new reverse-DNS generation process at APNIC

Mon Aug 19 16:42:37 UTC 2002

Reverse-DNS changes for 

 61/8, 202/8, 203/8, 210/8, 211/8, 218/8, 219/8, 220/8, 221/8,
 2001:0200::/23 and 2001:0C00::/23

APNIC has converted its DNS generation processes to a new system.

This is in preparation for conversion to RPSL based whois services,
as APNIC generates authoritative in-addr.arpa, ip6.arpa and ip6.int
reverse-DNS records directly from whois information. 

This conversion will also improve reverse-DNS services for the IPv4
and IPv6 ranges APNIC has responsibility for, by providing faster
resolution of reverse-DNS lookup, faster termination of lookup for
non-existing domains, and a more stable DNS generation process.

The reverse zone of a /8 for IPv4, or a pair of /24 for IPv6, now
contain all children objects directly, and intermediate zones (which
we used to assert down to the edge resource records in some cases) have 
been withdrawn.

For all IPv4 and IPv6 ranges APNIC is authoritative for, the reverse
DNS zones are now generated in a more efficient manner.  Updates
will propagate from whois domain objects to DNS more effectively.

At present APNIC re-generates the reverse DNS zones on a 2 hour cycle,
every day, and only increments the zone serial on changes to resource
records.

This is in line with the zonefiles asserted by RIPE NCC and ARIN, and
will provide a more uniform global DNS service in respect of
reverse-DNS.

Kind regards,

	George Michaelson

--
George Michaelson       |  APNIC
Email: ggm at apnic.net    |  PO Box 2131 Milton QLD 4064
Phone: +61 7 3858 3100  |  Australia
  Fax: +61 7 3858 3199  |  http://www.apnic.net