The Domain Name System (DNS), born 20+ years ago, has become the primary governor of traffic flows on the Internet. When the DNS stops working, so do all applications: no email, no web browsing, no instant messaging, no FTP, no e-commerce. Despite the critical nature of the DNS, responses to attacks have been handled informally, testing of software is not coordinated, and long-term analysis to better performance, stability, and security is sorely lacking.

The DNS Operations, Analysis, and Research Center (DNS-OARC) brings together key operators, implementors, and researchers on a trusted platform so they can coordinate responses to attacks and other concerns, share information and learn together. Internet Systems Consortium (ISC), a public benefit corporation operating infrastructure for the global DNS, provides secretariat services to the DNS-OARC. ISC and the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) based at the University of California San Diego are also partners in the research activities of the DNS-OARC which are principally sponsored by the US National Science Foundation (research grant SCI-0427144).

The OARC has five key functions:

• Incident Response. The OARC provides a trusted, shared platform to allow the DNS operations community to share critical information during attacks or other incidents that effect the operation of the global DNS. Stringent confidentiality requirements and secure communications mean that proprietary information can be shared (or not) on a bilateral basis.
• Operational Characterization. As Internet traffic levels continue to grow, the demand on root and other key nameservers will outgrow the current infrastructure: this year's DDoS attack traffic levels will become next year's steady state load. OARC measures the performance and load of key nameservers and publish statistics on both traffic load and traffic type (including error types).
• Testing. A testing laboratory containing common DNS implementations and network elements allows rigorous analysis of fixes, patches, and performance levels in both a real-world operational environment and under simulated attack conditions.
• Analysis. Leading researchers and developers provide long-term analysis of DNS performance and post-mortems of attacks so that institutional learning occurs. A well-provisioned system allows members to upload traces and logs, and to perform their own analysis.
• Outreach. Many problems with the DNS are the result of misconfigurations by end users, vendors, or large corporate networks. Outreach insures that critical information about the global DNS reaches those that need to know.

The OARC builds on the success of Internet Systems Consortium's successful efforts to provide public infrastructure for the global DNS. ISC, a non-profit corporation based in California, operates the "F-root" server, provides extensive DNS hosting (including more than 40 TLDs), conducts the Internet Domain Survey, and produces BIND, the leading open source software solutions for DNS and registry operations. The OARC is founded on the knowledge that the DNS has become a critical piece of our global infrastructure and it is essential that operators of that infrastructure have more effective mechanisms to share information.

OARC participants fall into one or more of the following categories:

• Operators of root, TLD, or large commercial nameservers who consume DNS technology and produce DNS services.
• Implementers who produce DNS technology including software, appliances, and network elements such as load balancing hardware.
• Government and Law Enforcement, from among the community of nations whose economies and societies are heavily reliant on Internet communications.
• Researchers whose work has a strong DNS emphasis and who need access to trace and log data about the global DNS under both "normal" and "abnormal" conditions.

The OARC is accountable to the membership through the following governance mechanisms:

• Root server operators are invited to join the Root Servers Advisory Group.
• Policy decisions are made by the OARC Policy Council, which submits periodic reports to the membership.
• The members elect four members of the OARC Policy Council, and the Root Servers Advisory Group one. The OARC Secretariat (ISC) also has a seat on the council.

To join OARC, send the completed OARC Membership and Data Access Agreement (PDF) to:

Internet Systems Consortium
Attn: OARC Secretariat
950 Charter Street
Redwood City, CA 94063
USA

For additional information or questions on the OARC, please contact admin@oarc.isc.org.