Re: Assigning a domain name

["Henry W. Miller" <henrym@sacto.mp.usbr.gov>]

> From:	MX%"rv@deins.informatik.uni-dortmund.de" 25-MAY-1994 00:39:24.95
> Subj:	Re: Assigning a domain name

> Henry,
> 
> sorry to disagree - but your way of telling this seems to still confirm
> some common misunderstanding.
> 
>   > 	It depends on how you are going to set up your network.  There
>   > is no real right or wrong way.  Generally, there is a 1:1 match between
>   > a network and a domain.
> no:  GENERALLY speaking domains (with a hierarchical structure of the name
> space) and IP networks are completely INDEPENDANT things;  the domain name
> service can be used to establish mappings between domain names and IP addresses
> (note: specific fully qualified domain names and specific IP addresses -
> NOT domains as complete naming trees or IP networks as sets of addresses
> to be used on one subnetwork).
> Of course it is most common that in most organizations and networks
> domains and networks are matching each other quite closely - but this is
> (technically speaking) accidental and anything but neccessary.
> 

	I agree - my way of telling this was wrong.  I apologize for the
poor choice of words.  First, there are PLENTY of WRONG ways of doing
this.  Secondly, as you confirmed,  GENERALLY there is a close mapping
from a SUBdomain to a SUBnet.  An organization is allocated a set up
network addresses and a subdomain name, such that one of their host
names will NORMALLY have an address within their subnet.  Three exceptions
that come to mind would be: 1) an offsite DNS that has someone elses
address but a local hostname, 2) ditto for an offsite mail server, and
3) if your network provider has a POP at your site, they may have one
or your addresses and one of their names, or vice versa.  There may be
other cases that I am not considering.  Actually, a fourth case would
be that if you "loaned" one of your subnets to another organization,
but they use their own domain name for it.  This is a case I've seen
very often within the Department of the Interior, as one organization
"bootstraps" another organization onto the Internet, or even the case
where we "sponsor" a commercial venture, i.e., a consulting or
contracting firm of which we are the principle client.

>   >                          However, it is perfectly legal to have multiple
>   > subdomains within a network, and multiple networks within a single domain.
> Yes - or even with domain names from multiple domains spread over IP addresses
> in a number of networks and vice versa.
> 

	But, by and large, an organizations domain and network are bound
to each other.

> Regards,
>   Ruediger
> 
> 
> Ruediger Volk
> Universitaet Dortmund, Informatik IRB
> D-44221 Dortmund, Germany
> 
> E-Mail: rv@Informatik.Uni-Dortmund.DE
> Phone:  +49 231 755 4760                 Fax:  +49 231 755 2386


-HWM
----------
Henry W. Miller
Assistant Systems and Network Manager
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid Pacific Region
2800 Cottage Way MP1130
Sacramento, CA 95825		(916) 978-5108
Inet:	"henrym@sacto.mp.usbr.gov"

"I've fallen, and I can't get up!"