SaudiNIC Domain Name Registration Abdulaziz H. Al-Zoman

© A. Al-Zoman

Director of Saudi Network Information Center (SaudiNIC)

Internet Services Unit King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objective of this presentation


Enhancing the communication between US and YOU




Sharing the knowledge




Speeding up the registration process




Understanding SaudiNIC

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procedures and regulations


Knowing one’s responsibilities

Agenda






Introduction and background Domain Name System (DNS) Example of setting up a zone Who does the registration on the Internet? SaudiNIC  

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Statistics Regulations Registration Procedures Registration System

Summary Q&A

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Introduction and Background

Basic Communication Requirement www.saudinic.net.sa

212.26.18.4

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I want to access SaudiNIC web site: www.saudinic.net.sa

198.77.88.4

Internet

What is naming and why?





Naming is the mechanism to bind names to IP addresses and vice versa. People don’t like to remember numbers proxy.isu.net.sa is easier to remember than 212.26.18.10

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.5 8.2 6 0 8 1 3 . 7 1. 0. 7 3 . . 2 8 02 9. 2 19 1 .1 9 8 11 0.7 112 8.3 .98. 3.2 56.3

1 9 . www.saudinic.net.sa 2 1 . 3 201.23.67.8 Domain names are easier for 2 . 65 most people to relate to than a numeric IP address System administrators sometimes need to change IP numbers

36 .98 .66 .9

What is a domain name?







It uniquely identifies a host on the Internet It simplifies the interaction with hosts on the Internet A domain name is mapped to its corresponding IP address before interactions Domain names are organized on hierarchical structure. e.g.,

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computer .department.organization .type .country pc7.scrs.kacst.edu.sa

Hierarchical name tree TLD

. com

yahoo

edu

uk

eg

...

sa

SLD

mit

edu

com

gov

ftp

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ftp.mit.edu

kacst

alpha alpha.kacst.edu.sa

ksu

sun2000

cox

coy

foo foo.cox.com.sa

Top -Level Domains Top-Level


Open generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD):   




Restricted generic TopLevel Domains (gTLD):    

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.com .org .net

.mil .edu .gov .int





Country ccTLD (2 letters): There are ~ 243 ccTLD:            

.ae United Arab Emirates .au Australia .bh Bahrain .kw Kuwait .de Germany .eg Egypt .in India .pk Pakistan .sa Saudi Arabia .uk United Kingdom .za South Africa …

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Domain Name System

What is a domain name system?











DNS developed to keep track of hostnames and IP addresses throughout the Internet It consists of distributed, independent, and cooperative systems, called domain name servers These servers are arranged corresponding to the naming hierarchy (i.e., based on domain name tree) Each DNS server maintains the data for a small part of the tree

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Therefore, the DNS is distributed databases on many domain name servers

DNS: Distributed and Hierarchical








There is NO single file for all domain names but rather distributed databases on DNS servers Domain name registration is not centralized but rather distributed to many organizations This hierarchical manner allows for  




Example: 

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decentralized administration of name-to-address mapping delegation of responsibility and autonomy of each area Administrator of sharikah.com.sa can change their zone (e.g., adding a jeddah-branch.sharikah.com.sa zone) without bothering com.sa administrator (SaudiNIC)

Type of DNS Servers


Primary server.  




Secondary server.   

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Gets its data from “zone files” Zone files are updated on the primary server

Copies zone-data from primary name-server Provides backup and load sharing Refreshes frequently

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Example Setting up A Zone File On A Primary DNS Server sharikah.com.sa

Example: sharikah .com.sa sharikah.com.sa


A company would like to register a domain name 

Check SaudiNIC whois database: – http://www.saudinic.net.sa/domain/whois.htm



Contact a local ISP (isp.net.sa) to do, for example: – Domain name hosting (zone file configuration) – Mail services (mail relay configuration)



The ISP is using the following DNS servers:

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– Primary DNS: – Secondary DNS: – Secondary DNS: 

ns.isp.net.sa ns2.isp.net.sa ns1.usa-isp.com

and the following Mail servers – Mail server: – Backup mail server:

mail.isp.net.sa netserv.isp.net.sa

Terminology





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Zone:

is the area (domain) of the DNS for which a server is responsible Zone file: is a text file consist of records (lines) with a specific format containing the zone information (e.g., DNS servers, table of IP addresses-host names, …) SOA (Start Of Authority) record: contains the information that other name servers will learn about this domain (e.g., who is the primary DNS, how frequent a secondary should refresh its files, how long the data should be cached, ...) NS record: denotes the name servers that are authoritative for this zone MX record: specifies where to send email destined for the corresponding machine or domain

