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DNS Resolver Best Common Practice Task Force

The DNS Resolver Best Common Practice Task Force has been closed following the publication of its final report.

Final Document

DNS Resolver Recommendations - published on 1 May 2024

Timeline

24 January 2023
DNS Resolver Best Common Practice Task Force is formed.

8 March 2023
The task force begins work on recommendations.

26 November 2023
Draft sent to DNS working group.

19 February 2024
Revised draft sent to the task force with feedback from the DNS Working Group.

17 March 2024
Revised draft sent to the task force based on its feedback.

29 March 2024
Final version sent to the RIPE Chair and RIPE NCC.

1 May 2024
Published as RIPE-823.

20-24 May 2024

DNS Resolver Best Common Practice Task Force closed during RIPE 88.

Rationale

There is increasing concern that large open DNS resolvers will become centralised points of DNS operations on the Internet. In order to address this, the European Commission issued the DNS4EU initiative . However, such an initiative could lead to centralised guidance or regulation which might interfere with the decentralised way the Internet infrastructure, including the DNS works. See for reference the RIPE NCC Open House discussion on this topic.

The RIPE Community is well positioned to provide a set of Best Current Practices that operators of Open DNS Resolvers will be encouraged to subscribe to.

This Task Force has been initiated by the DNS WG together with the Cooperation WG at RIPE 85. The BCOP Task Force offered to help as it has experience with producing operational BCP documents.

Charter

The Task Force will gather best current practices for the operation of DNS resolvers and work towards producing a recommendation of operational practices that will be available to the RIPE community and the Internet community at large.

Scope

The final document will refer not only to the technical aspects of the operations but will also include best practice recommendations for aspects of data management, in particular with regards to privacy of the users being served and modifications of DNS data. This document is aimed as input for those running public DNS resolver services.

Methodology

The Task Force members will organise a number of online meetings. A public mailing list for community feedback has been set up. Minutes of the meetings and other updates will be shared on this mailing list and on the relevant RIPE WG mailing lists.

The Task Force will also reach out to other organisations such as CENTR, DNS-OARC, and ICANN.

Task Force Members

  • Maarten Aertsen
  • Farzaneh Badii
  • Vittorio Bertola
  • Stéphane Bortzmeyer
  • Joe Crowe
  • João Damas
  • Marco Davids
  • Paul Ebersman
  • Gaurav Kansal
  • Shane Kerr - Chair
  • Lars-Johan Liman
  • John Todd
  • Tim Wicinski - Co-Chair
  • János Zsakó

RIPE NCC Staff Support

  • Boris Duval
  • Suzanne Taylor

Mailing List Archives

Emails to the DNS Resolver Best Common Practice Task Force are publicly archived.

You can email the TF at: dns-resolver-tf@ripe.net.

Co-chairs