon Simple Notification Service , a multiprotocol "push" messaging web service...
) for more than 50 top-level domains, and a DNS OARC (Operations, Analysis and Research Center) for monitoring and reporting of the Internet's DNS.
ISC is actively involved in community design process, author and participate in the creation of the IETF
Internet Engineering Task Force
The Internet Engineering Task Force develops and promotes Internet standards, cooperating closely with the W3C and ISO/IEC standards bodies and dealing in particular with standards of the TCP/IP and Internet protocol suite...
standards, including the production of managed open source software used as reference implementation of the DNS.
History
ISC was originally founded in 1994 as Internet Software Consortium, Inc., to continue the work of maintaining and enhancing BINDBIND
BIND , or named , is the most widely used DNS software on the Internet.On Unix-like operating systems it is the de facto standard.Originally written by four graduate students at the Computer Systems Research Group at the University of California, Berkeley , the name originates as an acronym from...
following the footsteps of CSRG
Computer Systems Research Group
The Computer Systems Research Group was a research group at the University of California, Berkeley that was dedicated to enhancing AT&T Unix operating system and funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.- History :...
at U.C.Berkeley, Digital Equipment Corp., and Vixie Enterprises. Due to the importance of BIND as an essential component of the Internet's infrastructure, founders of ISC felt very strongly that BIND's continued support and enhancement should be managed and funded by an independent entity. IANA
IANA
IANA is an initialism that may stand for a number of things:*the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, an organisation that oversees IP address, Top-level domain and Internet protocol code point allocations*the Iranian Agriculture News Agency...
(Jon Postel
Jon Postel
Jonathan Bruce Postel was an American computer scientist who made many significant contributions to the development of the Internet, particularly with respect to standards...
) designated ISC as a root name server operator - initially as NS.ISC.ORG, later changed to F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET - to enable ISC to support the use of BIND by root name servers.
In January 2004 the original ISC's projects, assets and staff were transferred to Internet Systems Consortium, Inc., the current ISC.
Internet
Software developed and maintained by ISC includes BINDBIND
BIND , or named , is the most widely used DNS software on the Internet.On Unix-like operating systems it is the de facto standard.Originally written by four graduate students at the Computer Systems Research Group at the University of California, Berkeley , the name originates as an acronym from...
, OpenReg, a DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a network configuration protocol for hosts on Internet Protocol networks. Computers that are connected to IP networks must be configured before they can communicate with other hosts. The most essential information needed is an IP address, and a default...
implementation, INN, and an NTP
Network Time Protocol
The Network Time Protocol is a protocol and software implementation for synchronizing the clocks of computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency data networks. Originally designed by David L...
implementation. Some aspects of its software have, in the past, been developed by developers that are commercially employed by Nominum.
ISC license
ISC developed and uses the ISC license which is functionally similar to the MIT licenseMIT License
The MIT License is a free software license originating at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . It is a permissive license, meaning that it permits reuse within proprietary software provided all copies of the licensed software include a copy of the MIT License terms...
. The ISC license is OpenBSD
OpenBSD
OpenBSD is a Unix-like computer operating system descended from Berkeley Software Distribution , a Unix derivative developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It was forked from NetBSD by project leader Theo de Raadt in late 1995...
's preferred license for new code.
DNS root server
ISC operates the DNSDomain name system
The Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
"F" root server, the first such server to be distributed using anycast
Anycast
Anycast is a network addressing and routing methodology in which datagrams from a single sender are routed to the topologically nearest node in a group of potential receivers all identified by the same destination address.-Addressing methodologies:...
. In 2007 it was announced that ISC and ICANN
ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, United States, that was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly...
would sign an agreement regarding the operation of F, the first such agreement made between ICANN and a root-server operator.
Usenet moderators list
ISC maintains and publishes (on ftp.isc.org) the central UsenetUsenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
moderators list and relays for moderated groups so individual server operators don't have to track moderator changes.
Internet Domain Survey
The Internet Domain Survey searches the Domain Name SystemDomain name system
The Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
(DNS) to discover every Internet host. The survey began when only a few hundred hosts were Internet linked. The earliest published reports dated 1993 were performed by Network Wizards owner Mark K. Lottor. The Internet host count was 1,313,000 in January 1993 and 818,374,269 in the latest January 2011 survey.
ISC is the current sponsor and publisher with technical operations subcontracted to Network Wizards.