Primary DNS Configuration File First Step: Instruct the DNS server to be a primary server for sharikah.com.sa

/etc/named.boot … primary …

sharikah.com.sa

db.sharikah

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/etc/named.conf … zone “sharikah.com.sa” { type master; file ”db.sharikah"; }; …

The complete zone for: db.sharikah @ IN

SOA

ns.isp.net.sa

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( 99060201; 28800 ; 7200 ; 604800 ; 86400 ;

hostmaster.isp.net.sa Serial Number Refresh 8 hours Retry 2 hours Expire 7 days TTL 1 days )

; Nameservers IN NS IN NS IN NS

ns.isp.net.sa. ns2.isp.net.sa. ns1.isp-usa.com.

; Mail IN IN

10 mail.isp.net.sa. 20 netserv.isp.net.sa.

MX MX

; host-address table www IN A info IN A

192.168.10.1 192.168.10.2

Setting up a zone file for: db.sharikah @ IN




ns.isp.net.sa hostmaster.isp.net.sa ( 99060201; Serial Number 28800 ; Refresh 8 hours 7200 ; Retry 2 hours 604800 ; Expire 7 days 86400 ; TTL 1 days )

Start Of Authority (SOA) sets `zone parameters': 

primary: email:



Zone serial number



Secondary DNS servers refresh parameters



Caches refresh parameters



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SOA

ns.isp.net.sa [email protected]

Setting up a zone file for: db.sharikah ;Primary and secondary nameservers: IN IN IN




ns.isp.net.sa. ns2.isp.net.sa. ns1.isp-usa.com.

NS records list DNS servers for the zone 

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NS NS NS

the primary server as well as secondary servers

Setting up a zone file for: db.sharikah ; Mail IN IN

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MX MX

10 mail.isp.net.sa. 20 netserv.isp.net.sa.

MX-record lists where mail is delivered  The mail will be delivered first to the one with the lowest precedence number  Others are backup in case of delivery problems

Setting up a zone file for: db.sharikah ; host-address table www info

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IN IN

A A

192.168.10.1 192.168.10.2

“A” records map names to IP addresses

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Domain Name Registration On The Internet

Who does the registration on the Internet?


Top-Level Domains are the responsibility of IANA – Internet Assigned Numbers Authority – Network Solutions Inc - InterNIC



generic: gTLD (e.g., .com, .net, .org) country code: ccTLD (e.g., .sa, …)

– Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)

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For each ccTLD there is an entity that administers the domain name registration: – – – –

Define the sub-domains (STD) Setup registration policy Control the registration under STD. Make sure that names do not conflict and are appropriate

Who does the registration under sa-TLD?





KACST- Saudi Network Information Center (SaudiNIC)- since 1995. Managing Saudi domain name registration:     

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edu.sa gov.sa com.sa net.sa org.sa med.sa sch.sa pub.sa

Academic institutes (e.g. Universities) Government organizations Commercial entities ISPs Non-profit organizations Medical institutes (e.g., hospitals, clinics) Schools (e.g., high schools, kindergarten) For public - anything does not fit the above

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SaudiNIC Domain Name Registration Statistics

SaudiNIC Statistics Registered domains per year

Total: 864 700 615 600 500 400 300 213 200

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100 1

8

1995

1996

27

0 1997

1998

1999

SaudiNIC Statistics Registered domains in 1999 140

129

124 120 100

100

96

81 80 60 40

50 35

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20 0 1

2

3

4 1999

5

6

7

SaudiNIC Statistics Registered domains per category 800 730 700 600 500 400 300 200

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100

46

34

29

net

gov

9

7

9

edu

med

sch

0 com

org

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SaudiNIC Domain Name Registration Regulation

SaudiNIC - Regulation General:


Registration will continue as is until 14 Shawal 1420  



First come first served Based on legal documents (Commercial registration, trade mark, …) Obvious derivation of the official name, trademark, or activity – English translation, transliteration, or abbreviation

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Starting 15 Shawal 1420 H, SaudiNIC will follow 

strictly first come first served.

