Re: DNS and Directory Services

[Michael Dillon <michael@memra.com>]

On Fri, 13 Dec 1996, Simon Higgs wrote:

> My answer is that the mapping done by DNS isn't a directory service,

I think that DNS *IS* a directory service just like the telephone white
pages. I open the book, select the town I'm interested, look for the D's,
find Dillon and check the first name and/or initial and/or address and
then I have my phone number. I ask a root nameserver who handles .COM, I
ask the .COM nameserver for MEMRA.COM, I ask Memra's name server for
WWW.MEMRA.COM and I have an IP address. 

> but each layer that is mapped (domain name & IP) can easily become
> searchable using a directory system. Given the use that DNS is getting
> these days, that's not hard to imagine.
> 
> If anyone can explain this better, feel free to jump in!

I think you mean that the root nameservers should provide a directory
service that lists all TLD's with various information about them
(properties) and that each TLD should run a similar directory service
with info about their subdomains and each subdomain that is
authoritatively delegated should do the same.

Then I can ask a root directory server, give me all the TLD's with
companies, and I can go to each TLD and say, give me all the companies
that make widgets, and then I will have a nicely formatted list of URL's
for every company in the world that is on the web and makes widgets. The
actual URL's will *NOT* be just WWW stuck on the domain name but will be
attributes/properties stored by the directory service. Thus MFGCO.COM
may instruct the directory service that it's main URL is
http://www.mfgco.com but the Widget division is
http://www.some-isp.on.ca/widgetco-canada-a-division-of-mfgco/


Michael Dillon                   -               Internet & ISP Consulting
Memra Software Inc.              -                  Fax: +1-604-546-3049
http://www.memra.com             -               E-mail: michael@memra.com