SaudiNIC - Regulation General General::





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Generic names (e.g., www, internet) and famous people will not be registered under any domain Domain names are NOT for sale! Registering a domain name does not confer any legal rights to that name

SaudiNIC - Regulation Applicant:


The Applicant must be: – physically in KSA, – belong to an entity registered in KSA, or – belong to an entity that provides goods or services in KSA.




Domain contacts: – Administrative contact must be located in KSA and from the entity requesting the domain name – Technical contact should be the one who are looking after the primary DNS server

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The Applicant agrees that: – – – – –

information submitted is true domain name does not violate the right of a third-party it will not be used for any activity not permitted in KSA will inform SaudiNIC for any changes in the information will not register domain names for the purpose of selling them

SaudiNIC - Regulation Requirements:



A domain name application form A letter requesting the domain name registration – It must be on an official letterhead from the owner





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Legal documents (CR, TM, License, …) At least two operational DNS servers hosting the domain name in question Applications are kept in a pending state – for three weeks until required documents are received – then a warning message is sent – if nothing is received within a week, SaudiNIC will reject the request

SaudiNIC - Regulation Domain name format:


A domain name is not case sensitive




A domain name should be

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at least 3 and no more than 24 alphanumeric characters



using the following characters: "A" - "Z", "0" - "9", and "-"

The first character should be a letter (A-Z)

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SaudiNIC Domain Name Registration Procedure

SaudiNIC Registration Procedure Customer (Five Steps) 1. Check the availability of the domain name – SaudiNIC whois database: http://www.saudinic.net.sa/domain/whois.htm

2. Configure at least two DNS servers

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– One is a primary DNS; others are secondaries – should be active and responsive to DNS queries BEFORE this application is submitted. – It is strongly recommended that the secondary name server(s) be on a completely separate physical network

SaudiNIC Registration Procedure Customer


3. Fill the form and send it to SaudiNIC – – – –




Online: Text: Fax: Email:

http://www.saudinic.net.sa/domain/app-online.htm http://www.isu.saudinic.sa/domain/app-text.htm + 966 1 481 3254 [email protected]

4. Mail or fax the following documents (customer): – a letter (on an official letterhead) requesting the domain name – Legal documents (e.g., Commercial registration, Trade mark, Membership of Chamber of Commerce, License, etc.)

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5. Follow up the registration – check your email – check SaudiNIC whois: http://www.saudinic.net.sa/domain/whois.htm

– if you have not received anything from SaudiNIC within 2 working days, please contact [email protected]

SaudiNIC Registration Procedure Internal request

Check documents

OK

problem Pending List

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correction Inform The Customer Time (3-4 w) Rejection

Check DNS Servers

Done! OK

problem Pending List DNSs Inform The are ready Customer Time (3-4 w) Rejection

Inform The Customer

SaudiNIC Registration Procedure Internal - Step One


Receiving and Checking the Request    

User support + Helpdesk Receiving requests: email, fax, postal/hand, Web Inserting the new request into the SaudiNIC database Check the request: – domain name availability – completeness of required documents – validity of the request

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Contact ISP/customer for any missing information or problems – a warning message will be sent after 3 weeks if no response is received – The request will be rejected if nothing is received within a week

SaudiNIC Registration Procedure Internal - Step Two


Checking DNS servers   




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At lease two DNS servers (Primary + Secondary) Accessible through the Internet Hosting the new domain name

Contacting ISP/Customer for any problems Updating database

SaudiNIC Registration Procedure Internal - Step Three


Registration  

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Adding the domain name to our zone file Updating the database Informing the ISP/Customer

SaudiNIC Registration System What has been done?



Database Online information     




Automation 

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web site: www.saudinic.net.sa online forms (text, web) domain lookup (whois) Tracking system documents (FAQs, how-to, RFCs, Regulation)

 

Internal procedure Registration DNS server checking

Summary


SaudiNIC will 










manage domain name registration under .sa TLD Insure proper operation of DNS delegate responsibilities to ISPs to manage customer domains support ISPs delegate domain names not under .sa

An ISP should 







SaudiNIC can not 

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be familiar with SaudiNIC procedures and requirements cooperate with SaudiNIC to help the customers represent customers for registering domain names manage zone files of delegated zones provide help and support to customers

An ISP should not  

be the owner of domains add more delay to the process

That ’s not all, II’d ’d like to thank That’s




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Dr. Ibrahim Al-Furaih Raed Al-Fayez Sami Al-Moghrabi Wael Al-Ghamdi

Thanks for attending and good lock in your businesses

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Abdulaziz H. Al-Zoman

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